Microsoft has begun testing promotions for some of its other products in the File Explorer app on devices running its latest Windows 11 Insider build.
The new Windows 11 "feature" was discovered by a Windows user and Insider MVP who shared a screenshot of an advertisement notification displayed above the listing of folders and files to the File Explorer, the Windows default file manager.
As shown in the screenshot, Microsoft will use such ads to promote other Microsoft products, for instance, about how to "write with confidence across documents, email, and the web with advanced writing suggestions from Microsoft Editor."
As you can imagine, the reaction to this was adverse, to say the least, with some saying that File Explorer is "one of the worst places to show ads," while others added that this is the way to go if Microsoft wants "people ditching Explorer for something else."
BleepingComputer also tried replicating this on a system running the newest Windows 11 Insider build, but we didn't get any File Explorer ads.
This can likely be explained by Microsoft running an A/B testing experiment trying to gauge the success of such a feature or by the company disabling it after the visible user outcry.
This is not the first time Microsoft added promotional messages to File Explorer, as in 2016, Microsoft also showed a OneDrive ad in the Windows application.
OneDrive ad on File Explorer pic.twitter.com/XZXcG0UNFl
— Tero Alhonen (@teroalhonen) October 13, 2016
However, Redmond didn't stop with File Explorer, and tested ads pushing its free Office web apps in the menu bar for the Windows 10 Wordpad application two years ago, a campaign with similar user protests.
The company also started displaying ads for Microsoft Edge in the Windows 10 Start Menu every time users searched for a competing browser, prompting them to download the new Microsoft Edge.
Some of these tests also had unintended consequences, with Microsoft breaking the Windows Start Menu and Taskbar while testing a Microsoft Teams promotion on Insiders.
Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, told BleepingComputer that "this was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off."
Update 3/14/22 18:48 EST: Added File Explorer ad from 2016.
Update 3/15/22 14:25 EST: Added Microsoft's statement.
Comments
NoneRain - 2 years ago
There's no problem in having this kind of stuff IF you have an option to disable it. Like "recommendations" on start menu.
calinorg - 2 years ago
No, it really IS a problem, because we're PAYING for that OS. I would tolerate ads if it was a free operating system, i don't ever want to see ads in a piece of software i paid for.
NoneRain - 2 years ago
If only takes some clicks to disable and it's done, I don't see a problem. As I said, same stuff for start menu recommendations: 3 clicks, gone forever... But sure, if we don't need to disable it cuz it never went to release, all the better.
ken_smon - 2 years ago
Except it is probably not "gone forever". It is more likely similar to many other "features" that you can disable but come back every third update.
NoneRain - 2 years ago
I never saw the start menu ads (recommendations) re-enabling itself after updates, so again, IF you can disable it and it's gone (I said 'if', right?), than it's OK for me.
diannes - 2 years ago
Ironically, it's free OSes that *don't* impose these kinds of anti-features on their users. (I have never used Windows... all my PCs run Linux... so I am spared all of these shenanigans.)
NoneRain - 2 years ago
You mean FOSS? To say it's ironic doesn't make sense....
Ansketil - 2 years ago
Damn right there's a problem. My parents continue to pay the monthly premium price of $79.99 for a cable television service that advertises an average of 17:30 minutes per hour of chopped, sped-up, and censored content that they'll only access on the broadcast schedule because the DVR hardware and software are too much of a hassle for them to enjoy. The same kind of greedy, entitled, anti-consumer practices are worming their way into the OS space in bolder and more intrusive ways. It's it's unethical at best and downright predatory at it's logical conclusion.
betelgeusesystems - 2 years ago
It's definitely a problem. Even if it's "a few clicks" to disable it, a majority of users will 1. not know that, and 2. won't know how to find out. I work in desktop support and over the past few years I've seen how Microsoft uses social engineering to get oblivious people signed up for subscriptions they think they need because something came up on their computer. This is just another example, and so far the most egregious in my opinion.
NoneRain - 2 years ago
Nothing to do with your example. You guys ignored the part where I say "if you can disable it".
If your parents could disable the ads from their cable, I would also say it's ok to have ads in cable TV (>if you can disable 'em<).
NoneRain - 2 years ago
So, users want to use but not to know how to use it? That's normal, but also totally their choice.
I'm not talking about using terminal, neither thirdy party softwares, I'm talking about opening Configurations and reading the options. If they don't want to do that, that's OK: they ll use whathever is thown at them, than.
h_b_s - 2 years ago
"There's no problem in having this kind of stuff IF you have an option to disable it. Like "recommendations" on start menu."
Like others have said, this has become a problem whether it can be turned off or not. It used to be that Windows was a good productivity platform. Now Microsoft is stuffing BS into Windows to advertise other products, not even products they own. Inserting dark patterns and anti-features that interfere with getting work done by turning things back on on updates or preventing anti-features from being turned off. That doesn't even include the artificially high hardware requirements for supporting 11 just to make people spend more money on new hardware they don't really need.
