Microsoft has reportedly added a new full-screen popup that is essentially an ad (or as the company calls it, a “recommendation”) urging Windows 11 users to back up their PCs to OneDrive, its cloud storage service. We’ve seen a similar full-screen nag panel in the recent past that urged Windows 11 users to switch to Edge, Microsoft’s default browser for Windows devices, and Microsoft 365.
Windows Last Observed that this new full-screen promo appeared after a Windows update, after restarting the PC to complete the update. As mentioned, the pop-up tries to get you to use OneDrive, and it looks similar to the out-of-box experience for Windows 11 (the process when you first set up the OS on a PC). So, it’s pretty shocking in that regard.
Windows Latest has posted a screenshot of the pop-up, titled “Let’s back up your files,” which talks about “peace of mind” knowing your files and folders are being stored in the cloud, just in case something happens to your PC.
Below is a list of reasons why it is beneficial for Windows 11 users to choose OneDrive. The list is as follows:
- Protect your memories for a lifetime: Your files and photos stay safe with OneDrive cloud storage.
- Collaborate easily with friends and family—share files and edit together seamlessly, so you’re all on the same page.
- All your information, whenever and wherever you need it: Your Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders are backed up to OneDrive, so they’re available everywhere.
- File changes are updated automatically: Files are automatically synced in the background, so you always have the latest version on your PC.
At the bottom of the notification screen there are two options: ‘Next one‘ which takes you to the OneDrive installation, and ‘Skip this now‘ to unsubscribe (at least temporarily).
When you press Next oneyou’ll be taken to the Windows Backup app, which will automatically begin syncing your files to your Microsoft account’s OneDrive storage vault. If you don’t know, OneDrive is a subscription-based cloud storage service, though you do get 5GB for free. That won’t go far for the vast majority of users, though, so they’ll have to pay to upgrade the base amount of storage.
If you do not wish to go through this process, you can click Skip this now to continue to your desktop. As the option suggests, this probably won’t remove the notification permanently, and you can expect it to reappear at some point in the future. Windows Latest notes that if you skip this pop-up, you may also get another notification (in the notification center, on the right side of the desktop) warning you that your PC isn’t fully backed up.
Evaluating your options
Let’s say the notification convinces you to use OneDrive (and you probably decide to subscribe and buy some extra storage). To be fair, if this is the case, OneDrive is actually a pretty solid cloud storage service – you can check out our full review for more details. Using OneDrive in conjunction with Windows Backup, you can sync files pretty smoothly and seamlessly, as well as restore your settings and content from your old device to a new Windows device or a clean Windows installation.
If you don’t take Microsoft up on their offer and you don’t want to see this OneDrive notification again, you’re probably out of luck. There’s a good chance you’ll see the pop-up in the future, but we can only hope Microsoft changes its tune. As Windows Latest noted, there’s no way to ignore these pop-ups if you live outside the EU.
It’s easy to guess that these kinds of actions will only contribute to the growing frustration with Microsoft’s persistent advertising in Windows 11. Unfortunately, that’s unlikely to make much of a difference to the software giant’s tactics going forward — not unless people start abandoning Windows en masse.