Microsoft is developing a feature in Windows 11 that could see ads rolling out to File Explorer.Twitter user @XenoPanther discovered that Microsoft added a new setting, “Show recommended content”, to the shell32.dll.mui file — the dynamic link library for instructions in File Explorer.
Once enabled, the toggle to turn the feature on or off would appear in the Privacy section of the File Explorer Options window.A “Recommendations” string has also been added to the propsys.dll.mui, which governs instructions in Windows Search.
While it’s unclear what exactly Microsoft regards as “Recommended content”, several users are concerned it could be ads, including for Microsoft’s own products.This screenshot of the File Explorer Options windows includes the “Show recommended content” toggle.
XenoPanther opined that it likely wouldn’t be ad-related, as a string in the windows.storage.dll.mui suggested that Windows 11 would show the recommended content in File Explorer after the user had opened some files.
What exactly the feature will do will only be known once it rolls out to Windows Insider testers.
Whatever the function might be, the ability to turn it on or off will be useful for those who wish to keep their File Explorer as is.
Microsoft previously came under fire after it presented certain Windows 11 users with a banner ad for its Microsoft Editor app in File Explorer in early 2022.The company later clarified the experimental banners were not meant to be published externally and were turned off.
It previously added a large banner ad in the Windows 10 File Explorer in 2017 promoting its OneDrive cloud storage app.
