During my college years, I found myself attending a school located in a rather unwelcoming neighborhood. Among the many characters I encountered, one panhandler stood out for his relentless pursuit of spare change. His aggressive tactics were memorable, but they pale in comparison to the persistent interruptions from Microsoft Windows, which seems intent on extracting more money from me through its incessant promotions for the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Today, yet again, I was greeted by a notification on my laptop urging me to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a service priced at .99 per month. This subscription promises access to a vast library of games and various other features. While some may find this offer appealing, I, for one, am not interested. The constant barrage of notifications feels akin to being followed around by that panhandler, only this time it’s Microsoft, presenting its pitch like a stale key lime pie.
Windows 11 is not entirely free; while some users can acquire a product key for as little as or operate an unactivated version, most individuals receive the operating system pre-installed on their devices, courtesy of manufacturers like Dell or Lenovo, who have already paid hefty licensing fees. Yet, Microsoft seems dissatisfied with the initial payment, opting instead to bombard users with notifications designed to entice them into additional purchases. Just today, I found myself distracted by one of these notifications while attempting to read important emails. Thank you, Microsoft!
However, notifications are merely the second-most irritating method employed by Microsoft to promote its products, which also include Office 365 and OneDrive. There’s also the Second Chance Out of the Box Experience (SCOOBE), which makes an appearance during system reboots. This feature presents a series of dialog boxes before users can even access Windows, implying that if you didn’t sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Office 365 during the initial setup, your computer is somehow incomplete and requires a second chance to configure these optional features. Navigating through SCOOBE often involves multiple clicks to opt out before reaching the Windows desktop.
Fortunately, there are ways to silence both the Xbox Game Pass notifications and the SCOOBE process. Here’s how:
How to Stop Xbox Game Pass Notifications
- Navigate to Settings -> System -> Notifications
- Sort the apps by Name to make it easier to locate the desired application.
- Toggle “Suggested” to Off to stop the notifications.
How to Disable the Second Chance Out of the Box Experience
- Navigate to Settings -> Notifications if you’re not already there.
- Click Additional Settings.
- Uncheck all the boxes here, especially “Suggest ways…”
By adjusting these settings, users can effectively prevent Windows from promoting Xbox Game Pass and other products. One can only hope that Microsoft might reconsider its approach and cease these persistent marketing tactics directed at users who have yet to modify their settings.
