Windows 11 Start Menu Ads Look Set To Get Even Worse (techradar.com) 109
Microsoft is heading further down the path of advertising its own services in Windows 11, with different ads now popping up in the Start menu. From a report: To be precise, this is Windows 11 preview build 23435, which was just released to the Dev channel. As Microsoft puts it: "We are continuing the exploration of badging on the Start menu with several new treatments for users logging in with local user accounts to highlight the benefits of signing in with a Microsoft account (MSA)." So, the translation of this is that 'badging' is essentially advertising ('badgering' would perhaps be more accurate), and it's something we've recently seen with Windows 11 urging users to perform a cloud backup (in OneDrive).
In this new preview build, the prodding stick is being employed to nudge those who haven't enlisted for a Microsoft Account (who remain using a local account) into signing up for an MSA. Compared to the previous cloud backup prompt on the Start menu, it's even clearer that this is advertising because it's fully selling the benefits of having a Microsoft account. For example, Microsoft tells you how hooking your Windows 11 installation into an MSA will ensure that your PC is kept backed up and more secure, or that it'll keep your settings synced across multiple devices.
In this new preview build, the prodding stick is being employed to nudge those who haven't enlisted for a Microsoft Account (who remain using a local account) into signing up for an MSA. Compared to the previous cloud backup prompt on the Start menu, it's even clearer that this is advertising because it's fully selling the benefits of having a Microsoft account. For example, Microsoft tells you how hooking your Windows 11 installation into an MSA will ensure that your PC is kept backed up and more secure, or that it'll keep your settings synced across multiple devices.
Ad block for windows 11... (Score:3)
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Fortunately, I have a LTSB version of Windows 10 that is supported for 5 more years. Maybe someday Microsoft will pull their head out of their ass and stop making Windows worse. but I won't hold my breath.
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Isn't delaying an upgrade in order to dodge unwanted behavior the tech equivalent of holding your breath?
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No.
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Little known fact, if you buy a brand new PC with Windows 11, you can downgrade it to Windows 10. The licence grants you that right, and Windows 10 will usually pick up the product key and activate online automatically.
Windows 11 looks like a dud. Wait for 12.
The real tragedy is that in a couple of years when Windows 10 support ends there are going to be hundreds of millions of perfectly good computers that end up in landfill because they aren't safe to use anymore.
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It already exists. In fact, you can even find pre-modded ISOs of win 11 with all the crapware ripped out. I like to use ghostspectre myself, as it gives me windows XP level of memory and CPU background usage in windows 11 on system start. Very noticeable on systems with more constrained memory and CPU resources.
Re: Ad block for windows 11... (Score:3)
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Is it legal to distribute modified Windows 11 ISO images? Probably not.
Is it legal to use such an ISO image? Sure. Why wouldn't it be? The moment it becomes illegal to remove software from your computer we're in serious trouble.
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Using it? Yes. It's just a modded win11 ISO. Those were a thing since at least XP days, when I started running one. Technically you can make one yourself if you want. Microsoft provides instructions for it.
Distributing it is a bit of a gray area, as microsoft makes windows 10 and 11 ISO free to download from their site, AND provides instructions on how to modify them for your needs. But is distributing pre-modded ISO legal?
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Is it legal?
Will the feds break down your door if you delete a DLL file from your disk or use Windows' registry editor?
IANAL but I'd say no.
Re: Ad block for windows 11... (Score:2)
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it would be better to put ad blocking in to routers so all the devices on the local area network gets the benefits
That would be what Pi-hole [pi-hole.net] is for.
"Ads" (Score:3, Interesting)
This is one of those usages of the word "ads" that may be correct by a strict definition, but is probably not what most people think of when they hear the word "ad." This appears to be no different than your iphone whining that you should log into your itunes account so you can use icloud, the app store, etc.
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Slightly off-topic but are you aware that there are now Windows machines that require you register with an email address to activate the machine? As in you're not logging into that machine until you've spent a few minutes on the internet?
