Fed up with Microsoft's attempts to sell you stuff in Windows 11? One such nag has been minimized - but something worse has been introduced
Windows 11 users are seeing a positive change, but also a less-welcome one
The good news is the 'second-chance out-of-box experience' nag has been streamlined considerably
The bad news is there's a new nag pop-up in the Start menu that pushes you towards taking out a OneDrive subscription
Microsoft has tidied up one annoyance with Windows 11, but sadly appears to have introduced another - and more vexing – irritation in its place.
Let's start with the good news here, which Neowin flagged up and involves the 'second-chance out-of-box experience' (SCOOBE for short). That's fancy-talk for a nag screen that appears after booting to the desktop, trying to get you to configure elements of Windows 11 that you didn't bother with when setting up your PC originally.
Setting up your Windows PC is known as the out-of-box experience (OOBE), as in you just got the device out of the box and turned it on – so this panel is essentially pushing this stuff on you again, in the hopes you might use the Windows Backup app, for instance (or switch to Edge).
Now, as it exists currently, this SCOOBE nagging is a multi-panel affair that you have to click through (there are three panels, if my memory serves correctly).
However, in a recent preview release in the Dev channel for Windows 11 (build 26200.5722), Microsoft has changed the SCOOBE so it's just a single panel, and you can dismiss it with one click.
At least now when it appears – and if you leave parts of Windows 11 setup unfinished it'll keep popping up every few months or so – it'll be more painless to swat aside.
So, that's something (vaguely) positive – but unfortunately Microsoft appears to have introduced a new nag in its place.
Windows Latest noticed the new, more annoying, addition that has arrived in the Start menu of Windows 11 and consists of a pop-up that states: 'Action advised – back up your PC'.
Underneath that is some spiel about backing up your files, settings and so forth in the cloud, and if you click on the 'Continue' prompt Microsoft provides you'll be whisked off to Windows Backup. (And that backup app is facilitated by OneDrive – and with the low amount of free space included with Microsoft's cloud storage service, you'll almost certainly need a subscription, which is the crux of this prompt in terms of selling you something).
Analysis: SCOOBE Dooby don't
So, while this Start menu addition is a warning on the face of it, really it's just a way of trying to get you to take out a subscription with Microsoft. And while this could be a useful prompt to remind some people they need to back up their files, the problem is that others may well have already sorted out a backup via another app (or gone elsewhere in the cloud) – but if they've not used Microsoft's official channel, then they're going to get nagged to do so.
As Windows Latest makes clear, these prompts will likely keep appearing periodically – like the SCOOBE – and there's no way you can turn them off. That's because Microsoft has flagged this Windows Backup nag as a 'required' prompt, so it can't be avoided, unlike the SCOOBE, which you can actually switch off. (You can do so in Settings > System > Notifications > Additional Settings).
In my book, there should be no such thing as compulsory nags, and if you want to use Windows 11 without being pestered by a single pop-up along these lines, you should be able to tick a box to that effect. Interestingly, Windows Latest observes that with a test Windows 11 installation using an EU region, this alert didn't appear in the Start menu – so this change may not happen in Europe due to its data regulations (which are proving quite a boon in some ways).
You might also like...
Microsoft promises to crack one of the biggest problems with Windows 11: slow performance
Microsoft finally plays its trump AI card, Recall, in Windows 11 – but for me, it's completely overshadowed by another new ability for Copilot+ PCs
Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Connected Ship Market to Reach $17.2 Billion by 2028
Delray Beach, FL, Aug. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The report "Connected Ship Market by Application (Vessel Traffic Management, Fleet Operation, Fleet Health Monitoring, Other Applications), Installation (Onboard, Onshore), Platform (Ships, Ports) & Fit (Line Fit, Retrofit, Hybrid Fit) and Global Forecast to 2028" The Connected Ship market is estimated at USD 11.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 17.2 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 7.7 % from 2023 to 2028. The growth can be attributed to the increasing need for connected ship for commercial applications and navy missions. The demand for enhanced safety and security in maritime industry is driving the market for Connected Ship. The maritime industry is developing rapidly by building digitalized vessels with all advanced technologies to improve the efficiency of ship in maritime. Government support and growing investments are propelling the development of advanced ships, further boosting the growth of the Connected Ship Industry. Download PDF Brochure: Major Key Players in the Connected Ship Industry: ABB (Switzerland), Emerson Electric Co. (US), Wartsila (Finland), Kongsberg Gruppen ASA (Norway), and Thales Group (France). Connected Ship Market Segmentation: The Fleet Operation segment held the largest growth rate in the Connected Ship market by application. Fleet Operation Segment to hold the highest growth rate during the forecast period. These are widely adopted technological applications to provide real time data access and fleet optimization. Additionally, they can be easily employed on commercial and defence ship. Easy deployment and enhanced efficiency to drive the market for the segment. The Connected Ship Line fit segment is expected to account for the largest share of Connected Ship by Fit in 2023. By Fit, the Connected Ship market is segmented into Line fit, Retrofit and Hybrid fit. The line fit offer the installation of connected ship technology in new ship