I'm going to use Linux even harder now!
What does it mean, Michael?
I reflexively read that in Dwight’s voice.
God, they're poison. I literally paid for Windows.
EDIT: Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”
Don't even have to dig into the arcane realm of the Group Policy or the Registry. It's incredibly straightforward.
Original comment: I would be surprised if this isn't easily toggleable through the Settings menu, Group Policy, or Registry keys.
Microsoft isn't going to pull this shit on their Business and Government customers without an easy way to disable it. 99% of the time those same options can be used on Pro installs through having the same Group Policy options. Maybe 80% of the time you can also just find what the Group Policy option changes in the registry and then apply it to Home installs as well, but I find that Pro license is worth the slight price difference (or slight effort to spoof your license for free).
With most of these sorts of articles, they're more interested in clicks than putting any effort into guiding people to the solution.
To be crystal clear, it is bullshit that Microsoft keeps pulling this shit. I've just also never encountered them doing anything like this without leaving a workaround or way to disable it.
Starts as proof of concept to get you used to it. Toggle it off, hide it, but it exists. It's there in the code. Next step is to gradually remove the option to say no. They already tried forcing people to upgrade to Windows 11. They'll just try harder. It's too much money for them to ignore.
Imagine paying for an OS to have ads in it. 🐃💩
Thankfully we have Linux/BSD
It doesn't matter that you can disable it, this stuff shouldn't be in the OS in the first place
Seriously. I paid for the computer, it should not be constantly begging and nagging to subscribe to my own hardware. Sympathies to people unable to get out, but I was done a long time ago.
Yeah, it really sux that Ububtu made this acceptable and Windows copied them.
You'll downvote me, but it's true. They did it first with fucking Amazon ads over a decade ago.
Glad i shifted to linux about a year ago, so far so good!
I finally deleted Windows 10 on Sunday. Ubuntu too. Now Debian is my only OS. I realized that every time I log into my Windows partition, it's got a trillion updates to install because it'd been weeks since I last logged in. So why bother?
If I really need it for something again, I'll just virtualize.
Windows Update Blocker (WuB) is great, has CLI to use in scripts, and effectively turns off Windows updates and prevents the dickhead "Windows update medic" or whatever service from re-enabling updates. No need to modify registry or GPO. When you want to check for updates, you just click a button in WuB! I love it and even use it in my VM for work.
I realized that every time I log into my Windows partition, it's got a trillion updates to install because it'd been weeks since I last logged in. So why bother?
I remember that feeling. It's like a rite of passage.
It would be a hallowed moment in my memory, except I think I remarked "well, fuck this noise!", which kinda spoils the moment.
My thing is I've got years of experience in Linux. I began using Ubuntu in 2012 because my laptop's hard disk failed, the sticker with my product key had worn away, and I wasn't paying $100 for another copy of Windows 7.
I've only been noncommittal about it this this long because of my Steam library. But with the Steam Deck and Proton being so damn good, and all my games working just as well on Linux as they did in Windows (many times, better), I just stopped using Windows altogether.
So there I was, staring at GNOME Disks for a couple hours. Knowing that like a bad relationship that was doing something for me, but also hurting me, it was best to break things off. And then I nuked that bitch lol
Literally 5 seconds in Google to find how to disable. No need to dig into Group Policy or the Registry.
Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”
Same setting that controls a lot of the anti consumer shit I've been seeing articles about lately, like it trying to force you onto a Microsoft Account when you have a local one. Do yourself a favor and just skim through the Settings menus and disable any settings related to reccomendations. They mean ads.
It's bullshit that Microsoft keeps pulling this shit, but the setting is straightforward as hell. Plus, I've never had this setting reset itself due to updates (yet).
It's only a matter of time before it's not an option anymore. Every shitty new behavior they put in is an easy-to-use option at first, then a registry setting or policy, then even that goes away and it gets baked in.
That's you and me, somewhat tech savvy users. Your usual user won't find that.
