Not every idea is a good one, and we sincerely hope that this one doesn't make the cut.
Several years ago, Microsoft tried to slide advertising into the Windows user interface, with an experimental bar in the file explorer. Logically, the idea was not well received, and Microsoft decided not to extend the experiment. Fingers crossed that today's idea will be similarly shelved, and as quickly as possible. Microsoft does indeed have the idea of advertising through its Start menu.
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Oh, of course, there's no question of inserting large display cabinets right in the middle of the Start menu. No, Microsoft is a little more subtle. As XDA Developers explains, this could take the form of clickable links integrated directly into the Start menu, alongside recommended applications and other recently used links. For example, as pointed out by some Windows Insider subscribers relayed by PhantomOcean3, some Windows 11 builds include a link to the Opera browser even though it is not installed on said machine... and for good reason, it's a link marked " promoted ", in other words, advertising for the famous Web browser.
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For the time being, Microsoft doesn't seem to want to be too intrusive, and on the versions of Windows 11 concerned, it is still possible to deactivate this option, which Microsoft calls " recommendations for tips, promotions and more...". Simply uncheck the box in question and this type of message will no longer be displayed in the Start menu. However, there's no guarantee that the settings box will still be available in the final version, a year from now, or even in Windows 12... It's up to us to protest against this kind of initiative and make Microsoft understand what we want/don't want to see in Windows.