during its construction. Line fit provides more cost-effective installation process and is more seamlessly integrated into the ship systems, as the technology is designed to work with the ship existing architecture. The Onboard segment of the Connected ship market by installation is projected to dominate the market. The Connected ship market based on the installation is segmented into Onboard and Onshore. Onboard segment to hold the highest market and Onshore segment to hold the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The rapid development in the connected ship of maritime to enhanced safety and security is driving the growth of the market. Asia Pacific is to hold the highest growth rate in 2023. The Connected Ship market industry has been studied in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World. The Asia Pacific region accounts for the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to the presence of major Ship Building companies in the region to enhance the growth of the market. China is expected to show the highest growth rate and highest market share of Asia Pacific Region for Connected Ship market. Increase in rise of demand for Connected ship for commercial and Défense drives the Connected Ship market in Asia Pacific Region. Ask for Sample Report: Connected Ship Market Key Takeaways By embracing digital transformation, shipowners are increasingly adopting connected technologies to improve operational efficiency, safety, and real-time decision-making at sea. By integrating advanced systems such as vessel traffic management and fleet operations centers, naval defence and commercial operators are enhancing situational awareness and security. By leading global demand, the commercial segment—especially in cargo and container ships—is seeing rapid adoption of connected systems to optimize route planning and fuel usage. By strengthening maritime Défense capabilities, naval forces are deploying connected technologies to improve communication, combat readiness, and data-sharing across fleets. By enabling centralized monitoring and predictive maintenance, the vessel infrastructure segment is gaining momentum, helping reduce downtime and lifecycle costs. By accounting for a significant market share, Europe is emerging as a key region, driven by its strong maritime presence and emphasis on technological upgrades in shipping fleets. By advancing satellite and cloud-based communication systems, connected ships are now able to maintain continuous data exchange, even in remote ocean regions. By supporting safer and more efficient maritime operations, the rise of cybersecurity and integrated platform management systems is transforming how ships are managed and maintained. CONTACT: About MarketsandMarkets™ MarketsandMarkets™ has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets™ is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines – TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore™, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets™ INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445, USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@ Visit Our Website: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Largest Space Tech IPO of the Year Just Launched, With a $6.3 Billion Valuation. Can the Stock Go to the Moon?
Key Points Firefly Aerospace has notched some operational successes with its rockets and lunar lander. The company's partnerships with major industry players could be advantageous. But Firefly's incomplete financial and management picture should give investors pause. 10 stocks we like better than Firefly Aerospace › Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ: FLY) just pulled off its second-most impressive launch of the year. The most impressive launch came in January, when the company sent its new uncrewed Blue Ghost module to the moon. The mission's success gave Firefly bragging rights as the first U.S. company to execute a fully successful soft lunar landing (that is, landing without causing serious damage to the module). It also generated a huge wave of interest in the company. That interest is clearly still white-hot, because Firefly's Thursday IPO launched the company onto the Nasdaq at a valuation of $6.3 billion. Can it rocket even higher? Or will it fall back to earth? What Firefly actually does Fans of the canceled-way-too-soon space Western Firefly will be sad to learn that the company's name isn't actually related to the TV series. Instead, it's a name Firefly founder Tom Markusic -- a former SpaceX and Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) engineer -- selected to embody a hypothetical future in which rocket launches are as common in the night sky as fireflies. Indeed, Firefly Aerospace has gone all-in on making launches more frequent and more accessible. It developed the Alpha rocket, a smaller, lighter rocket manufactured from carbon fiber composites that launched a satellite into orbit with just 24 hours' notice in 2023. While the Alpha is certainly lighter (and thus, less expensive to launch) than most other commercial rockets, the roughly one-ton payload capacity is somewhat restrictive: Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander, for example, was too heavy for the Alpha rocket and had to be launched using a SpaceX Falcon 9. Firefly is also working on the Elytra orbital vehicle and lunar imaging service Ocula. The company has nine planned non-test missions through 2029: five for NASA, one for the U.S. Space Force, and three for commercial clients, for a total current project backlog of $1.1 billion. Why its stock might take off... With more companies (and people) heading to space, demand for cheaper spaceflight is likely to skyrocket (no pun intended). As a company offering a more affordable rocket that has already had successful launches, Firefly is well ahead of many would-be competitors. Additionally, Firefly is receiving investment and support from industry heavyweights including Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and L3Harris (NYSE: LHX). In May, Firefly received a $50 million investment from Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC). Being