What an incredible coincidence that they introduce ads in the official start menu around the same time that they begin blocking third party start menu replacements.
They do have some legitimate reason to want to block specific versions of those apps if they cause stability issues on a new build of Windows, but at least in the case of StartAllBack the developer noted it isn't targeted at a specific version this time, it's a wildcard block.
Lovely! I rely on StartAllBack to make my Windows 11 work machine actually useful. At least renaming the executable works for now. Microsoft seems hellbent on making their products worse and worse. I guess this is more incentive for me to get a new job not working in a Windows shop.
My standard start menu replacement was always to add a "run" folder with program shortcuts to the system path, then just "Win+R" to Run and e.g. "kp" to run KeyPass. Until Windows 10 this was super fast - no idea whether they've managed to break even the Run dialog after this.
Prior to Windows 10, you could do "Win+R", calc, enter and immediately start typing numbers because the calculator app launched instantly. They have also managed to add lag to the most basic calculator as well.
I mean it isn't a coincidence. But this framing is pretty negative.
These apps broke and started crashing because they were updating the start menu. Probably related to the addition of ads.
Then they blocked these versions because they were crashing.
It doesn't seem like they are making any effort to block versions that don't cause crashes. (Other than maybe making it a bit harder to keep updating to new internal APIs)
It really doesn't seem like they are purposely breaking these tools so that more people see the ads. It is probably such a tiny market that they don't care at this point. They'll definitely ship the ads to 99.9% of users first before they worry about this unaddressed market.
> It doesn't seem like they are making any effort to block versions that don't cause crashes.
See the Tweet I linked, Windows does have a mechanism to only block a specific range of version numbers that are known to cause issues, and they have used that on StartIsBack/StartAllBack before, but the most recent Windows build simply blocks StartAllBack*.exe without any bounds on the version.
The developer can get around the block by changing the filenames of course but that's not really the point, if Microsoft is being actively hostile towards this kind of customisation now then they're just going to keep breaking it on purpose.
"The problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have no taste and I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way" - Steve Jobs
The original quote [1] is nuanced. This claim is trivially true.
Microsoft is a company that says 'yes' to every feature request with no regard for how it comes together as a whole. "Everything and the kitchen sink" is not a bug, it is their MO. They don't shy away from it.
Agreed - iPhone ux is incredible but design is perpetually inoffensive and meh. On the other hand, Microsoft put fucking fabric on their laptops and it’s amazing.
>"The problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste."
Says nanny. Sorry Steve. I need computer / OS combo to serve my needs. Not to admire. In my opinion with all their flaws Windows fares better and is more versatile for what I do. And Linux runs my business.
> Microsoft is seeking feedback on the changes, so it’s possible the company could decide to ditch these ads in development builds of Windows 11 if there’s enough feedback that suggests they’re not going to be a popular addition.
Just Say No.
Windows leadership recently changed for the better. Hopefully these misguided ads are a vestige of the outgoing leader, who previously lead consumer advertising, but has now been pushed out. Microsoft has a once-in-a-generation opportunity with Arm laptops based on Qualcomm/Nuvia (ex-Apple), this is not the time to squander that opportunity with distractions like advertising.
After Windows and Surface chief Panos Panay departed Microsoft last year, the software giant quickly split his two divisions into two different teams. It was a move designed to push Windows engineers to focus on more web and AI features under Mikhail Parakhin, who was previously responsible for Bing and ads. It didn’t work out. Six months after that shake-up, Windows and Surface are back together under a new leader, following frustrations from the very top of Microsoft..
Parakhin was responsible for Microsoft’s reborn advertising business and all of the company’s ad-based consumer businesses.. the web experiences team that Parakhin led had a different culture from the rest of Microsoft that often resulted in micromanaging and “insane deadlines” for projects.. The Windows and Web Experiences (WWE) team that Parakhin briefly oversaw also developed the malware-like Bing pop-ups we’ve seen appear in Windows recently..
