Microsoft's new Start menu ads represent everything I hate about Windows

Microsoft's business model for Windows has been a hot topic lately, as the company's moves continue to point to an ad-supported or subscription-based future of the platform. There was a time when some thought Windows 12 might be subscription-based, following in the footsteps of successful services like Adobe's Creative Cloud. Neither advertisements nor subscriptions are particularly new for people in the Windows ecosystem. Ads have been in parts of Windows taking various forms — some optional and others not so much — for about a decade. Microsoft 365 has been available as a subscription for longer than that, since 2013. But every time the company takes another step to collect more user data, provide more "personalized," "tailored," or "recommended" experiences, or other cleverly-disguised ads, I can't help but feel disrespected as a customer.

Earlier this month, Microsoft rolled out a new version of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build featuring ads in the Start Menu. It's far from the first time Microsoft has put ads in unfortunate places, because it even tried to test advertisements in File Explorer two years ago (though it said that was all just a big mistake). There are ads on the lock screen, and pop-ups will try and stop you from switching to any browser but Microsoft Edge. And after all, Microsoft added ads to the Windows 10 Start Menu way back in 2016. So, why am I so irked by the possibility of seeing ads in the Windows 11 Start Menu sometime in the future? It's because Microsoft wants to have it all — paid licenses, user data collection, and ad support — while Windows users are the ones exploited.

I paid for Windows 11, so why am I still seeing ads everywhere?

To be clear, I have absolutely no problem with ad-supported platforms. YouTube, streaming services, and even the site you're reading this article on use advertisements to keep giving you the products and services you enjoy. The key difference between those examples and Microsoft's Windows 11 ads is that when you pay for a subscription to something like YouTube Premium, the advertisements disappear. As the end user, you are paying for the service or product you use, and it's up to you whether that payment is with viewable advertisements, a flat fee, or a recurring subscription. With Microsoft and Windows, you both pay a one-time fee to license a copy of Windows 11 and see an abundance of ads that seem to be growing in numbers and visibility each year.

It's easy to forget that you do, in fact, pay Microsoft for your copy of Windows. The company has offered free upgrades to Windows 10 and subsequently to Windows 11, so it may have been a while since you handed Microsoft a license fee. Whether you purchased a Windows 7 license in 2009 or a Windows 11 license in 2024, you still paid your hard-earned money to Microsoft for access to Windows. When you buy a new desktop PC or a brand-new laptop, the cost of a Windows 11 Home license is factored into the final price of your new system. It's frustrating to see ads, and it's frustrating to have to pay for Windows 11. But it's downright infuriating to both have to pay $140 for an official Windows 11 license and then see countless ads on your lock screen, Start Menu, and more.

Here's what using Windows 11 is like if you opt out of everything

Windows 11 is often criticized for being filled with bloat and ads. If you carefully opt-out of the major preferences, is it any better?

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By Brady Snyder

There are a handful of steps you can take to remove all the bloat, data collection, and advertisements from Windows — and I've done them all. The problem is that new ones will just keep popping up. Even if you've gone through all the hassle involved with opting out of Windows 11's "personalization" and "tailored experiences" — which are just clever ways to say ads — Microsoft will go and add them to more places later on. Using the operating system becomes a cat-and-mouse game of constantly trying to eradicate advertisements from the version of Windows you paid for before Microsoft thinks of another place to stash them.

You never stop paying for Windows

Windows isn't a subscription (yet), but you pay Microsoft via ads and data collection

If you are a Windows user, it quickly becomes apparent that the software and license isn't just the product you pay for. Users are products to Microsoft, and it's the company's job to sell users other products and services from Microsoft and its advertising partners. Moreover, the company will collect your data to further achieve that goal, all while taking your $140 Windows 11 license fee as well. It's true that some of these ads can be opted out of, and some data collection and personalization settings can be manually adjusted as well. But it's also true that Microsoft makes the process of doing so incredibly difficult, and you'll need to decipher clever marketing speak to successfully remove ads and personalization from Windows.

Windows has the largest user base of any desktop operating system on the planet, and some devoted Windows users would never consider alternatives like macOS or Linux. Put simply, Windows users deserve better. Start Menu ads are just a small part of why I despise using Windows due to Microsoft's business practices.