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.
Classic Start says nah.
Classic Shell is awful as it can be.
Hold on let me check my start menu.
Oh this is gnome lolololol.
If they advertise, then the OS needs to be free. I’m not paying for an OS that profits off me too.
I don’t recall ever paying for Windows, so there’s that. Once in a while I had a genuine license that came bundled with something, but most of the time, I don’t.
Aside from pirating, if you got Windows with a new pc/laptop, then you paid for Windows in the price of the device.
I always go for customized builds without OS. Those instances where I had a license were either work computers or licenses I got through uni.
Chilling in Windows 7
Keep that system airgapped.
Finally they are actually using there brains. They need to make Windows 10 as bad as possible to get people to switch.
Dang I thought Windows 10 would be safe from this for some reason. Silly me.
no security updates, only ads
Windows 10 already had ads, I don’t see why MS would be adverse to adding more.
If you MUST use windows for work or something, at least install OpenShell. Otherwise, use Linux. It’s so easy to switch for most use cases. Even gaming on Linux has come a very long way.
I wouldn’t do that as that’s not supported by Microsoft and I’m sure they will do everything they can to break it.
Said like I’m the admin of my work PC. Doesn’t matter though, I’ll have the IT department policy edit this out of existence the same way I did their stupid windows 11 splash page ads.
Fair point. I convincing the IT department at the past couple of jobs that I need it for productivity, and they can firewall it if it makes them feel better (I’ll let them know run updates are available, and they can push the update).
I can’t believe they’ll put this on windows 10 pro.
that’s what’s kicking me,why would a professional license used primarily for business need ANY kind of advertisement/popup/nag from their OS? fuck off Microsoft
Microsoft don’t hold back from the ads and crapware in the Pro versions of Windows. The Enterprise versions tend to be where you get some control over it.
The fact that people pay hundreds of dollars for this OS to get advertised to is insulting. Same energy as these smart TVs that feel like they have the right to show you ads.
If I’m dictator, I’m making this shit illegal, full stop.
IS THE ENTIRE FUCKING ECONOMY BASED ON ADS??? WHO THE FUCK IS PAYING FOR ALL THESE SHITTY ADS??? WHO EVER YOU ARE, GET FUCKED WITH YOUR PRODUCT!
Yes, literally anyone that wants to sell a product or provide a service relies, to a large degree, on advertising.
It’s been this way for over a century.
Who even buys shit because of ads?
I have to use a windows 11 machine for work, and it genuinely surprises me how terrible it is. I don’t understand the opposition to local accounts - if I’m working somewhere with public WiFi/capture portal, I have to use my phone as a hotspot first.
The PIN log in seems to roll a random number and decide each morning whether it is going to work or not.
I also got a laptop with 11 on it for gaming. So much spyware I’ve had to uninstall, configuring anything is a nightmare. I was trying to adjust my mouse sensitivity/figure out why the scroll wheel is either 0 or to the moon, but even when you dig into the control panel, half the settings are missing.
I also had to turn off my WiFi and google commands to make a local account, because otherwise Microsoft accounts are mandatory.
Every change seems to make the experience actively worse for the user.
Can’t stand them forcing onedrive on users as well as pushing online versions of the applications that are inferior in every way.
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.
How the fuck are people OK with this?!
How to avoid: right click the start icon (or press win + x) and go to “Shut down or sign out” that way.
I try not using the Windows start menu anymore because I hate seeing the little “notification” bubble on my profile, when dismissing it it returns within a few days!
Yes Microsoft, I am aware I cancelled 365. Thanks for reminding me why I did so.What are you gonna do about it? Install Linux?
Followed by smug mentions of cheap OEM keys and massgrave repo. Yeah, that ain’t gonna fly for work laptops, guys.
Obligatory PS mentioning that I do use linux everyday on my personal machine
I shit you not, whenever the issues of Microsoft are brought up in my friend group, there is one guy who pops up and defends Microsoft with “Well it’s not a problem for me. I do t see the big deal at all! It’s only a few ads.”
I don’t think you get a choice.
You DO get a choice. You can shift to any other operating system in the world. I did go to Fedora with KDE.
Protip: Install Windows Server as your desktop OS. It comes without all that crap.
Protip: Install Linux because FUCK MICROSOFT!
Some people need to use actually good productivity applications on their computers.
LibreOffice, Inkscape, OpenShot, GIMP, etc. just aren’t particularly good. No HDR support is embarrassing at this day and age.
I have installed Linux more often than Windows and MacOS and it’s not even my main operating system. What Linux offers me is a bunch of similar desktop environments all running the same mediocre applications. I want to get stuff done, not fiddle with window managers and packet managers all day.
Installing Linux to express your feelings about Microsoft might be emotionally therapeutic, but that’s about it.
I was so startled to find LibreOffice Calc, the Excel-alike, had completely different keyboard shortcuts than Excel, completely messing with my muscle memory every. Single. Time. How are businesses supposed to adapt when they need to factor in the time loss for every Excel-using employee to learn the arbitrary new control scheme?
Just request Libre Office Calc to be able to import Excel shortcuts.
Having different keyboard shortcuts takes some getting used to for sure. However it’s not like Excel is the end all be all of spreadsheet usability. Business often depend on some idiosyncratic excel sheet, that doesn’t work in Calc in the first place.
LibreOffice isn’t terrible. The Writer is actually pretty okay. The spreadsheet and presentation software feels like something from 15 years ago though.
IDK man, I’ve been using it exclusively on my main desktop at home and I’ve been getting along just fine with those “not particularly good” applications.
Well, it depends on what your cases are. It’s great that Linux can fulfill your needs.
Been using it just fine on my Desktop. Blender 3D and Krita are equally as good, and in some cases better, than the subscription based programs. Libre Office has the same functionality as MS Word, but supports more formats. Every other daily use program, such as Firefox or VLC runs just as fine on Linux as it does anywhere else. I’ve had virtually no issues running games from my Steam library, even ones that aren’t officially supported.
Sure. Everyone’s requirement for a desktop is different. Blender is very good for sure and Krita is decent. However for painting and drawing Krita doesn’t hold a candle to Procreate on an iPad. As for games, if you’re not a super serious gamer, there’s tons of stuff that runs on Linux nowadays for sure.
My phone records 4K video in HDR, which I then can neither view nor edit properly on Linux. Do you have VLC 3 running with working HDR support?
Eeeeewww. Why would I want to fuck something so small and limp?
I wouldn’t as that’s expensive and way overkill. You want a Windows version that is LTS.
First, going to say that putting ads into Win10 is bad.
But I also wonder, how many people even use the start menu anymore? I almost never even look at mine. I use it for one thing: to shut down my computer. All of my most used apps are on the quick launch bar or are shortcuts on my desktop.
I hit the win key they start typing immediately if I don’t already have it pinned below, usually rarely run software or control panel
Didn’t microsoft kill major updates for win10 in 22h2
Just like Windows 10 was announced to be the last Windows version and it was supposed to be a rolling release product.
And then they needed to artificially restrict what hardware Windows runs on to please the OEMs and their computer sales so we got Windows 11, cutting off a lot of recent and still more than capable enough hardware ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“Well yes, but actually no”