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That's any new install of Windows 11 unless you use some trickery. It's as easy as giving an email address like test@test.com, having the computer complain that the account is locked due to too many password attempts and then you create your account.
Or, you install 10 before upgrading to 11.
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Windows 10 is where I encountered this. Got a cheapo laptop to give to an elderly relative... glad I opened it before sending it along.
Since I posted a crusty memory appeared with a detail that... well it's fuzzy, but I think this version of Windows was simplified. Windows S or something? I remember it had only 4 gigs of RAM and I couldn't install Chrome on it because it wasn't in their app store. I don't know if calling-the-mothership to log in for the first time was a feature of that particular bu
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Thankfully S Mode is mostly on low end systems that aren't worth buying but there are a handful of high spec machines that ship with it and I couldn't say why.
You can set it up without a Microsoft account (if you don't connect to the Internet during setup), but turning off S Mode and installing Home requires an account. Or just change the product key to a random 7 Home key you find on an old broken laptop.
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It's as easy as giving an email address like test@test.com
Even less typing: "a@a.com".
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It's as easy as giving an email address like test@test.com
Even less typing: "a@a.com".
Even less typing: "a@a.ac"
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Something I try to spread general awareness for whenever someone posts a local account workaround:
The easiest and most foolproof workaround to get a local account is to attempt to use a banned account. Someone conveniently got "no@thankyou.com" banned so if you attempt to log in with it (use anything for the password, you're not actually trying to succeed in logging in) it'll dump you straight to the local account screen since they don't want a disabled user to create a new account.
Unlike other workarounds this is intended behavior so not only is it easy to trigger but it's far less likely to stop working when the installer is updated again.
https://news.ycombinator.com/i... [ycombinator.com]
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Unless of course you kick that bullshit to the curb.
Yes, it's possible.
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Let me tell you something that will blow your mind: Android mobile phones, as well as iOS mobile phones, all require the same thing.
Crazy, isn't it...
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Welp, you are right that different products have different requirements.
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both are obnoxious.
i'd love a global setting for iOS/Windows/etc for "fuck off and leave me alone"
alas, this is not the world we live in.
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Set up your own DNS server on a pi.
Use pi—hole or Technitium to filter all ads and tracking in your LAN.
There are multiple (free) subscription services you can get for blacklists.
Its a small project but fun and works like a charm.
Re: "Ads" (Score:2)
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I think there should be legislation like the do not call list for calling. You should be able to say no and report them if they ask again.
I personally like the idea of being able to charge for my time. That is next time you ask it will be a $1000 fee, go ask again I dare you. I did that once to a company that insisted on calling to tell me about the services, I emailed them and told them I would charge the $100 each time they called, surprisingly they never called again.
Perhaps if we start a campaign to ema
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They want your data. They also want to put more and more and more and more ads up to force you into an overprice sub service that will remove 33% of said ads.
What good is an M$ account? Halo is dead to me and if they publish a game I want to play, I will get the TPB Edition of said game. I have no use for it. I don't trust Microsoft claims on security either.
Why would I use Microsoft 365 and all the ads and nonsense when Lib
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It is an ad by the loosest definition.
Eh? What would your "strict" definition of "ad" would be that excludes these?
Third-party ads are a late-comer invention.
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This is one of those usages of the word "ads" that may be correct by a strict definition, but is probably not what most people think of when they hear the word "ad."
So what you're saying is, it's an ad? Thanks for muddying that up for us.
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This is one of those usages of the word "ads" that may be correct by a strict definition, but is probably not what most people think of when they hear the word "ad." This appears to be no different than your iphone whining that you should log into your itunes account so you can use icloud, the app store, etc.
I dunno - I think most people see advertising as propaganda trying to convince them to do something that isn't necessarily in their own best interests, but is absolutely beneficial to the party doing the advertising. By that definition, "iphone whining" and similar ploys would be interpreted as advertising.
