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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

#141
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.

[flagged]

that's funny; because my root cause analysis didn't show the user as the person making the decision to show themselves ads? did yours, or was the victim blaming intentional?

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

#142
the paranoid part of me thinks this is a war of attrition, where if every company imaginable has to be taken to task for intrusive behavior that we'll eventually grow numb to it, or that with a large enough onslaught we'll never be able to outpace it. It's not like there is profit to be made from preventing this behavior, and incredible incentives to, at minimum, turn a blind eye.

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

#143

Workaround: gpedit.msc Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation Prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata Set to enabled OK On home editions sans gpedit.msc: sysdm.cpl Hardware tab Click Device Installation Settings Under 'Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps for your devices?', select 'No' Save Changes

> On home editions sans gpedit.msc:

I've managed to generally avoid running Windows (at home and at work) for a long time now, but if there was a situation where I needed to get a PC (at home?), is there a recommended least-sucky way of living with?

Are there editions or scripts or a setup workflow that would make it suck less?

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

#144

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…

As if the world needs more reasons to understand that windows is activly making your life worse. Step by step.

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

#145

This is an excellent use of agentic AI, btw. Fire Claude up and say, "Remove LG malware and mcafee from this computer. Make regex changes so it can't be installed again." My current windows 10 install is cleaner than any other windows machine I've ever owned due to using Claude to deep dive and rip stuff out.

> excellent use of agentic AI

you run claude code unsanboxed on your machine and give it privileged access?

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

#147
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can only conclude that Windows is basically malware now... Thank $deity I haven't used any form of Windows for 10+ years anymore.

This is one of those typical HN replies that adds absolutely nothing to the discussion.

It confirms for me that I too made the right choice and it reminds people that haven't made the jump yet that they have a choice in how their operating system treats them. I'd say it added a lot more than your comment.

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

#148
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering if we in Europe gets vastly different experience compared to Americans or elsewhere in the world. People complain about LG having ads everywhere in the monitors, displays and what not, but none of our LG products (bought and used in Spain) have any ads anywhere. I'm sitting here with a LG monitor and our main TV is a LG OLED TV, neither of them have ads anywhere, although I haven't booted Windows in a c…

> Americans are receiving more ads than in other parts of the world Ads aren't free, so yes, it would stand to reason that people in the largest consumer market in the world might garner more ad spend.

More spend doesn't equal more ads. Given a fixed number of ad spots, demand dictates the price advertisers would pay for ad placement. But ad platforms have no incentive to reduce the number of ads they show just because placement price is low; keeping ad spots around costs them nothing.

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

#149
post #36

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…

I can only conclude that Windows is basically malware now... Thank $deity I haven't used any form of Windows for 10+ years anymore.

“Now”?

This is nothing new. For about 30 years now Microsoft has been constantly repeating various flavors of this “make it so a thing can automatically and silently run programs as soon as it touches your computer” thing. It’s always done in the name of user convenience. It always ends up being a fiasco. I don’t know why they keep doing it, it’s not like the exact same PHB keeps making the same decision over and over for 30 years. It’s probably one or a combination of the many well documented flavors of stupid that are deeply baked into the company’s organizational culture.

(And before the inevitable response, no this is not defending Microsoft. Pointing out that an organization’s culture is too deeply, chronically stupid to avoid opening the exact same obvious and gaping security hole over and over and over and over again is not the same as saying, “it’s fine, actually.”)

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

#150
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...

LG TV’s are really really good. If you never connect them to the internet. And that rule should be applied to all TV’s. Use an external device like an Apple TV or a self-crafted solution (Roku, Amzn stick, etc all garbage phoning home and listening with Alexa crap)

Treat your TV like a computer monitor (ironic here in this context lol)

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