In a bid to align itself more closely with the far-reaching regulations brought forth by the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Microsoft is enacting a suite of updates to Windows 10 and 11 for users throughout the European Economic Area (EEA). The company's approach—transparent, public, and ongoing—contrasts sharply with others in the tech space, notably Apple, whose DMA-related efforts have invited both criticism and regulatory scrutiny. With these latest adjustments unveiled, Microsoft is not only fortifying its compliance posture but also planting markers for what digital user empowerment could look like across global consumer software.
To appreciate the depth of Microsoft’s changes, it’s necessary to understand the DMA’s core: this regulation is designed to ensure truly level digital playing fields. By targeting “gatekeeper” companies—those with immense clout in both platform and service markets—the DMA seeks to mandate interoperability, dismantle anti-competitive bundling, and end user lock-ins that have characterized much of the tech landscape for decades.
Under these stringent requirements, companies like Microsoft must offer more choices and control to their users. They’re compelled to break down barriers built into defaults, app integration, and app store practices—changes which, until now, seemed unthinkable for long-dominant operating systems such as Windows.
But these changes are not just technical tweaks. They represent a fundamental shift towards greater user agency, interoperability, and transparency in Windows. Let’s break down what’s changing, why it matters, and what risks and rewards may lie on the horizon, both for Microsoft and its growing legion of EU-based customers.
With the latest compliance update, users in the EEA who switch their default browser will truly see this preference reflected systemwide. Not only will standard HTTP and HTTPS links open in the chosen browser, but so too will historically Edge-bound file types and protocols: FTP, READ, and all key HTML/XHTML, MHTML, SVG, and XML formats. This aligns with both the letter and spirit of DMA directives, removing hidden “stickiness” that previously nudged users back toward Microsoft’s own ecosystem.
Microsoft is also introducing new entries in the settings interface: “Pin to Taskbar” and “Pin to Start” for the user’s chosen browser, as well as “Make [this app] your default .pdf app”—making it markedly easier not just to set, but also to visually reinforce, one’s preferred app choices on the desktop.
This means, for instance, that a user could install an app like DuckDuckGo or Ecosia, and have their web results appear alongside or instead of Bing’s, directly in native search experiences. Moreover, users can hand-pick which providers feed results to them, and reorder or filter these search engines in real time.
Such changes are a remarkable departure from Microsoft’s Bing-centric defaults and reflect an honest embrace of the DMA’s competition-driven ethos. By enabling real competition at the UX layer itself, Windows is—at least for European users—advancing towards a model where platform power is less about preset advantages and more about earned user trust and preference.
This fundamental de-coupling goes well beyond mere regulatory box-checking. It chips away at forced dependencies—allowing users, administrators, and even competitive app platforms to imagine a world where Windows isn’t anchored to a single, in-system “storefront.”
For enterprise IT, privacy-focused users, and open source advocates, the ability to uninstall the Store (and later reinstall if needed) delivers both operational and philosophical advantages. It lowers attack surfaces, reduces bloat, and throws open the gates for innovations in third-party app distribution on Windows.
This is no minor tweak—it’s a direct response to feedback from users, browser vendors, and regulators who argued that these loopholes represented a form of anti-competitive “hard coding.” The removal of persistent prompts urging users to set or reinstall Edge when opening it indirectly is another positive step, lowering friction and respecting consumer intent.
A single nuance remains: Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) installed from Edge will still require the presence of Edge for their operation—a design choice that offers functional continuity but may draw further regulatory scrutiny in the future, as the Commission continues to chase down residual lock-ins.
For Microsoft, maintaining dual code paths (DMA-compliant in the EEA, status quo elsewhere) may present ongoing challenges—not only in engineering, but also in managing user expectations and public perception. With tech-savvy users able to see what “full choice” looks like in Europe, there’s likely to be increased pressure on Microsoft to extend these freedoms globally.
