Windows 11 might turn into a delivery medium for advertisements. Microsoft has not only started injecting ads within the new operating system, but the company even managed to cause the OS to crash because of the practice.
Microsoft Windows 11 could be following in the early footsteps or missteps of Windows 10. The Operating System may become a conduit for promotional messages.
Microsoft pushing a promotional message to Windows 11 early adopters, causing the OS to crash:
Windows 11 was supposed to be an evolution, but it seems, Microsoft may not be able to resist that extra cash. The company attempted to inject ads within the successor to Windows 10. And in classic fashion, Microsoft managed to break down Windows 11 core functions.
Microsoft released two separate Preview Builds of Windows 11 this week. The separate iterations were for the Developer and Beta channels.
Microsoft breaks Windows 11 by injecting ads https://t.co/vC0uD3iCxQ
— XDA (@xdadevelopers) September 3, 2021
There was only one major, noticeable change in the new iterations of the experimental builds of Windows 11. Several Windows Insider program participants noticed the new builds had Start Menu and taskbar crashing repeatedly.
Preliminary investigations revealed Microsoft may be back to its old tricks. The company was trying to push a promotional message to early adopters.
What caused that missing Start menu and taskbar in Windows 11 last night for Insiders?
One new report claims it was an ad for Microsoft Teams, perhaps revealing the weakness of a "cloud-dependent system." #Windows11https://t.co/QdzQBz2k4g
— Windows Central (@windowscentral) September 3, 2021
The promotional message or ad was about hyping the upcoming operating system’s integration with Microsoft Teams. Simply put, Microsoft was trying to highlight how Teams was about to become the core communications platform within Windows 11.
The ad-serving mechanism reportedly caused problems with the Start Menu and Taskbar. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and suggested a temporary workaround.
Affected Windows 11 users need to enter the following command in a Command Prompt window:
reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0
Restart the computer, and Start Menu and Taskbar should stop randomly crashing. Although the company has suggested a solution, it is still comptemplating injecting ads within a desktop OS.
Will injecting ads within a desktop operating system negatively impact the appeal and adoption of Windows 11?
Although the promotional message is for Windows 11 and Microsoft Teams, the implications of Microsoft’s actions are clearly far-reaching. The company is clearly attempting to experiment with advertisements within its operating systems.
Ads within an OS are fairly new. Many Android smartphone manufacturers have been pushing ads within their budget-friendly devices. The problem is now so acute, Samsung is trying to dissociate from the same.
Those Windows 11 Instabilities Were Cause by a Microsoft Ad – https://t.co/rSWylMQhU6 pic.twitter.com/pcurZSMxpc
— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) September 3, 2021
Desktop Operating Systems, on the other hand, were protected from ads within the User Interface. Microsoft did attempt to push ads within Windows 10 in the early days.
A new report suggests a "serialized JSON blob" aka cloud-based pop-up for Microsoft Teams 🤦♂️ may have caused last night's "missing taskbar" fiasco for Windows 11 Insiders. #Windows11 https://t.co/DDAWt5FTn4
— Daniel Rubino (@Daniel_Rubino) September 3, 2021
However, the company quickly ceased the practice. Microsoft hasn’t pushed any ads within Windows 10 in the recent past. But this could change with Windows 11.
It is not immediately clear how much, ads within the OS, will negatively impact Windows 11’s appeal and mass adoption. The OS and the company have already drawn flak for the excessively stringent System Requirements.