Microsoft is bringing annoying Windows 11 Start menu ads to Windows 10 - eviltoast
If you are sticking to Windows 10 because it has fewer annoyances than Windows 11, especially in the Start menu, we have bad news for you.

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.

  • accideath@lemmy.worldEnglish
    491·
    4 months ago

    If they can’t bring the people to Win 11, they bring Win 11 to the people instead?

    Just install Linux, it’s not that hard. Or at least get a Mac or a Chromebook…

    • doingthestuff@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      4 months ago

      I have been installing Linux on a number of my work PCs that I manage. Most of them are pretty straightforward, office products, printing, web, basic video player. But my personal PCs have so many different programs installed for different niche uses that it’s been a massive roadblock to me switching over. I know it’s coming because I’m not moving to Windows 11 even though my PC is compatible in theory. But man is it going to take me a lot of time to figure out all of the different screen capture, video editing, audio extraction and editing, disc imaging, photo editing etc. I know I can figure it out, but it’s about the time. I have a huge steam library too,but most of that should work.

      Any of you playing Fallout London on Linux?

      • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
        71·
        4 months ago

        screen capture

        OBS (same as is popular on Windows).

        video editing, audio extraction and editing

        I basically never do that sort of thing, but if I needed to I’d start out with Kdenlive and Audacity, respectively.

        See also:

        https://itsfoss.com/best-video-editing-software-linux/

        https://itsfoss.com/best-audio-editors-linux/

        disc imaging

        For a task that basic, most of the time I just use dd.

        photo editing

        GIMP and/or Krita.

      • Valmond@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        4 months ago

        Was in the same place, got FOSS soft for almost everything so now I run Mint on my main PC and on my laptop too, with a little 100€ used think centre running photoshop (I’m starting to figure out krita/gimp but pixel editing is a bummer there IMO) and 3dsmax for when I need them.

        Edit: no internet connection for that box ofc.

    • net00@lemm.eeEnglish
      31·
      4 months ago

      Just install Linux, it’s not that hard.

      This is just but the small first step. I was basically checking what it will take to daily drive linux on my desktop, and there’s many little roadblocks that I’m just instead considering getting a Win 11 pro license next year and just turning off all the shit in gpedit.

      • No RGB software for my gigabyte mobo (openrgb doesn’t have it).
      • No AMD adrenalin unless I go with Ubuntu, which is just on the same path of enshittification as windows
      • No steelseries engine
      • No Sapphire trixx
      • No microsoft office desktop/onedrive (means I gotta find an office replacement that also works on my apple devices and syncs)

      Linux has come a long way, and it’s probably enough for some but it would be a massive headache for me still…

      • accideath@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        4 months ago

        Yea, it’s definitely not for everyone yet. But the average user (who needs a browser, a file manager and maybe an office suite) has no reason to stay on windows besides the convenience of being installed already.

      • acid_falcon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        4 months ago

        You know that you dont have to pay for a Windows license right? You can permanently activate it (and any version of office) with a script. I found some article a while ago talking about it, some official Microsoft tech support used it because they were frustrated with Windows, so it’s legit

        https://massgrave.dev/

        I do computer repair/tech support for just a small business. I haven’t used Windows on a a personal machine in a looong time, but that script helps me when I get stuck at work

      • IAmNotACat@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        4 months ago

        You can mount and sync your OneDrive files with rclone, which I think is much nicer than OneDrive, but maybe not easy to set up if you’re not comfortable with command line interfaces.