Microsoft tries putting adverts in Windows’ file manager

‘This was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off’, Microsoft told The Independent

(AFP via Getty Images)

Microsoft is testing adverts for its own products in the file system of Windows 11.

Users spotted an advert for Microsoft Editor in the latest test build of Windows 11, which launched in October.

“Write with confidence across documents, email, and the web with advanced writing suggestions from Microsoft Editor”, the advert states, which appeared next to a triangle with an exclamation mark inside which could make some users believe it was a critical alert.

Microsoft has a history of placing adverts in the operating system. A large banner ad for OneDrive cloud storage was pushed in Windows 10’s File Explorer in 2017, and while Microsoft said that the “tips” can be turned off by users it is generally expected that operating systems should be free of built-in advertisements.

The company also pushed ad pop-ups in Edge when users went to Google Chrome’s website in an attempt to try and keep them using Microsoft’s own browser.

“That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge”, one message read, with another stating: “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”

Microsoft is not the only technology company to do this; Google displays similar messages when using Search and Gmail to switch users to Chrome, while Apple recommends Music, Fitness, and iCloud.

“This was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off”, Brandon LeBlanc, a senior product manager for Windows, told The Independent in an emailed statement.

It is unclear whether similar ads will appear in Microsoft’s operating system in the future.

Companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft can levy their power as proprietors of a walled-off ecosystem to promote themselves, something other companies have criticised.

“New from the guys who banned Fortnite: settings-screen ads for their own music service, which come before the actual settings, and which aren’t available to other advertisers like Spotify or Sound Cloud”, Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney levied at Apple when it promoted its own Music service within the iPhone’s system settings.