The new Windows and Surface chief, Davuluri, is experienced when it comes to the combination of hardware and software that Microsoft needs to get right in this new era of AI. Davuluri has worked at Microsoft for more than 23 years and has been at the heart of Surface engineering. He was deeply involved in the company’s work with Qualcomm and AMD to create custom Surface processors.
If they had any intention of listening to user feedback they never would have started this project because the feedback is obviously going to be negative.
At the very "best" they will cherry-pick a few metrics that show that it is a "popular addition".
Parakhin is leaving his current position and “has decided to explore new roles” according to a Microsoft internal memo obtained by The Verge. He will report to Kevin Scott, the previous face of Microsoft’s AI efforts, during a transition phase. But it sounds like Parakhin will be leaving Microsoft soon.
I'm still not sure this is simply because of leadership. MS has been pushing ads on Windows over at least 10 years. And in fact this is a pretty natural move for the product in the saturated market. You're not going to "grow" anymore by traditional user acquisition and failed to enter the mobile market, then you need to build a new segment.
This environment gives a strong incentive toward ads-based business model for the Windows division. There likely is an army of PM desperately looking for new growth opportunities and decided to put ads everywhere since this is a so obvious strategy with low risk, high ROI. Changing a single or two senior leadership can help reversing this trends, but it's not sufficient.
This is very naive thinking that all the ads came with Mikhail Parakhin. He only lead Windows for 6 months.
Windows have ads since Windows 10, 9 years ago. There was several leadership changes on Windows in those 9 years. And the ads continued every single leadership.
The reason these ads exists, it's because Microsoft can't profit anymore on Windows itself (they don't sell updates), they don't have a store with enough users/dev to monetize on it, and they don't sell enough hardware like apple to profit from it as well.
So there's only two things left for them: ads or subscription
Btw, this "ad" actually already existed on Windows 10.
I just recently set up Debian with KDE on my media server after years without using the GUI, and I'm finding myself using it for light browsing now. I just forget to open my laptop.
Linux has gotten pretty friendly, even on a distro less focused on home users and features. I don't foresee installing Windows for myself again.
My clients are firms in the architecture and engineering space. Windows is the only viable platform for AutoCAD (yes, I know there is a Mac version, and yes it is shall we say "feature incomplete") or Revit (yes, I know that ArchiCAD runs on a Mac, but if you're a MechE firm and you want to land jobs you run Revit) or Tekla or Rhino. Microsoft is making it more and more painful for my clients to get their work done and get paid. My kingdom for something better, but until Linux gets reliable native support for Autodesk applications etc it's simply not a viable solution for most firms in AEC.
"7 years" is intended as hyperbole? On average, your Debian Stable versions will be 1 year old, plus security updates.
Debian Stable keeps everything stable, and something I want a newer version of (say, the latest version of some browser, for developing with a new feature), I just install separately. Everything else is very low drama.
Debian releases normally come out every 2 years. The last version came out in 2023 with the kernel version that came out 1.5 years ago, a libreoffice version from the same time frame and a firefox version from 10 months ago (ESR with up to date security fixes).
This sounds like a skewed perspective. For instance, I use Proton Mail. Proton Mail released a UI for Linux, Windows, and Apple a few months ago. Does this mean my Linux version of the Proton Mail app is 7 years behind?
Even if the new Snapdragon X Elite were a generation ahead of Apple's M3, I still wouldn't buy a Windows laptop because of shenanigans like this. I bought into the hype with the original Surface Book (mine is completely unusable due to hardware defects with the hinge).
My MIL has one of the Surface Laptops, and recently brought it to me because the battery was bulging. I looked into it, and what a maintenance nightmare. One guy on youtube had a battery fail under warranty and they sent him a whole new one, and told him to just recycle the old one; apparently even Microsoft doesn't want to repair them.