These advances are not without risks. The potential for technical glitches, regional fragmentation, and ecosystem “gaming” are all real. Yet, the upside for users—greater choice, less lock-in, heightened security, and a more honest app experience—far outweighs the potential downsides.
As competition authorities, industry watchers, and everyday users absorb these changes, one thing is clear: the age of the immutable platform default is drawing to a close. Microsoft’s next challenge may be to demonstrate that this new openness isn’t a European experiment, but a blueprint for Windows everywhere.
For EEA users, these changes arrive as a breath of fresh air. For everyone else, they serve as both a glimpse of what’s possible and a rallying cry for a more transparent, user-driven era in operating systems. If these reforms can succeed—and set a global precedent—the future of Windows looks both more competitive and far more attuned to the needs and rights of its diverse, worldwide audience.
Source: Thurrott.com Microsoft Makes More DMA-Based Changes to Windows 10/11 in the EU
A Closer Look at the Digital Markets Act’s Demands
To appreciate the depth of Microsoft’s changes, it’s necessary to understand the DMA’s core: this regulation is designed to ensure truly level digital playing fields. By targeting “gatekeeper” companies—those with immense clout in both platform and service markets—the DMA seeks to mandate interoperability, dismantle anti-competitive bundling, and end user lock-ins that have characterized much of the tech landscape for decades.Under these stringent requirements, companies like Microsoft must offer more choices and control to their users. They’re compelled to break down barriers built into defaults, app integration, and app store practices—changes which, until now, seemed unthinkable for long-dominant operating systems such as Windows.
Microsoft’s DMA Compliance Journey: From Pledges to Action
Microsoft, unlike some of its major peers, signaled early that it would take the DMA seriously, rolling out a dedicated Digital Markets Act Compliance portal and outlining an evolving roadmap for Windows and LinkedIn. The company’s latest announcement, as reported by Thurrott and corroborated by other independent sources, adds several tangible features and freedoms for EEA users—many of which could reshape how Europeans interact with Windows daily.But these changes are not just technical tweaks. They represent a fundamental shift towards greater user agency, interoperability, and transparency in Windows. Let’s break down what’s changing, why it matters, and what risks and rewards may lie on the horizon, both for Microsoft and its growing legion of EU-based customers.
Expanded Browser Choice and Default App Flexibility
File and Link Associations: True Independence from Edge
One of the longest-running criticisms of Windows has concerned its treatment of web browsers and file associations. While users could technically set a different browser as default, the system often retained Microsoft Edge for some protocols and file types—frustrating both users and rival browser makers.With the latest compliance update, users in the EEA who switch their default browser will truly see this preference reflected systemwide. Not only will standard HTTP and HTTPS links open in the chosen browser, but so too will historically Edge-bound file types and protocols: FTP, READ, and all key HTML/XHTML, MHTML, SVG, and XML formats. This aligns with both the letter and spirit of DMA directives, removing hidden “stickiness” that previously nudged users back toward Microsoft’s own ecosystem.
Microsoft is also introducing new entries in the settings interface: “Pin to Taskbar” and “Pin to Start” for the user’s chosen browser, as well as “Make [this app] your default .pdf app”—making it markedly easier not just to set, but also to visually reinforce, one’s preferred app choices on the desktop.
Transparent Default App Management: A Usability Win
Microsoft’s previous approach to browser choice was often criticized as overly complex or even intentionally obfuscated—in some cases requiring users to change file type associations one by one, while Edge retained special privileges behind the scenes. The new, more transparent UI encourages true user freedom, directly addressing long-standing demands from both consumer advocates and browser competitors.Wider Customization in Windows Search Results
Opening Up Search: Third-Party Results and Real-Time Filtering
For years, Windows Search presented web results drawn exclusively from Microsoft’s Bing engine, regardless of user preference. The new DMA-compliant builds upend this paradigm, letting third-party search providers register with Windows Search upon installation.This means, for instance, that a user could install an app like DuckDuckGo or Ecosia, and have their web results appear alongside or instead of Bing’s, directly in native search experiences. Moreover, users can hand-pick which providers feed results to them, and reorder or filter these search engines in real time.
