https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/microsoft-pulls-onedrive-update-that-would-quiz-you-before-letting-you-quit/ Skip to main content * Biz & IT * Tech * Science * Policy * Cars * Gaming & Culture * Store * Forums Subscribe [ ] Close Navigate * Store * Subscribe * Videos * Features * Reviews * RSS Feeds * Mobile Site * About Ars * Staff Directory * Contact Us * Advertise with Ars * Reprints Filter by topic * Biz & IT * Tech * Science * Policy * Cars * Gaming & Culture * Store * Forums Settings Front page layout Grid List Site theme light dark Sign in wish i knew how to quit you -- Microsoft pulls OneDrive update that would quiz you before letting you quit Change affected a "small subset" of users and has (thankfully) been reverted. Andrew Cunningham - Nov 10, 2023 4:37 pm UTC Microsoft briefly tested a drop-down survey that you would need to fill out before you could quit the OneDrive app. Enlarge / Microsoft briefly tested a drop-down survey that you would need to fill out before you could quit the OneDrive app. NeoWin reader comments 107 with Modern versions of Windows have become more annoying as time has gone on, pushing additional Microsoft products and services on users who are just trying to turn on their computers and get something done. Often, as we've covered, these notifications and reminders ignore or actively push back against user intent--prompting you to sign up for Microsoft 365 if you already said no, or trying to make you use Edge or Bing after you've already installed Chrome. Further Reading Windows 11 has made the "clean Windows install" an oxymoron Microsoft took another step down this path this week when it began testing a new addition to the Windows OneDrive app that would force users to explain themselves when quitting the app. Initially spotted by NeoWin, the survey took the form of a drop-down menu, not unlike the ones you sometimes see when you try to unsubscribe from marketing or fundraising mailing lists. Until you chose an answer from the drop-down, the "quit" button would be grayed out, preventing you from actually closing OneDrive. This was an escalation from the previous behavior, which would ask you if you were sure before allowing you to quit but allowing you to actually click the "quit" button without interacting with any other menus. The old prompt was an explanation; the newer one was an imposition. Advertisement The former (and current) prompt was more informational and would allow you to click the quit button without further interaction. Enlarge / The former (and current) prompt was more informational and would allow you to click the quit button without further interaction. Andrew Cunningham For its part, Microsoft told The Verge that the new prompt was a test that was only rolled out to a subset of OneDrive users and that the change has been reverted as of a couple of days ago. "Between Nov. 1 and 8, a small subset of consumer OneDrive users were presented with a dialog box when closing the OneDrive sync client, asking for feedback on the reason they chose to close the application," reads Microsoft's statement. "This type of user feedback helps inform our ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of our products." Reverted or not, the OneDrive prompt is of a piece with other things Microsoft does to encourage the usage of Edge, Bing, OneDrive, Microsoft 365, Game Pass, and its other services in Windows. You can always choose to avoid this kind of thing by declining to sign in to OneDrive or by uninstalling the app entirely. But it's just one more annoying default you need to change to make sure that modern Windows stays out of your way. Listing image by Microsoft reader comments 107 with Andrew Cunningham Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. Advertisement Channel Ars Technica - Previous story Next story - Related Stories Today on Ars * Store * Subscribe * About Us * RSS Feeds * View Mobile Site * Contact Us * Staff * Advertise with us * Reprints Newsletter Signup Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. Sign me up - CNMN Collection WIRED Media Group (c) 2023 Conde Nast. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1 /20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). Ars may earn compensation on sales from links on this site. Read our affiliate link policy. Your California Privacy Rights | [privacyopt] Do Not Sell My Personal Information The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Conde Nast. Ad Choices