Linux is not going to be a viable answer on the desktop save for a handful of self supporting enthusiasts and Unix developers. The only way this will change is if MS's "partners" get pissed off enough to tell MS to stop trying to be the bastard love child of Google and Apple and instead be the productivity platform they once were and still need to be. It's not like they aren't making money hand over fist already.
As IT support for Windows, I'm at the point where I want nothing to do with it because I have people asking me why certain things have started happening they hate (widgets, ads, where did X go?, can I get rid of all this JUNK on start?, etc) The bad thing is I'd almost rather go back to just cleaning off viruses than having to also ditch MS's on junk-ware (remember when MS had figured out that people didn't want all this BS in their new computer from OEMs? Now they're doing it themselves.)
kamikrazee - 2 years ago
I can see this becoming a lower tier of the software package, (think HBO and the higher priced "commercial free version"), where, for a higher price the user is spared some of the annoyances associated with the ads. Trouble is, each upgrade and add-on will carry its own conditions and it will become a never ending stream.
It's time to back away from the complete "internet-of-things" concept and learn a bit about Linux and the Raspberry pi!
JohnC_21 - 2 years ago
Per (flobo09) the context menu has added an app called ClipChamp. I see this being used to get people to upgrade to the subscription version. After Windows 10 reaches EOL I'm done with Windows.
https://twitter.com/flobo09/status/1503077895740219392
NoneRain - 2 years ago
Won't Clip Clamp be the new video editor in Win 11? It would make sense to see him in context menu when clicking in video files.
JohnC_21 - 2 years ago
The free basic version of ClipChamp is limited and only can export 480p. The Casual version costs $9 a month. It's like Microsoft asking $15 dollars for their DVD player app when you can get a much better free player in VLC just like you can get a much better video editor in Openshot which is also free.
NoneRain - 2 years ago
480p yikes. That's sad
MadmanRB - 2 years ago
Linux! Linux! Linux!!
sfjuocekr - 2 years ago
Just like their monthly reminder that there is still office 365, as in reminding you every day about its existence.
I've been a long time Linux user, sometimes I boot a VM with Windows but I hesitate to do it... because when I do it, it reboots for updates and reminds me again that Edge is also their new browser.
eLPuSHeR - 2 years ago
Remember when MS said w10 "is the last Windows version". They are just a bunch of monopolistic liars. If it was not for games, I would have just changed to Linux wagon a long time ago. Maybe Steam Deck or some other thing may change things in a near future.
velanr - 2 years ago
Yea, MS tricked us
NoneRain - 2 years ago
I think that Officially they never said it. Someone from MS said that on twitter (not an official account), and news buyed it, and so do us.
velanr - 2 years ago
I am seriously contemplating moving to Linux permanently
velanr - 2 years ago
Or maybe even ChromeOS
Cimlite - 2 years ago
Hey, Microsoft. I'm testing Linux. So, good job driving your customers away.
TsofT - 2 years ago
I had to use an unconfigured phone the other day and almost lost my mind. There were so many ads I couldn't use the device. I don't see how anyone puts up with it.
SgtLawWonder - 2 years ago
This is the most stupidest idea they ever thought of! Ads in our file explorers. Microsoft is gonna get so much backlash, even Phil Spencer would trash the company. And he's the CEO of XBox, ladies and gents.
dardar223 - 2 years ago
This is bad on so many levels. Windows is a paid OS, meaning ads on it shouldn't even be considered in the first place. Are you telling me that on top of my payment for the OS, I have to watch ads on top of it just to use file explorer?
What kind of ass backwards mentality do they have in Microsoft? "Oh, they are paying us! But can we make them pay more?"
This genuinely brings up the reason for using Linux-based systems instead of the MS bullcrap. Once more people start shifting to Linux, more support for it will pop up and it will eventually become a proper competitor to windows.
"Oh Microsoft can use this to release a cheaper version of windows!" - No. This would mean laptops or computers that already come with in-built OEMs for Windows will instead start being shipped out with the adware version of Windows just to save costs, and still be priced the same (because corporations are greedy. If they see Microsoft doing it, they will too). Hell, they could even get into a deal with Microsoft, meaning companies can get a small cut of the revenue earned from the ads if implemented.
"Oh they can implement an option to switch off the ads!" - Most people who use Windows aren't very tech versed (and I know because I worked in tech support), so the majority of the general users will not know how to turn it off, or if they can turn it off. This would flood the already filled support lines we have at our company, and I am sure others will also be filled. Way to go shoot yourself in the foot.
The point is: Ads on Windows are just detrimental to everyone involved, except the higher-up managers who only see a profit. I am sure the devs working on this would certainly find it nice to see ads on every corner of their screen even when not using a browser.
I knew Microsoft was scrummy, but goddamn you are scraping the bottom of the barrel here.