Microsoft's new plan to push folks to upgrade to Windows 11 may be its most confusing move yet

Microsoft is still trying to talk Windows 10 users into upgrading to Windows 11 - you may have noticed the recent return of the dreaded post-update triple-nag panel - but the company is now taking a new tack with a YouTube video.

Yes, this is the kind of video clip you would have expected to see when Windows 11 launched, to explain what it's about, and to encourage those on Windows 10 to migrate.

But here we are, nearly two and a half years after the release of Windows 11, and we're seeing this kind of ad on YouTube. (First noticed by The Register - and part of a series of clips, apparently).

What does this tell us? Well, for starters that Microsoft is struggling to convince folks to make the switch. An observation backed up with a good deal of evidence in terms of adoption rates from analytics firms. (Which show, in case you missed this, that Windows 11 is progressing very sluggishly with market share compared to Windows 10).

Okay, so back to the advert itself - the content of which is a bit strange. Microsoft seems to think that all Windows users are bothered about, mostly, is how to find their files and apps, or at least that's the major focus of the first half of the clip.

The Start menu is an absolute game changer, we're told. It isn't, but hey, we get that this clip is aimed at novices.

Unfortunately, the first advice imparted is that upgrading to Windows 11 is 'super easy' which is really glossing over a whole lot of stuff given that this is pitched at relative computing beginners. ("But it says my PC doesn't meet the requirements," "What's TPM?" and so forth).

Confusion reigns

So, this is a video clip, aimed at novices, but confusing in some respects for that target audience, and also about two years too late.

Well, okay, it's not the latter in fact - because as noted there are still a lot of people out there who haven't upgraded from Windows 10 yet, and there's the rub. Microsoft still needs to tempt those holdouts, although the reality is that many of them won't be able to upgrade their PC to Windows 11.

Not without changing the CPU for a newer model (and therefore motherboard as well), or installing a TPM module perhaps, all of which won't be tasks the aforementioned novices will want to undertake in order to get the revolutionary new Start menu (ahem).

In fairness, there are definite selling points to Windows 11, and Microsoft does touch on one of them here - tighter security than Windows 10, which is a clear boon (if a somewhat boring one).

But there's no mention of better gaming performance (yes - an arguable point in some respects, but inarguably one Microsoft could've pushed here), or AI-related extras, using Android apps on the desktop, and so forth. Oh, and the prospect of not running out of road for updates next year.

Anyway... we really like the funky theme tune, though.

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