It's a matter of trust. This is just the latest in a long and increasing train of Microsoft abusing their market power. They have proven, time and again, that they cannot be trusted.
Anyone who tries to pull an "I have altered the deal, pray I do not alter it further" gets a lifetime boycott.
This plus the installation of bullshit games like Candy Crush (glares at Samsung)...
You are here:
Now for the waiting game as people discover the registry keys to disable the ads.
So far, the toggle is built in:
Either way, these recommendations can be disabled by going into the Windows 11 Settings app, so you can avoid them. However, app recommendations are tied to other content in this section, so you'll miss out on some features by turning it off.
Not sure what else will be "missed". But, my guess is they will be "missed" in the same way that one misses a case of chlamydia.
To me that sounds like you can turn off targeted advertising and now get general random ads.
Really. My start menu has been nagging me "To show your recent files and new apps, turn them on in Settings." since the day I installed Windows 11. Why would I want the start menu randomly changing? I wish you could just turn the section off completely instead of breaking it and making it smaller.
Everybody hates Windows 8 but the Windows UI peaked at 8.1.
Agreed 8 gave me a headache but 8.1 was probably my favorite. Oh well at least we still have Linux, about to switch, is Fedora a good place to start?
yes. being on fedora for last five years, no complaints whatsoever, but i did ditch the nvidia for amd to spare myself the neverending story of nvidia and linux.
Fedora is good for servers and corporate environments, Mint is good for a familiar desktop, Ubuntu is good for mac users.
I was a Windows 2000 fan in the Windows Millenium period.
Unless they've anticipated this and blocked it like they do with OneDrive. Which they do to frustrate you into buying more storage you don't need to fix the problems they've created intentionally..
I still don't understand how this is any different from the "recomended" in the past? Nobody in these articles actually explains the change, they just say the same "It's here now" and don't even show a screenshot of it. Maybe if they're nice they say how to turn off "recommended".
Still don't have them!
Signed: A Canadian pretending to be from the UK in Windows
That is what everyone has been waiting and longing for!
I wonder how they decide what ads to put there
wonder how they decide what ads to put there
Me too. I figure the answer will be incredibly invasive user behavior tracking, since lately that seems to always be what we learn has been happening, when we finally learn about it.
Accelerationist devs bringing down the platform internally. Clever move.
Linux Mint at home and Windows 11 Enterprise at the office.
I still don't see a single actual advantage of W11 over 10. The OS drains more system resources so it's less performant, and every other "feature" I've seen looks like a double edged sword at best, or an anti-feature at worst.
The simps will make excuses and say all you need is some sketchy third party apps that neuter the unwanted "features" of windows. You have to do more work now on windows just to get to an acceptable baseline than you do for installing most flavors of Linux.
To be fair, you can use just a couple open source tools like ExplorerPatcher and Open-Shell to vastly improve the UX.
I'd actually say it's easier to get a modern environment in Windows 11 as it natively has a tabbed file manager and terminal.
I say this as someone who has to use Windows, versus wanting to use Windows.
Is this for Home edition and Enterprise as well? 🤔
I'm really annoyed by this, thanks for verifying. Still bound to a employer laptop which uses Win11 in a Microsoft collaboration setting but eager to learn how to turn it off.
Still bound to a employer laptop which uses Win11 in a Microsoft collaboration setting
Ask for Windows 11 Enterprise. I know that it's got the same "recommended" thing going on but it can be completely disabled via Group Policy and / or the Registry.
Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”
For Enterprise/Education you can disable the 'recommended' section entirely via group policy. Doesn't work for Pro/Home versions though, from what I remember.
Use OpenShell
I'll keep using Windows as long as programs like Open Shell and OSSU are able to deal with the bullshit. But if there comes a day when they no longer work...well, Linux awaits.
This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.
Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.
Rules:
1: All Lemmy rules apply
2: Do not post low effort posts
3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff
4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.
5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)
6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist
7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed