Windows 11 has simply acquired an elective replace which applies some helpful fixes… but additionally one thing a bit extra controversial for the Begin menu.
As noticed by Bleeping Computer (opens in new tab), that’d be what Microsoft describes as “notifications for Microsoft accounts” showing within the Begin menu, a characteristic that some suspect has a hidden agenda.
What can we imply by that? Properly, within the support document (opens in new tab) introducing patch KB5023778 for Windows 11 22H2 PCs, which remains to be in preview however might be absolutely rolled out subsequent month, Microsoft provides an instance of a notification: a pop-up panel warning the consumer that they should again up their recordsdata.
Wise recommendation, and naturally, it is a good suggestion to again up your primary folders (paperwork, footage, and so forth) to the cloud once in a while as urged (and domestically too, possibly utilizing an exterior drive as an illustration).
You possibly can assure, although, that beginning a backup from this immediate will attempt to get you to make use of OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service. As a result of as we all know, these Begin menu prompts are notifications associated to Microsoft accounts and related companies like OneDrive.
Previous leaks from Albacore (a widely known leaker on Twitter) have additionally proven Microsoft prodding customers (in take a look at builds) to hit up OneDrive on this method, or to create a Microsoft account (or to finish their Microsoft profile).
Relating to this new characteristic, Microsoft tells us: “That is solely accessible to a small viewers proper now. It should deploy extra broadly within the coming months. Some units may discover totally different visible remedies as we collect suggestions.”
The freshly unleashed elective replace additionally supplies a bunch of bug fixes, together with one for a glitch that impacts printers (related through a USB port) and makes them look like multimedia units.
Evaluation: The beginning of one thing ominous?
So, this Begin menu characteristic is progressing, clearly. We saw it in the Release Preview channel for Home windows Insiders (testers) only a week in the past, and now, it’s hitting precise Home windows 11 PCs going ahead.
Admittedly, it’s nonetheless an elective (take a look at) replace proper now, but it surely’ll virtually definitely be a part of April’s cumulative replace for Home windows 11 deployed in a few weeks. Until Microsoft has a last-minute change of coronary heart and pulls the plug on the precipice of deployment (and at this level, that’s impossible).
In fact, it’s solely rolling out to a small subset of Home windows 11 customers initially. Though that in itself is telling – Microsoft is evidently involved concerning the response and remains to be testing the waters in a restricted style, because it had been, with a broader rollout not coming for ‘months’ in addition. The software program big is being cautious about this one, and likely for good purpose.
Perhaps we received’t even see these type of adverts – or reminders, as Microsoft couches them – all that usually within the Begin menu. They might simply be very occasional issues. We don’t know, and we additionally don’t know precisely the place Microsoft goes to be drawing the road between recommendations or suggestions, and pushing its personal companies as a type of assist to the consumer which successfully crosses over into the realm of promoting.
Time will inform, but it surely’s clear sufficient that recommendations are set to be an enormous factor sooner or later for Home windows 11 (or certainly Home windows 12). Just lately we’ve seen further hints of personalized recommendations within the Begin menu, together with recommended websites to visit (sure, that idea is seemingly again on the desk), which once more would appear to be ripe territory for what might successfully be promoting.
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