in the good graces of such major aerospace players is a big advantage for the start-up, both financially and reputationally. Today's commercial space industry is a fairly crowded place, with companies big and small jockeying for limited funds and contracts. However, early success tends to encourage investment, which fuels future success. Firefly seems to have all the right ingredients, including an active contract pipeline, major industry partnerships, and a few successful early missions. If it can keep it up, it could be the next maybe an even bigger success story. ...and why it might not For an 11-year-old company, Firefly has had a checkered past, which includes IP issues, a 2017 bankruptcy, government intervention over national security concerns, and an abrupt July 2024 CEO departure (current CEO Jason Kim took the helm in October 2024). Meanwhile, private equity firm AE Industrial Partners controls the company with a 40.9% stake; the firm's employees currently hold five of Firefly's nine board seats. As the IPO prospectus notes, "AE Industrial Partners controls us, and its interests may conflict with ours or yours in the future." That's...a lot, and we haven't even gotten to the company's financials. Because it's an IPO, we don't even have a full quarterly financial report from Firefly yet. But its IPO prospectus shows a net loss of about $125 million in the first half of 2025, along with negative free cash flow of about $97.5 million, with just $205.3 million in cash on its balance sheet and $173.6 million in debt. Not a pretty picture. Now, it's not unusual for new start-ups to have high net losses and negative free cash flow, but given the lack of context and details, it's worth asking: Does this business deserve a $6.3 billion valuation? How about $8.4 billion, which the company briefly hit on its first day of public trading Thursday? To me, that seems pretty expensive for an unproven business with opaque financials in a competitive, high-risk industry that's controlled by a venture capital firm and led by a brand new CEO. Before I'd buy shares, I'd want to at least see a few quarterly reports to get a clearer picture of how the company operates. It would still be a risky bet, but right now it feels too risky to buy. Should you buy stock in Firefly Aerospace right now? Before you buy stock in Firefly Aerospace, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Firefly Aerospace wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 John Bromels has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends L3Harris Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Largest Space Tech IPO of the Year Just Launched, With a $6.3 Billion Valuation. Can the Stock Go to the Moon? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
ChatGPT-5 is delayed — but these 5 features could make the wait worth it
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. GPT-5 seems to keep getting further and further away. At one point, we were expecting it in the summer. Then it was July, and then the start of August. Now, a few days into August, still no GPT-5. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean we've got long to wait. Reviewers are testing GPT-5 now, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made repeated claims about his use of it and how strong its performance has been. In fact, all signs still suggest an August release. But, OpenAI has a lot going on right now, and it's no stranger to delays, often pushing products and models back months at a time. On August 2, Altman posted on X saying: 'We have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months — new models, products, features, and more. Please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches.' GPT-5 is likely to be the company's biggest launch ever, and therefore one the company wants to get right. But even if it is delayed, GPT-5 will be worth waiting for, launching with a bunch of cool new features. The five features we're most excited for in GPT-5 Sora 2 A recent leak suggested that, with GPT-5, we could finally see the launch of Sora 2. This would be the second iteration of OpenAI's video creation tool. The first Sora model had a fairly short life. It appeared, made headlines, and was quickly beaten by the competition. Since then, OpenAI seems to have put it on the back burner. Improved memory With any major update to an AI model, one of the first and most noticeable changes is in its memory. With GPT-5, the model (if you let it) is likely to better remember key details about you and past conversations. This could include your personality type, preferences, and opinions on key topics. A lot of people will have love-hate relationships with this kind of update. The likes of Claude and Le Chat have steered clear of giving their AI models too much memory. OpenAI on the other hand has lent into it. Better coding One of the big pushes right now in the world of AI models is for improved coding abilities. Chatbots are able to code entire apps, build databases and solve coding problems with surprising ease. However, they can keep getting better and GPT-5 will be a change for OpenAI to take the spot as the best coding chatbot. Agentic ChatGPT recently launched its agent tool, letting ChatGPT make actions on your behalf. This could be booking restaurant tables, finding the latest deals on laptops and buying one or simply checking your calendar. With GPT-5, we'll likely see improvements to this tool, letting you complete more complicated actions. More conversational Chatbots, while more natural-sounding than ever, continue to talk like robots. With GPT-5 and other competitors big changes, we're seeing more natural versions of chatbots pop up. With this latest version, we could see ChatGPT take on different voices and personalities for different situations, or simply speak in a more natural, conversational way when prompting. More from Tom's Guide just launched an AI-powered social feed — and it's like TikTok meets ChatGPT Sam Altman just teased GPT-5 with one question — and the answer says it all OpenAI just pulled a controversial ChatGPT feature — what you need to know
