Disgusting - Windows 11 ads now litter the sign-out screen

Microsoft’s latest operating system is continuing the modern trend of aggressive advertising. In a new update, Windows 11 has started introducing adverts into a new area of the OS: the sign-out menu.

Windows first introduced advertisements to its operating system back in 2016 in Windows 10. Not only did adverts start plaguing lock screens and startup bars, but Microsoft also started installing freemium apps such as Candy Crush games on users’ PCs.

Now, more than half-a-decade after, Microsoft is pushing its luck. The company’s intrusive advertisements are now infecting the sign-out menu of users’ computers.

Discovered by windows enthusiast Albacore, the new advertising function has been added to the most recent build of Windows 11. Currently, the feature is only advertising Microsoft services. However, it has the functionality to advertise anything.

As revealed on Twitter, the function is built into the OS’ sign-out menu. When you go to sign out, restart or shut down, a new field shows adverts right at the top with a small eye-catching icon. 

In the Twitter post, it’s revealed that the functions are only pushing users to create a Microsoft OneDrive account. Other uses are to complete your Windows Profile or create a Microsoft Account.

Thankfully, there’s no proof that Microsoft will use this to advertise anything other than its own services. However, it’s still frustrating to see the company constantly badger paying customers to use its other services. (We’ve all been infuriated by Microsoft Edge pop-ups, after all.)

Furthermore, there is the chance that this will end up being used to push third-party services. However, as Microsoft just installs promoted apps — such as crap, freemium games — for you, this would be an added step.

Read More: Windows 11 Home vs Enterprise — What’s the difference?

As it stands, it shows just how much distrust there is that Microsoft will abuse this new feature. Simply put: users are fed up of advertisements, especially on software that they pay money for. It used to be that adware was only found in viruses; now adware is the norm.