Microsoft Enables Windows 11 OneDrive Backup Without Asking

In yet another instance of strong-arming users, Microsoft has changed Windows 11 setup so OneDrive backup is enabled by default.

Spotted by Neowin, Microsoft appears to have made the change without notifying users or making any announcement. Now, when a user sets up Windows 11 on a new computer, or reinstalls on an existing one, Windows 11 will begin restoring content from the users OneDrive account onto the machine.

The move is the latest in a litany of issues in which Microsoft appears hell-bent on ignoring its own users’ preferences in favor of what it wants to push. The company has been trying to force users to use a Microsoft account when setting up Windows, rather than a local account as was traditionally the case. Microsoft also has a long history of pushing advertising within Windows, including for its own services. In view of those actions, it’s not surprising that Microsoft has enabled OneDrive by default.

As Neowin points out, OneDrive can be a powerful option for users when they knowingly activate it and configure to work the way they want and backup the files they choose. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s approach means that users’ systems will almost immediately be cluttered by whatever files are in their OneDrive storage, regardless of whether they want those files on their computer or not.

Hopefully, Microsoft will return to the days when it actually respected its users enough to let them make their own choices about how to use their computers and devices.

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