What you need to know
- Microsoft PC Manager is reportedly suggesting Windows 11 needs to be repaired for users who don't use Bing as their default search engine.
- The utility tool is designed to optimize the performance of your Windows 11 PC by performing a health check, managing storage, and more.
- Microsoft has been placed on the spot in the past for using deceitful tactics and ploys in a bid to get users to use its services, citing "anti-competitive practices."
Per Microsoft's latest earnings report, its AI efforts are seemingly ripping benefits for its AI-powered search engine, Bing. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated the search engine has surpassed over 140 million daily active users.
And now, perhaps in a bid to get more users to switch over from the dominant Google, Microsoft's 4.5-star rated PC Manager app will ask you to repair your device if you're not using Bing as your default search engine in Windows 11 (via Windows Latest).
For context, Microsoft's PC Manager app is designed to help users optimize the performance of their Windows PC by performing a health check, managing storage, and more. As it now seems, its capabilities now stretch beyond optimizing Windows 11's performance to suggesting the search engine you should use in your device. This is the latest episode in Microsoft's aggressive and intrusive ad campaign in Windows 11.
Microsoft is all-in on its ad campaign on Windows 11
Last month, Microsoft started testing showing ads in the Start menu's "Recommended" area on Windows 11 (which is already unpopular among users because of its flawed design and "comically bad" performance).
In February, new research commissioned by Mozilla revealed that Microsoft is reportedly using harmful designs and deceptive tactics to push its Edge browser to Windows users. The report further highlighted that the company's continued use of misleading UIs and ads deters users from using other browsers aside from Microsoft Edge in Windows.
Microsoft was listed as a gatekeeper by the European Commission last year alongside other key players in the tech landscape. Microsoft's Windows, Bing, and Edge services were under the DMA (Digital Markets Act).
Interestingly, Microsoft Edge and Bing were recently exempted from DMA regulation by the antitrust watchdog. The regulator indicated that the services weren't dominant enough in the digital markets to warrant regulation.
As we speak, Microsoft is 100% compliant with the European Union's DMA regulation, allowing users to uninstall OneDrive, Edge, and Bing on Windows 11.
The Microsoft PC Manager tool isn't the only avenue the tech giant is exploiting to try and get users to use its services. Microsoft's Rewards program recently received a major overhaul adding streak restore and protection capabilities, making it available across all 7 continents. The company announced that it has partnered with Duolingo to provide Rewards members with access to 3 months of Super Duolingo for free when they use Microsoft Bing on Edge for 3 days.
