Microsoft says an ad in Windows 11 File Explorer “was not intended to be published externally and was turned off” after a Microsoft MVP found it in latest build
We may still see File Explorer ads in the future — Microsoft appears to be testing a new type of ad inside File Explorer on Windows 11.
The VergeTom Warren
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft had already used the same rollback language around an experimental Windows 10 Mail ad test, describing it as not intended for broad testing and turning it off. The File Explorer incident therefore fits an established pattern of promotional placements surfacing before Microsoft publicly commits to them.
Later Windows 11 coverage shows the idea did not disappear: Microsoft tested Start menu app promotions in Insider builds and then rolled out recommendations from selected developers that users could disable.
First-order effects
Microsoft turned off the File Explorer placement after it reached an external build, removing the immediate interruption for affected Windows 11 users.
The MVP's discovery made Microsoft’s distinction between an internal test and a public feature operationally significant, forcing a public response rather than a quiet iteration.
Second-order effects
Microsoft can continue to test promotional inventory in other Windows surfaces while treating File Explorer as a withdrawn experiment, as its later Start menu tests demonstrate.
Windows users and developers gain a clearer signal that Microsoft may frame paid or promoted placements as optional recommendations, with Settings controls becoming part of the rollout model.
Third-order effects
Repeated testing across Mail, File Explorer, and Start suggests Windows is evolving into a more actively monetized distribution surface, even when individual placements are pulled after backlash or exposure.
The durable constraint is product trust: Microsoft’s future promotion strategy will be shaped by whether controls and labeling keep recommendations from being treated as unwanted system behavior.
The trend: Microsoft is incrementally testing app-promotion inventory across Windows interfaces while relying on reversibility and user controls to manage the response.
Some people will go mad if Microsoft starts adding ads in explorer. https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren
Tom Warren on x
Microsoft has started testing new ads inside File Explorer on Windows 11. Microsoft tells me “this was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally” and has been turned off. But could we still see ads in the future? Details here: https://www.theverge.co…
@thurrott
Paul Thurrott on x
Details matter. So does not sucking. https://twitter.com/...
@androidauth
@androidauth on x
Microsoft says you weren't supposed to see those Windows 11 File Explorer ads https://www.androidauthority.com/ ...
@gossithedog
Kevin Beaumont on x
It's good to know Microsoft is accidentally shipping unknown code to hundreds of millions of endpoints and we only find out when people notice and tweet about it. https://twitter.com/...
@theregister
@theregister on x
UPDATE: Windows Insider testers spotted what looked like ads for Microsoft products appearing in the Windows 11 File Explorer MSFT statement: “This was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off” https://www.theregister.com/ ...
@evanderburg
Eric Vanderburg on x
Microsoft is testing File Explorer ads in latest Windows 11 Insider build https://i.securitythinkingcap.com/ SLgfXV https://twitter.com/...
@bdsams
Brad Sams on x
Microsoft is going to be improve the Search experience in Windows 11...which is good as it's subpar. I am also willing to bet we see more ads here soon (TM) https://twitter.com/...
@giano
@giano on x
More than MSFT experimenting with ad-supported Windows, this is MSFT experimenting with what happens when they do what Apple does: promoting their own products/services in iOS core apps (e.g., Settings, App Store) https://twitter.com/...
@bleepincomputer
@bleepincomputer on x
Microsoft is testing ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer - @serghei https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ ...
@epro
Emil Protalinski on x
Uh huh, are we to understand that the “feature” to run ads in File Explorer just magically snuck into the latest Windows 11 build? Nobody planned it, developed it, nor approved it? Come on Microsoft, learn from Samsung's mistakes. https://twitter.com/...
@utsavtechie
Utsav Techie on x
Microsoft has started testing ads inside File Explorer on Windows 11 https://www.theverge.com/...
@starfire2258
Sean Hollister on x
Your latest reminder that Windows 11 isn't yours, even if you purchase a boxed copy https://www.theverge.com/...