Re: "Ads" (Score:2)
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You don't think that is fucked up and abnormal? You might be desensitized to it now, but I bet if your computer in 1999 did that, if you didn't slamthrow it onto the floor with all your might, you would at least upgrade it to something which doesn't suck so much. What's different now?
It's only a matter of time (Score:2)
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but even Gnome prompts you to connect your online accounts to it.
Just don't use Gnome. KDE exists and if you absolutely must have GTK, Xfce exists. And there's plenty of other DEs built on GTK/Qt toolkits. And then you have the various titling wms and if that's not enough, you've got Pop OS doing their whole new widget toolkit iced-rs over there and Enlightenment's EFL, if you really dislike GTK and Qt.
I'm sure the Gnome folks love Gnome and it ain't my taste but to each their own I guess. But we've got plenty of options so if Gnome gets too crazy, we've got places t
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Just don't use Gnome.
Nothing wrong with Gnome as long as you use the correct version. Use version 2, still maintained & known as MATE [mate-desktop.org], it is an improvement over previous and subsequent versions of Gnome.
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KDE exists and if you absolutely must have GTK, Xfce exists.
Indeed, you can run the apps you want on the DE you want. GTK apps work fine on Plasma, and KDE apps work fine on Mate or Xfce.
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They already did that in installer. The problem is that they still need to enable offline account creation for certain scenarios, so the question is more about "how to reach it" than anything else.
And there are plenty of modded ISOs of win 11 around that among other things rip out the online account functionality entirely.
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This is why I say Windows isn't for professionals! (Score:4)
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Because marketing and accounting said to add them
Because the vast majority of people love ads on everything it seems. M$ has learned from Google and Apple.
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Because Microsoft left the OS business and is now a data broker, like every other tech company out there.
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Utterly stupid (Score:4)
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Submit a multi-page form to Microsnot.
Wait two weeks for them to grant you access to YOUR computer.
If you are lucky.
Happened to my wife, who frequently forgets passwords...
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do they really think the people using them are going to be swayed by literal ads inserted into basic features?
Wait, do you really think people are not?
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In order to use a local account on Windows 11, you have to either be using Enterprise or you have to use a tool like Rufus to bypass specific measures that Microsoft put in place to prevent you from creating a local account.
Did they block no@thankyou.com?
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I think Microsoft should take the hint, if you can't give it away for free, you have to hide the option through obscure workarounds, then perhaps what you are trying to sell is just not wanted.
The moment they force me to have a Microsoft account is the moment I remove windows from my PC, games be dammed.
No means no, my computer my choice.
Whew (Score:3)
Another reason I'm so happy my systems are too old to run Windows 11 -- in an officially supported way, even though they run Windows 10 just fine. So thanks MS for pushing me to *finally* move to using my Linux systems full-time/permanently -- Mint, previously, Ubuntu which is a whole other story, though I imagine most can guess why, starting with (hint) forced Snap ... So thanks Canonical for pushing me to switch my Linux systems from Ubuntu 18.04 (Mate) to Mint 21 (Cinnamon).
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I hear Ubuntu is dropping snap, which is funny because I just dropped them for not dropping snap
But now I'm on Devuan where I don't have to mess with systemd, I only have to mess with programs written by lameasses who think that systemd is the only init system on linux.
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I hear Ubuntu is dropping snap, which is funny because I just dropped them for not dropping snap
Sadly this was an April Fool's joke. Even if it were true they'd probably shift to Flatpak
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If the only problem with systemd was binary logs, I'd probably learn to live with it.
But since it's actually an unreliable clusterfuck that creates more problems than it solves, no thanks.
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Problem is that if you're a gamer, it's a non-starter, and PC gaming really took off in last decade.
That and there's quite a lot of specialized software that isn't available on linux.
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Problem is that if you're a gamer, it's a non-starter, and PC gaming really took off in last decade.
That and there's quite a lot of specialized software that isn't available on linux.
Tell that to my Linux Mint gaming PC. I admit my requirements are not super high end, but so far everything I have wanted to play has either had a Linux port or runs just fine in Proton.
