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Severity
60 / 100▲4
SEVEREpeak 63ranked #10 of 42people’s rank #17 · preview
Case 010 · Software · Admitted 2016
The Enshittification of Microsoft Windows
The Enshittification of Microsoft WindowsSince Windows 10's launch, Microsoft has drawn regulatory and user criticism over default-on telemetry, mechanisms steering users toward Edge and Bing, and mandatory Microsoft accounts for Windows 11 setup, with known workarounds progressively removed. Promoted apps appeared in the Windows 11 Start menu in 2024, the same year the screenshot-logging Recall feature was delayed after security researchers found it stored sensitive data unencrypted. Windows 10 support ended in October 2025, leaving hundreds of millions of PCs that fail Windows 11's hardware requirements to choose between paid extended updates, unsupported use, or replacement.
First symptom
Jul 2016
Symptoms on file
8
Categories
4
Prognosis
Severe
2 privacy · 1 ads · 1 features · 4 lock-in
Alternatives
Linux Mintfree
Donation-funded desktop operating system with no ads, telemetry, or account requirements.
Apple Machardware
macOS computers with OS updates included and no subscription required for the operating system.
The Paper Trail
| Date | Category | Symptom · rating · source |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-07 | privacy | French regulator orders Microsoft to curb Windows 10 data collectionFrance's data-protection authority CNIL served Microsoft a formal notice finding Windows 10 collected excessive telemetry, including app usage and time spent in each app, and enabled a default-on advertising ID that tracked users for targeted ads without prior consent. Microsoft was given three months to comply.↳ BetaNews |
| 2021-08 | lock-in | Windows 11 makes changing the default browser harderWindows 11 replaced the single default-browser switch with per-file-type settings, requiring users to change defaults for HTM, HTML, PDF, and other formats individually, while a missed first-launch prompt left Edge as the default. Competing browser makers said the design undermined user choice.↳ Tom's Hardware |
| 2022-02 | lock-in | Windows 11 Pro setup to require a Microsoft accountMicrosoft announced that Windows 11 Pro, like the Home edition before it, would require an internet connection and a Microsoft account to complete initial setup, removing the offline local-account path from the out-of-box experience.↳ Gizmodo |
| 2023-10 | features | Windows 11 23H2 ships with Copilot built inMicrosoft released Windows 11 version 23H2, which built the Bing-powered Copilot AI assistant into the operating system with a dedicated taskbar button, replacing Cortana as the system assistant.↳ CNBC |
| 2024-04 | ads | Start menu app promotions roll out to all Windows 11 usersThe KB5036980 update enabled Microsoft Store app promotions, labeled 'recommendations,' in the Windows 11 Start menu's Recommended section for all users by default. Disabling them requires turning off a toggle in Settings under Personalization.↳ The Register |
| 2024-06 | privacy | Recall screenshot feature delayed after security backlashMicrosoft delayed the launch of Recall, a Copilot+ PC feature that screenshots the desktop every few seconds to make activity searchable, after researchers showed it stored sensitive data unencrypted and demonstrated extraction tools. Microsoft made the feature opt-in, added Windows Hello authentication, and moved it to Insider testing.↳ CNBC |
| 2025-10 | lock-in | Microsoft removes remaining local-account setup workaroundsWindows 11 preview builds disabled the bypassnro command and the ms-cxh:localonly trick, the widely used methods for completing setup without an internet connection and Microsoft account, after the bypassnro script was first removed earlier in 2025. Microsoft said the bypasses skipped critical setup screens.↳ BleepingComputer |
| 2025-10 | lock-in | Windows 10 support ends, stranding ineligible PCsMicrosoft ended free security updates for Windows 10, affecting hundreds of millions of PCs, many of which cannot upgrade to Windows 11 due to its hardware requirements. Consumer advocates warned of e-waste and security risks; continued updates required enrolling in a one-year Extended Security Updates program via a $30 fee, Microsoft Rewards points, or syncing settings to the cloud.↳ Marketplace |
The Wall
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<a href="https://enshittification.xyz/microsoft-windows"><img src="https://enshittification.xyz/badge/microsoft-windows.svg" alt="Microsoft Windows on the Enshittification Index"></a>The Enshittification Index · 42 case files · no source, no entry · updated Jun 2026
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