Such changes are a remarkable departure from Microsoft’s Bing-centric defaults and reflect an honest embrace of the DMA’s competition-driven ethos. By enabling real competition at the UX layer itself, Windows is—at least for European users—advancing towards a model where platform power is less about preset advantages and more about earned user trust and preference.
Microsoft Store: Uninstall at Will, Keep Your Updates
De-coupling the Store App from the OS
Previously, the Microsoft Store app was an unremovable component of Windows—a gatekeeper for app distribution, but also a firm lock on how apps are found, downloaded, and updated. Under the new changes for the EEA, users can now uninstall the Store app completely. Remarkably, apps that were installed via the Store continue to receive updates, ensuring user safety and software currency even in the Store’s absence.This fundamental de-coupling goes well beyond mere regulatory box-checking. It chips away at forced dependencies—allowing users, administrators, and even competitive app platforms to imagine a world where Windows isn’t anchored to a single, in-system “storefront.”
For enterprise IT, privacy-focused users, and open source advocates, the ability to uninstall the Store (and later reinstall if needed) delivers both operational and philosophical advantages. It lowers attack surfaces, reduces bloat, and throws open the gates for innovations in third-party app distribution on Windows.
Web Content and Microsoft Apps: Unbundling from Edge
Respecting User Defaults Across the Board
One of the most hotly debated Windows behaviors was its insistence that certain in-box apps (notably news-feed experiences like Bing and Start) always open web links in Edge—even when another browser was set as the default. With these latest updates, that workaround is eliminated for users in the EEA: Windows will finally respect the user’s chosen browser across all its core experiences (the exception being if Edge truly is the default).This is no minor tweak—it’s a direct response to feedback from users, browser vendors, and regulators who argued that these loopholes represented a form of anti-competitive “hard coding.” The removal of persistent prompts urging users to set or reinstall Edge when opening it indirectly is another positive step, lowering friction and respecting consumer intent.
A single nuance remains: Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) installed from Edge will still require the presence of Edge for their operation—a design choice that offers functional continuity but may draw further regulatory scrutiny in the future, as the Commission continues to chase down residual lock-ins.
Analysis: The Risks and Rewards of DMA-Fueled Windows
Notable Strengths
- Real User Empowerment
By making the above changes, Microsoft isn’t merely staying out of regulatory hot water—it’s empowering its EEA users in tangible ways. From uninstalling core apps to switching search providers and default browsers, Windows now reflects a truer version of user sovereignty. - Usability Improvements
Simplified settings for browser/file-type associations and richer pinning options reduce confusion and “dark patterns” that previously benefited Microsoft by default. Both power users and novices stand to gain from a less cluttered, more honest Windows interface. - Market Responsiveness
By moving early and transparently, Microsoft is carving out a role as a “compliance-first” gatekeeper, setting the bar for others (including Google and Apple) and potentially gaining goodwill with regulators and privacy advocates. - Technical and Security Safeguards
The update system for Store apps remains intact even if the Store itself is removed—an engineering detail that shows Microsoft is committed to not trading security for compliance.
Potential Risks and Unresolved Questions
- Fragmentation Across Regions
The DMA-mandated changes are currently limited to the EEA. This means users in the US, Asia, and other markets still face the old Windows defaults—creating a bifurcated user experience. This raises both market and support complexities, as power users begin demanding “DMA parity” worldwide. - Possible Exploitation by Bad Actors
More user choice may open doors to less scrupulous third-party apps or search providers seeking to redirect traffic or data without full transparency. While the removal of forced defaults is a win, Microsoft and regulators will need to monitor for new dark patterns from non-Microsoft actors. - Edge and PWAs: An Unresolved Reliance
The technical dependence of certain PWAs on Edge may remain a regulatory gray area. While understandable for functional reasons, it may be seen as a “legacy lock-in” preserved for competitive reasons. - Competition with Apple and Google
Microsoft’s early, holistic response to the DMA puts competitive pressure on Apple (whose iOS browser and app store policies attract considerable Commission attention) and Google (whose Android-bundling parallels Windows’ historical defaults). This could spark both productive innovation and new competitive tensions. - Performance or Compatibility Issues
Deeper customization and decoupling, while healthy from a competition standpoint, could introduce bugs or patch delays for users who remove core apps or switch default providers—especially as Windows’ ecosystem of third-party apps races to integrate with new APIs and settings.
