If you are sticking to Windows 10 because it has fewer annoyances than Windows 11, especially in the Start menu, we have bad news for you.

Let’s put it this way; when Microsoft announced its plans to start adding features to Windows 10 once again, despite the operating system’s inevitable demise in October 2025, everyone expected slightly different things to see ported over from Windows 11. Sadly, the latest addition to Windows 10 is one of the most annoying changes coming from Windows 11’s Start menu.

Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced a so-called “Account Manager” for Windows 11 that appears on the screen when you click your profile picture on the Start menu. Instead of just showing you buttons for logging out, locking your device or switching profiles, it displays Microsoft 365 ads. All the actually useful buttons are now hidden behind a three-dot submenu (apparently, my 43-inch display does not have enough space to accommodate them). Now, the “Account Manager” is coming to Windows 10 users.

The change was spotted in the latest Windows 10 preview builds from the Beta and Release Preview Channels. It works in the same way as Windows 11, and it is disabled by default for now because the submenu with sign-out and lock buttons does not work.

  • sungloctoEnglish
    28•4 months ago

    Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced a so-called “Account Manager” for Windows 11 that appears on the screen when you click your profile picture on the Start menu. Instead of just showing you buttons for logging out, locking your device or switching profiles, it displays Microsoft 365 ads. All the actually useful buttons are now hidden behind a three-dot submenu.

    How the fuck are people OK with this?!

      • @[email protected]English
        2•4 months ago

        Followed by smug mentions of cheap OEM keys and massgrave repo. Yeah, that ain’t gonna fly for work laptops, guys.

        Obligatory PS mentioning that I do use linux everyday on my personal machine

    • tb_English
      8•4 months ago

      How to avoid: right click the start icon (or press win + x) and go to “Shut down or sign out” that way.

      I try not using the Windows start menu anymore because I hate seeing the little “notification” bubble on my profile, when dismissing it it returns within a few days!
      Yes Microsoft, I am aware I cancelled 365. Thanks for reminding me why I did so.

    • @[email protected]English
      4•4 months ago

      I shit you not, whenever the issues of Microsoft are brought up in my friend group, there is one guy who pops up and defends Microsoft with “Well it’s not a problem for me. I do t see the big deal at all! It’s only a few ads.”

      • @[email protected]English
        3•4 months ago

        You DO get a choice. You can shift to any other operating system in the world. I did go to Fedora with KDE.