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LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

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Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#251

Post by delta_p_delta_x »

ikidd wrote: post #229
brynnbee wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Savvy types use Linux

I've gotten to the point that if you're trying to show me something and I see you're using Windows, I just assume you're an unserious person and it's worthless. All the major tools for advanced work are Linux-based, and there's maybe a Windows version, but it's probably a kludge like Docker Desktop.

> All the major tools for advanced work are Linux-based

No, they aren't. Linux hasn't yet got anything remotely close to PDB symbol servers and WinDbg's record-replay debugging. perf is... an attempt.

Source: worked on Windows and Linux drivers and user-mode applications. Windows tooling blows the competition out of the water in actually advanced developer experience. Vim is cool to the ricing hackerman types but not people who actually earn salaries. Windows doesn't need Docker because it has a stable user-mode ABI.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#252

Post by ImPostingOnHN »

stefan_ wrote: post #206
tialaramex wrote: post #30

Assuming they don't get a revenue cut, pushing back on Microsoft can in principle be effective here. Microsoft decides what happens here, and presumably today they just take it on trust that hardware makers know what software to install. New driver? Sure. McSpam installer? OK. Maybe they have a guideline saying "Don't ship unrelated garbage" but today it's not enforced because why would you do that? If the Microsoft…

Ah, the usual take. Want to sign everything before it can run, but take responsibility for nothing. And when in doubt, well, the computer did it. When do we start calling out this crap?

You'd get better results starting a conspiracy theory about it which took hold within right-wing circles, but it's less work to just not use it.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#253

Post by thenthenthen »

15155 wrote: post #59
embedding-shape wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So because the US is the largest consumer market in the world, the TVs LG sell in the US has more ads in the UIs than TVs sold in Europe? Why would it be like that? If that theory is true, does that mean TVs sold in the European Union then have more ads than TVs sold in China, as the EU consumer market is larger than the China one?

> Why would it be like that? Ads aren't free - this isn't a "theory," it's basic economics. Cost can be political (you cause the entire EU government to outlaw the practice) or monetary. > If that theory is true, does that mean TVs sold in the European Union then have more ads than TVs sold in China Probably? The markets have little overlap, but again, this is a function of cost. Where people have more money to spend…

Living in China, in my experience there are more ads than anywhere else I have been. My TV’s homescreen is just ads, every app has constant ads after each action there is basically a popup. There are even more ‘grey area’ ads, my whole scooter and door is plastered with the same ad for borrowing money, just different color and number, but literally 40 around my front door. On the rolling shutters of stores there are hundreds of stickers offering shutter maintenance services (lol). Its fairly insane, but the overload also makes it interesting

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#254

Post by ezst »

flaunf221 wrote: post #168
RetroTechie wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can only conclude that Windows is basically malware now... Windows has worked like spyware since what, the late Windows 7 days or thereabout? End users should not regard this as inevitable. Or get caught up in the how-it-works-how-to-disable swamp. Instead, cut through to the essence. It's about respect: # Microsoft does not respect Windows users (or users of any of their offerings?). # LG does not respect people…

> why would you use such a sleazy company's product for daily driving Because alternatives are much worse or not available for scenarios people need. There, I've said the obvious.

That may sound obvious to you, but it's not for many, and this opinion of yours is shared by fewer and fewer people.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#255

Post by MatejKafka »

gkbrk wrote: post #109

A monitor cannot install software on your computer by the way. It's Windows installing this software automatically (for some reason), so the blame should be on Microsoft. Autorun of malware when you plugged in a USB drive was also a Windows issue, I'd classify this as the same security problem.

> Autorun of malware when you plugged in a USB drive was also a Windows issue, I'd classify this as the same security problem.

Not really. AutoRun ran whatever was on the USB drive, with no oversight. This installs a driver from a company that's supposed to be reputable enough to get their driver signed by MS and pass validation. LG breached that trust here.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#256

Post by CrimsonRain »

Gud wrote: post #146

Not surprised. My wife CONVINCED me to buy an LG tv instead of my typical dumb monitor. Now I get constant ads and a constant nagging of updates available, that will install more ads and spying features...

Update firmware.

Turn off LIVE PLUS

block internet for the tv from router

Enjoy.

That's what I have been doing for years.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#257

Post by regexorcist »

999900000999 wrote: post #230
regexorcist wrote: post #166

Seriously, why use Windows in 2026? Such a hideous OS and ecosystem with endless malware, backdoors, and dark patterns.

Linux is great if you win the hardware support lottery. I've had several laptops where audio just doesn't work even on rolling releases. Or the screen freezing up constantly. This was all with relatively new hardware within the last year or so. My issue with the Linux community is if you bring this up it's all of a sudden the fault of everyone but Linux. The end user should of picked better hardware. The hardware OEM…

> Linux is great if you win the hardware support lottery.

This is fairly easy to do by just not buying the absolute latest hardware. Installing something like Fedora in a 8-12 month old laptop I just can't recall last time I had issues.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#258

Post by MatejKafka »

regexorcist wrote: post #166

Seriously, why use Windows in 2026? Such a hideous OS and ecosystem with endless malware, backdoors, and dark patterns.

You know why desktop Linux doesn't have much malware? Because ~no one uses it. That's it. Once you get users, you get malware.

The rest of your comment is just as ignorant.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#259

Post by kjs3 »

orbital-decay wrote: post #128
devttyeu wrote: post #20

This is so much worse that the title makes it out to be: 1. Your OS installs malware (technically manufacturers software) from a 3rd party vendor in background, zero user interaction 2. Happens as soon as you or anyone with physical access plug in a device into the HDMI port 3. That malware has internet and full system access, no sandboxing 4. It starts with every system boot 5. This software gets installed when you…

>This situation has.. no precedent as far as I can tell.. Printer, mouse, tablet and display tablet makers use this to insert their crapware since at least Windows Vista or Windows 7, I think. The last one I remember is plugging a Razer mouse just to watch it instantly pulling 1.5GB of bloated junk with "telemetry" exfiltrating the data from my gaming PC in realtime. At least it doesn't leave my mouse in a non-workin…

The last one I remember is plugging a Razer mouse

Oh, yeah. Bought this overpriced but heavily hyped Razer mouse and it wouldn't even work right until it had an internet connection. A MOUSE. I'd never encountered something so blatantly customer hostile in my life. Never even looked at another Razer product, never will, and will tell anyone who will listen that Razer is a terrible company full of objectively terrible people.

Re: LG monitors silently install software through Windows Update without consent

#260

Post by tosti »

necovek wrote: post #188
ihsw wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have been reading the news about Windows 11 then I will enlighten you -- they view the Windows 11 consumer business as a cost center that must be mitigated. As such, all manner of monetization has been approved and it will continued to be approved without regard for user experience. This article obviates that this is not an LG problem, it is a Microsoft problem. Also, don't fool yourself if you think this won'…

As long as you have a computer that can run unsigned software, or software signed by yourself, this won't come to Linux as non-optional features: you can always recompile your kernel removing things you do not want like this.

And before anyone goes "but I can't patch that!", all it takes is one clever guy to write the patch.

This is also why the bazaar model of Linux distributions is beneficial. You get more choice.

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