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Microsoft is bringing annoying Windows 11 Start menu ads to Windows 10

Let’s put it this way; when Microsoft announced its plans to start adding features to Windows 10 once again, despite the operating system’s inevitable demise in October 2025, everyone expected slightly different things to see ported over from Windows 11. Sadly, the latest addition to Windows 10 is one of the most annoying changes coming from Windows 11’s Start menu.

Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced a so-called “Account Manager” for Windows 11 that appears on the screen when you click your profile picture on the Start menu. Instead of just showing you buttons for logging out, locking your device or switching profiles, it displays Microsoft 365 ads. All the actually useful buttons are now hidden behind a three-dot submenu (apparently, my 43-inch display does not have enough space to accommodate them). Now, the “Account Manager” is coming to Windows 10 users.

The change was spotted in the latest Windows 10 preview builds from the Beta and Release Preview Channels. It works in the same way as Windows 11, and it is disabled by default for now because the submenu with sign-out and lock buttons does not work.

yesman ,

If you’re a person who prefers to type commands than click through menus then you should try the “run” program in the “powertoys” suite from Microsoft.

It a launcher program that’s superior to Start in every way. You can type in plain English system commands like “shutdown”; a search that actually works; you can pass queries into your browser’s search engine; and of course launch programs by typing in their names. You can even enter entire registry addresses to open regedit at the desired location.

This is a complete replacement for the Start Menu.

RotaryKeyboard ,
@RotaryKeyboard@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

This is what I came here to suggest. Everybody should be using power toys and keyboard entry as much as possible on windows.

OutlierBlue ,

I just made a similar comment above but you’re in an abusive relationship. MS isn’t going to come to their senses and change paths. You can delay things by using powertoys, but they’ll be back to abuse you again. Use this time to plan an exit strategy and leave.

Lost_My_Mind ,

It’s pretty insulting to anyone who’s ACTUALLY been in an abusive relationship to claim that looking at an ad is the same thing as being beaten at night.

Wiz ,

I’m sorry for your situation. That sucks, and I empathize. I hope you have found physical and mental healing.

That being said, there are different levels of abusive relationships. I can see where that poster could compare Microsoft to a gaslighting relationship where a partner says they are doing something for you, but it’s always about themselves.

cyborganism ,

Anybody remember Litestep (litestep.net)? It was an open source shell alternative to the default Windows shell.

Andromxda , (edited )
@Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

There’s actually something pretty similar for Windows 10 and 11. It even offers tiling. Not as great as a Linux desktop environment, but much better than the garbage Micro$oft ships by default. github.com/eythaann/Seelen-UI

Add PowerToys Run or Flow Launcher and you have a pretty decent, usable environment

Of course use the new Windows Terminal (preferably with WSL and a good Linux shell, but newer PowerShell with oh-my-posh and a few other modifications is also pretty decent if you need to use the CLI in a Windows environment for some reason)

Windows Terminal + PowerShell setup: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-aK2_WwrmM

ATDA ,

Hold on let me check my start menu.

Oh this is gnome lolololol.

uriel238 ,
@uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Funny. Not long after all the spyware was inserted into Win 10, they imported it into Win 7, and we got a general notice to not install those updates (or uninstall them).

Yeah, Microsoft was always a shit.

PhAzE ,

If they advertise, then the OS needs to be free. I’m not paying for an OS that profits off me too.

viking ,
@viking@infosec.pub avatar

I don’t recall ever paying for Windows, so there’s that. Once in a while I had a genuine license that came bundled with something, but most of the time, I don’t.

Kyrgizion ,

Is there a way to pre-emptively block this? Something in hosts.txt? Registry?

The very first day I see those ads in my Win10 will be the day I uninstall Win and go Linux.

Blisterexe ,

Why wait?

21Cabbage ,

See and my friends give me shit for running KDE, soon they’ll have to click past a Viagra ad to do so.

superkret ,

https://feddit.org/pictrs/image/a7027ee1-eb84-4cda-9e36-a55db81bc654.jpeg

Blackout ,

"lol"
-- classic shell

nobleshift ,
@nobleshift@lemmy.world avatar

Open Shell

01189998819991197253 ,
@01189998819991197253@infosec.pub avatar

If you MUST use windows for work or something, at least install OpenShell. Otherwise, use Linux. It’s so easy to switch for most use cases. Even gaming on Linux has come a very long way.

atrielienz ,

Said like I’m the admin of my work PC. Doesn’t matter though, I’ll have the IT department policy edit this out of existence the same way I did their stupid windows 11 splash page ads.

01189998819991197253 ,
@01189998819991197253@infosec.pub avatar

Fair point. I convincing the IT department at the past couple of jobs that I need it for productivity, and they can firewall it if it makes them feel better (I’ll let them know run updates are available, and they can push the update).

rickdg ,
@rickdg@lemmy.world avatar

I can’t believe they’ll put this on windows 10 pro.

thermal_shock ,

that’s what’s kicking me,why would a professional license used primarily for business need ANY kind of advertisement/popup/nag from their OS? fuck off Microsoft

floofloof ,

Microsoft don’t hold back from the ads and crapware in the Pro versions of Windows. The Enterprise versions tend to be where you get some control over it.

swordgeek ,

Yeah yeah, Linux is our saviour.

I call bullshit. Charge Microsoft criminally. Sue them into the ground! We will never get enough people to truly harm them just by leaving, so we need to FUCKING DESTROY ANY COMPANY THAT PULLS THIS BULLSHIT!

umbrella ,
@umbrella@lemmy.ml avatar

🐧

BearOfaTime ,

And people question my decision to disable automatic updates…

Lost_My_Mind ,

I’ll take you one further. I’m on Windows 7. Hasn’t been updated since like 2013.

akwd169 ,

Unrelated question: What’s your IP address?

Jk

Lost_My_Mind ,

192.168.1.1

Kolanaki ,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

I haven’t even used the start menu in so long because Windows 10 always had a shitty one and I really just use my PC for games which I launch from Steam or my desktop (if non steam). If I ever need to open the settings or whatever, I use Windows Key+R and just type out what I want to run.

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