The appearance of ads (or recommendations as Microsoft refers to them) in Windows, Office, and Edge has been noticed. Users of the Microsoft PC Manager who have changed Edge’s search engine to something other than Bing are being prompted to repair this change. A warning message states that “Edge initial settings have been changed” and offers the option to fix this by clicking a Reset button.

This situation is complex and potentially divisive. It could be viewed as a security measure to alert users of unauthorized system changes. However, it may also be perceived as Microsoft surreptitiously promoting its products.

While the app does not explicitly state “your PC is broken,” it strongly implies it. The appearance of the Edge settings reset option under a “Repair tips” heading suggests that something is broken, particularly for less experienced PC users, who likely form the majority of the Microsoft PC Manager user base. The strong promotion of Chrome by Google does not justify Microsoft’s actions, particularly in light of previous instances of self-promotion by the company.