Microsoft regularly finds ways to annoy users of the Windows 11 operating system. Many do not like the pop-up messages about updates that constantly appear, as before. Now messages about the possibility of storing cloud backups in OneDrive have been added to them.

For example, Windows 11 users are increasingly reporting the lack of backups, the creation of which is a special tool in the operating system. Users are shown a pop-up message at regular intervals, telling them to back up their data to protect it. “In case something happens to the PC” This may seem very threatening, but in reality Microsoft is drawing attention to the possibility of storing backups in its OneDrive service in the form of an advertisement.

The free version of OneDrive allows you to store backup copies in the cloud with a total volume of up to 5 GB. This is quite small, especially if you include all files stored on the computer in the backups. Microsoft provides 100 GB of cloud backup space for $ 2 per month, which seems more reasonable. If the user stores a lot of important information, the $ 7 per month tariff, which provides access to 1 TB of cloud space, looks more attractive. Each of these tariffs will be more profitable if paid for one year in advance.

The new pop-up messages offering to backup and save to OneDrive are actually Microsoft’s attempt to force users to interact with OneDrive. Unfortunately, these messages cannot be dismissed or blocked. The user can click on a message and dismiss it for a while, but the message will reappear later. This isn’t the first time Microsoft has bothered users with ads, and it likely won’t be the last.

Backup is a useful feature, and many users actually create backups using Windows Backup. However, it is not mandatory to use OneDrive to store backup copies, and the user can choose how to manage these files. There are also many free utilities that allow you to create backups locally without offering to move them to cloud storage.