They keyboard/trackpad panel is alcantara, and is glued to the bottom cover (or was until the batteries swelled). I had to cut and pry this later off. But even then, the connector for the battery requires you to remove basically all the components (speakers, heatsinks, fans, wifi card, a bunch of RF shielding that is micro-spot welded in place, the display, the motherboard. The battery connector is a pad that the back of the motherboard has contacts that mate to it.
I told my in-laws that there was a better than even chance that I'd destroy it while doing the repair, and I'd give it a shot, but they should be prepared to buy a new one. They were ready to go buy one instead of me doing the repair, but I told them I was happy to do it and went ahead and was able to get'r'done.
I guess some of that is the price of it being so thin and light. My MIL got it because she's kind of frail and wanted something super light. Which it definitely is. It's a marvel of engineering. But, ultimately, disposable.
Figured I'd mention an open source guide of mine here, as I expect I'll have a way to disable these ads without any third-party tools, as I have done to address all the other things so far:
------
So I had many of the same concerns regarding Windows 11's nonsense when it came out, but I sat down, learned how to clean it up, and put a Creative Commons open source guide for others to follow. I knew many other reluctant friends who are senior devs at prolific companies in the tech space, and with my guide they seem to have no real remaining complaints.
It covers both the initial installation, as well as all my post-install recommendations. It eliminates I believe all the tracking, adware, suggestions, Cortana, feeding the Bing/ChatGPT machine, telemetry, etc. Absolutely nothing breaks. No need for a Microsoft account. It should be straightforward and to-the-click/keystroke.
It's unbelievable that whoever runs Windows seems to be diametrically opposed to the rest of the company. It's a decent operating system apparently ran by bean counters.
Ad? Unless you’re seeing something other than what I’m seeing, that’s just a search result from the app store. Apple is not charging the app owner for that.
And if you don’t want the search (aka Spotlight) to suggest apps from the App Store, you can disable that in Settings -> Siri & Search -> Content from Apple.
I don't get these. Maybe because I messed with the iOS settings? Even if I type "tiktok" in full, I only get one photo (I guess a screenshot that contains it) as well as a recently accessed website that mentioned it. And the "Search App Store" button, no ad.
Readit News
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-blocks-even-more-custo...
They do have some legitimate reason to want to block specific versions of those apps if they cause stability issues on a new build of Windows, but at least in the case of StartAllBack the developer noted it isn't targeted at a specific version this time, it's a wildcard block.
https://twitter.com/StartIsBack/status/1776555154701205877
These apps broke and started crashing because they were updating the start menu. Probably related to the addition of ads.
Then they blocked these versions because they were crashing.
It doesn't seem like they are making any effort to block versions that don't cause crashes. (Other than maybe making it a bit harder to keep updating to new internal APIs)
It really doesn't seem like they are purposely breaking these tools so that more people see the ads. It is probably such a tiny market that they don't care at this point. They'll definitely ship the ads to 99.9% of users first before they worry about this unaddressed market.
See the Tweet I linked, Windows does have a mechanism to only block a specific range of version numbers that are known to cause issues, and they have used that on StartIsBack/StartAllBack before, but the most recent Windows build simply blocks StartAllBack*.exe without any bounds on the version.
The developer can get around the block by changing the filenames of course but that's not really the point, if Microsoft is being actively hostile towards this kind of customisation now then they're just going to keep breaking it on purpose.
Not saying Apple isn’t vulnerable to the siren song if the ad industry and its relentless drive to ruin everything, but MS is quite far gone.
Microsoft is a company that says 'yes' to every feature request with no regard for how it comes together as a whole. "Everything and the kitchen sink" is not a bug, it is their MO. They don't shy away from it.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR8SAFRBmcU
Says nanny. Sorry Steve. I need computer / OS combo to serve my needs. Not to admire. In my opinion with all their flaws Windows fares better and is more versatile for what I do. And Linux runs my business.
Dead Comment
Just Say No.
