Are you as frustrated as I am by Windows 11 nagging you to review settings when you log in a few days after setting up?
Window after window of telling Microsoft you don’t want to back up your apps, you don’t want to use Microsoft Edge, and you don’t want 365 — all stopping you from going to the desktop. Well, as part of a recently released Windows 11 developer build, Microsoft is kind of addressing this with a more streamlined experience to make it a little less annoying.
Let’s talk about it and get into the world of SCOOBE.
Yoinks, SCOOBE!
A Second-chance out-of-box experience (SCOOBE) is one of the more frustrating elements of using tech in 2025. You see, companies have other services they really want you to use, and they will go out of their way to make sure you have to actively say “no” to it a few times.
The Windows 11 recommended settings are probably the most frustrating example, as you have to go through screen by screen, unable to just go back to the desktop. Another example is when the settings app gets a notification on your iPhone, only to find out it’s asking you to buy more iCloud storage.
But back to Microsoft’s transgressions, this would usually pop up when you turn on and log in to your PC for the second time. Annoyingly, Microsoft’s not getting rid of it (turns out Redmond really wants you to use Edge), but at least it's becoming simpler with the toggles on a single screen.
Still a ways to go
According to Microsoft, this redesign “is meant to be more intuitive and streamlined.” Technically, the company is right, but the best redesign of a SCOOBE experience is no SCOOBE at all.
Consumers have already been given the choice. We’ve already set up the system. This is redundant, so why disrupt someone’s flow like this?
Also, let’s not forget the dark patterns at play here, with the company's usual trick of subtly giving people the option to “Keep current settings,” while having big, colorful buttons to accept the defaults.
So at the moment, it’s still that clingy ex of setup screens, but it’s just one that now texts you a little less often.
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