The Global Implications: Should These Changes Roll Out Worldwide?
In the wake of these sweeping reforms, there’s an inevitable question: if greater user choice and app flexibility are deemed essential in the EEA, should users elsewhere not enjoy the same freedoms? The sentiment echoed by many tech observers, and even by Thurrott’s reporters, is that these moves represent “excellent changes that should be available to all Windows 11 users worldwide.” This call for parity is more than rhetorical; it reflects a growing belief that competition and transparency should be baseline features, not region-specific entitlements.For Microsoft, maintaining dual code paths (DMA-compliant in the EEA, status quo elsewhere) may present ongoing challenges—not only in engineering, but also in managing user expectations and public perception. With tech-savvy users able to see what “full choice” looks like in Europe, there’s likely to be increased pressure on Microsoft to extend these freedoms globally.
The Road Ahead: What to Watch For
As Microsoft continues to update its Digital Markets Act Compliance roadmap, several trends and developments need careful monitoring:- Update Cadence and Communication
As with all major Windows updates, clarity and stability are key. Microsoft’s regular progress reports and dedicated compliance portal set a positive precedent, but ongoing engagement with users and prompt response to feedback will be essential. - User Education
The power to switch search providers or uninstall core apps only matters if users know how to do so. Microsoft’s challenge will be to integrate “choice education” into both onboarding and ongoing help experiences, avoiding the pitfalls that beset even well-intentioned reforms. - Regulatory Ripple Effects
As the EU continues to refine and enforce the DMA, regulatory agencies elsewhere may look to adopt similar reforms. Already, lawmakers in the US and UK are observing the European experiment closely, especially as antitrust sentiment strengthens in their own jurisdictions. - Third-party Ecosystem Evolution
With new hooks for browsers, search providers, and app stores, Windows’ ecosystem may become both more vibrant and more contentious. Innovation from smaller players could flourish, but so could attempts to game the system—necessitating vigilant oversight. - Global Rollout?
The ultimate test for Microsoft may be whether these EEA reforms become the new global standard. If they remain Europe-only, user demands and competitive forces may push the envelope further, especially if Apple or Google are compelled to follow suit in other major markets.
Conclusion: A Meaningful Pivot for Microsoft and Windows
Microsoft’s latest DMA-driven changes to Windows 10 and 11 in the EEA mark a watershed moment—not only for digital regulation but for end-user autonomy in the world’s most widely used PC operating system. By making it possible to change defaults, uninstall core apps, and customize key platform behaviors, Microsoft is setting a public example of what compliance—and, arguably, good design—should look like in a post-DMA age.These advances are not without risks. The potential for technical glitches, regional fragmentation, and ecosystem “gaming” are all real. Yet, the upside for users—greater choice, less lock-in, heightened security, and a more honest app experience—far outweighs the potential downsides.
As competition authorities, industry watchers, and everyday users absorb these changes, one thing is clear: the age of the immutable platform default is drawing to a close. Microsoft’s next challenge may be to demonstrate that this new openness isn’t a European experiment, but a blueprint for Windows everywhere.
For EEA users, these changes arrive as a breath of fresh air. For everyone else, they serve as both a glimpse of what’s possible and a rallying cry for a more transparent, user-driven era in operating systems. If these reforms can succeed—and set a global precedent—the future of Windows looks both more competitive and far more attuned to the needs and rights of its diverse, worldwide audience.
Source: Thurrott.com Microsoft Makes More DMA-Based Changes to Windows 10/11 in the EU