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Sure. Dear mint gaming PC. You fucking suck. Your compatibility is awful, your performance is garbage, and having to keep fighting to find exact config to make the game run without problems is beyond annoying.
Very few people who enjoy gaming also enjoy the metagaming of having to fuck with system settings to get a lot of modern games to run.
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Then not only will it not work, but sometimes mark you as a cheater in the system so when you log in on windows PC, it will drop you to cheater's queue in some multiplayer games.
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Sure. Dear mint gaming PC. You fucking suck. Your compatibility is awful, your performance is garbage, and having to keep fighting to find exact config to make the game run without problems is beyond annoying.
Very few people who enjoy gaming also enjoy the metagaming of having to fuck with system settings to get a lot of modern games to run.
Not sure where the hate is coming from. It just works. (TM)
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Probably from having to fuck with things not working as a matter of routine, while being gaslit by fanboys that it works, you're just holding it wrong.
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Problem is that if you're a gamer, it's a non-starter, and PC gaming really took off in last decade.
That and there's quite a lot of specialized software that isn't available on linux.
Sure, although those don't apply for me. I do maintain a Windows 10 VM on my Linux system that I'll keep around for a while. I may try to configure the VM so Windows will see it as a system that can support Windows 11 and, perhaps, try to "upgrade" it when Windows 10 goes EOL. For either Windows 10/11, that would probably work at least for the specialized software you mentioned, but don't know about games requiring Windows.
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Even if it would, performance tends to be abysmal.
Here's hoping for Steam's steamdeck implementation to get ported to desktop variants of linux and supported directly by valve. That would solve a lot of problems.
Re: Whew (Score:2)
I want my Windows 7 back... (Score:2)
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They stopped caring about making customers happy, and focused on the non-important items that nobody asked for, in an attempt to generate more revenue. This is how to identify a dying brand. They are tying to be Apple without the gravitas of Apple.
As such, I'm seriously thinking of just going over to the dark side of Apple. Not really but it has crossed my mind on occasion. While I have and do use Linux, it still has shortcomings. Desktop Android Anyone?
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It reminds me a lot of the MMO makers that try to make a WoW clone, but can't get the hint that people play their game exactly because it's not WoW. Because if they wanted WoW, they would play that.
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From my experience, win 7 was much better for power users. For average users, "it just works until it doesn't" apple model that was transplanted to win10 and win11 seems to be better. Most don't even adjust start menu to its proper place or turn off widget crap. Because they don't know how. And don't care to learn.
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Windows 11 is a lot like when your girlfriend moves in with you. Everything you had is probably still there, but it sure ain't where you expect it to be or where you put it.
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I replaced Windows at home years ago, apart from one dual boot laptop set up for the couple of older games I play on occasion.
That Windows 7 has no drivers to connect to any network, and all games are stand-alone installations (inside separate Sandboxie boxes).
And if you really want to play that game that's only on Steam, there's surely a repack on a certain fit girl's site.
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I've been producing music on Linux for a few years now. It's not any more of a pain in the ass to set up than Windows, and once it's set up and running the way you want it doesn't collapse on itself at every little update, whether you update manually or not. AVLinux is pretty good, if you go for one of the variants that don't rely on systemd. Something about systemd and the real time extensions just causes all sorts of pops and clicks in recorded audio. I'm guessing systemd decided that "real time" meant "r
Microsoft greed (Score:5, Insightful)
The idea of incorporating inescapable ads into an operating system is abominable. If you have to pay for an operating system, being forced to accept ads is pure greed.
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No, at the moment, they're advertising free Microsoft products: They want your data, just like Google and Facebook. It's easy to see where they're heading.
I'm certain they'll escalate to Office 365 and other subscription-based products they already advertise on live.com. Then, it will be products from business partners. Then, it will be the same "personalized marketing" that Google and Facebook offer.
Cellphoneification (Score:2)
Re: Cellphoneification (Score:2)
More like enshitification if you ask me.
