MicrosoftSettings.exe: Windows 11 App Prompts Bing Switch
MicrosoftSettings.exe is a new Windows 11 app that prompts users to install the Bing extension in Chrome and Brave. Learn how to block it effectively.
Check your Windows 11 Downloads folder. Microsoft has deployed a standalone application whose highly specific purpose is to prompt users into switching to Bing—even if you have already set Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Brave as your default browser.
Officially titled "Microsoft Recommended Search Settings," this 22.2 MB installer is deceptively named MicrosoftSettings.exe. While it mimics a standard Windows system update, its real job is entirely different. It exists solely to prompt users to install a Bing extension, switch their search engine, and funnel them into the Microsoft Rewards program.
According to deep-dive findings first reported by Windows Latest, a software tester named Xeno Panther discovered this executable hosted directly on Microsoft’s official download servers, bypassing the standard Windows Update channels.
It is important to clarify that this is not a forced, zero-click installation. When MicrosoftSettings.exe attempts to add the extension, modern browsers like Google Chrome and Brave interrupt the process with severe security warnings, as the extension requests powerful permissions to read and change all data on websites you visit.