Windows leadership recently changed for the better. Hopefully these misguided ads are a vestige of the outgoing leader, who previously lead consumer advertising, but has now been pushed out. Microsoft has a once-in-a-generation opportunity with Arm laptops based on Qualcomm/Nuvia (ex-Apple), this is not the time to squander that opportunity with distractions like advertising.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24114362/microsoft-window...
"Yes we love the ads" said no user ever.
If they had any intention of listening to user feedback they never would have started this project because the feedback is obviously going to be negative.
At the very "best" they will cherry-pick a few metrics that show that it is a "popular addition".
Most likely human who started the project:
This environment gives a strong incentive toward ads-based business model for the Windows division. There likely is an army of PM desperately looking for new growth opportunities and decided to put ads everywhere since this is a so obvious strategy with low risk, high ROI. Changing a single or two senior leadership can help reversing this trends, but it's not sufficient.
Windows have ads since Windows 10, 9 years ago. There was several leadership changes on Windows in those 9 years. And the ads continued every single leadership.
The reason these ads exists, it's because Microsoft can't profit anymore on Windows itself (they don't sell updates), they don't have a store with enough users/dev to monetize on it, and they don't sell enough hardware like apple to profit from it as well.
So there's only two things left for them: ads or subscription
Btw, this "ad" actually already existed on Windows 10.
Linux has gotten pretty friendly, even on a distro less focused on home users and features. I don't foresee installing Windows for myself again.
Debian Stable keeps everything stable, and something I want a newer version of (say, the latest version of some browser, for developing with a new feature), I just install separately. Everything else is very low drama.
Debian is perpetually 1-2 years behind.
but now linux works like magic. i upgraded 3rd laptop in 3 years. just moved my nvme and all worked, even kernel and drivers in place upgrades.
i used dell and msi laptops. i was shocked that it works well on few month old released msi laptop. dell had touch screen, and it was working too.
They keyboard/trackpad panel is alcantara, and is glued to the bottom cover (or was until the batteries swelled). I had to cut and pry this later off. But even then, the connector for the battery requires you to remove basically all the components (speakers, heatsinks, fans, wifi card, a bunch of RF shielding that is micro-spot welded in place, the display, the motherboard. The battery connector is a pad that the back of the motherboard has contacts that mate to it.
I told my in-laws that there was a better than even chance that I'd destroy it while doing the repair, and I'd give it a shot, but they should be prepared to buy a new one. They were ready to go buy one instead of me doing the repair, but I told them I was happy to do it and went ahead and was able to get'r'done.
I guess some of that is the price of it being so thin and light. My MIL got it because she's kind of frail and wanted something super light. Which it definitely is. It's a marvel of engineering. But, ultimately, disposable.
Asking because there might be reasonable options for getting it functional again without too much hassle. :)
------
So I had many of the same concerns regarding Windows 11's nonsense when it came out, but I sat down, learned how to clean it up, and put a Creative Commons open source guide for others to follow. I knew many other reluctant friends who are senior devs at prolific companies in the tech space, and with my guide they seem to have no real remaining complaints.
It covers both the initial installation, as well as all my post-install recommendations. It eliminates I believe all the tracking, adware, suggestions, Cortana, feeding the Bing/ChatGPT machine, telemetry, etc. Absolutely nothing breaks. No need for a Microsoft account. It should be straightforward and to-the-click/keystroke.
https://github.com/GoofGarage/Win11Clean
If there’s any bugbears, please create an issue. I’ll be responding to them every few weeks, and I try to update the release every 3 months.
1. Swipe down on your iOS home screen to bring up search.
2. Type the first few letters of a popular app that’s not on your phone. For me that’s “tik”.
3. Observe an advertisement from apple’s app store to download the app.
This is what Microsoft is doing. Do I like it? Not really. But there’s precedent and everyone seems fine with this UX on iOS.
And if you don’t want the search (aka Spotlight) to suggest apps from the App Store, you can disable that in Settings -> Siri & Search -> Content from Apple.
In which version came this change? I hope it will not come to macOS as well.