Want to know when a company is too big? When a majority of their customers complain about it and for "some reason" they just keep using it...
Windows, AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Nintendo...
All have a few things in common, they actively despise their user base and it shows.
Must be nice when you can just buy yourself protection from government oversight...
Why applications like "open shell" are important (Score:2)
This replaces the start menu (and other components)....the start menu icon replacement is a little shaky, but overall I've been using this:
https://github.com/Open-Shell/... [github.com]
for years now....
"This is not your computer" (Score:2)
That's what Windows amounts to these days.
Then again, the concept of actually owning your own computer for the masses is just a few decades of history. A tiny little blip.
As is the internet.
What's a few ads in a start-menu when compared to where we're headed, it's laughable, really.
It's the minority who say "no" to things like this, by switching - but the vast majority don't care, don't know - and we'll sleepwalk further into a complete invasion of privacy and a complete inability to survive without ... I'l
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sleepwalking is such an apt term for the decade or so.
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It isn't your computer, of course. It belongs to your employer / organization.
Microsoft sells to business, government, universities, etc. And a few individuals also buy because they are sheep and that's all they know. M$ cares only about the big buyers. And, guess what, the big buyers don't care if adverts show up on the screen for their employees. Especially if they think it brings a discount in the price.
For the 1% of individuals who don't like the ads and complain, crocodile tears will flow, but the ads
I must respond to Microsoft. (Score:2)
Microsoft you need to fuck all the way off on this. I don't use MS crap at home, but we do at work. Until the day I can't make a local account for my users. For security reasons my employer says, "Not now, not EVER!" I bet we are not alone in this stance either.
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I expect the expensive "Business" versions of Windows won't have this crap.
Though I do wonder just exactly how many anti-features MSFT has to add before users rebel and switch. Probably an infinite number, unfortunately, given their de facto monopoly position.
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I expect the expensive "Business" versions of Windows won't have this crap.
Though I do wonder just exactly how many anti-features MSFT has to add before users rebel and switch. Probably an infinite number, unfortunately, given their de facto monopoly position.
I'll take that bet. Already Win 11 Pro already needs a process I have to look up every time I reinstall a laptop. The process has changed once already that I know of.
My better half got annoyed by MS, and is now happily running Linux on her laptop. So, one down millions and millions to go.
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For the reason you specify, and the fact that I cannot enable AppLocker on a Pro version of Windows, I'd argue that Pro versions can't really be considered as "Business" versions of Windows.
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The Enterprise editions and some of the workstation editions have options to turn all that off, but even Professional is filled with these types of pokes in the notifications and other areas. It gets old.
I'm tired of microsoft (Score:2)
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Here's a novel idea! (Score:1)
Howsabout they offer a start menu THAT WORKS?
Because I quite literally HAVE TO use Start11 just to get a properly functional taskbar and start menu.
Because what's there now DOES NOT WORK and ican't be fixed.
Linux (Score:2)
Say "no" to Microsoft accounts (Score:2)
Just say no to Microsoft accounts. There is no good reason to be logging in to your own personal computer using a remote third party service.
The way they are pushing their OneDrive service should be illegal. Windows 11 will tell you that you need to keep your computer "secure" by backing up all your data to Microsoft OneDrive.
Secure... by handing over all of your data to Microsoft?! You have to be really fucking dumb to believe that. Right, lots of dumb people out there.
Between this and the spam in Outlook (Score:2)
Microsoft is earning a lot of disdain.
OS should be free if there are ads. (Score:3)
:P
Nobody will use it. (Score:2)
I worked at Microsoft for almost a decade. Nobody who respects themselves uses the "odd" versions of Windows. They screw up so much of the basic operating system experience every other version. The good news about the start menu is that you almost never need to use it if you launch your apps from the taskbar. The bad news is that Microsoft can't leave a menu to launch your apps alone.
Here's how I score the versions of Windows:
DOS-based:
Windows 3.1: Good (3.11 for Workgroups was a little better)
Windows 95/98
Windows is only good for games. (Score:1)