Microsoft appears to be experimenting with a new form of advertisement within the File Explorer application on Windows 11. Florian Beaubois, a Microsoft MVP and active Twitter user found an advertisement in the newest test release of Windows 11 that encourages users to check out the Microsoft Editor. While the advertisements may have displayed for certain Windows 11 users, Microsoft claims it was an error on their part.
A spokesperson for Microsoft, Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager for Windows, told The Verge that the banner was an experimental one that was not intended to be released outside. “It was turned off,” he said.
While the advertisements were not intended to be tested outside of Windows 11, it is evident that Microsoft is capable of running them within the operating system, and the company’s brief statement does not rule out the possibility of advertisements showing in the File Explorer in the future.
Not only that, but this isn’t the first time Microsoft has inserted advertisements within File Explorer. In 2017, the software manufacturer included a huge banner advertisement within the Windows 10 File Explorer to promote subscription choices for its OneDrive cloud storage service. Even while the advertisements may be readily ignored, they might be an unpleasant experience in an operating system that has typically been devoid of advertisements.
For more than a decade, Microsoft has been experimenting with advertisements inside its operating systems. It already displays advertisements on the Windows 10 lock screen and in the Start menu, and there have been several instances of obnoxious pop-up advertisements on the taskbar as well. A large number of the built-in programs in Windows 8 contained advertisements.
Unfortunately, Microsoft is not alone in promoting its own services within its operating system and applications. If you purchase a new iPhone, Apple will bombard you with offers for services such as Apple Music, Apple Fitness, and iCloud, and we’ve even seen full-screen advertisements for Apple TV Plus if you possess Apple’s television hardware. If you don’t give in and purchase a YouTube Premium membership, Google will bombard you with pop-up adverts until you do.
