LG monitors are installing unwanted software on their owners’ PCs without their consent, taking advantage of the Windows Update mechanism to distribute promotional applications. The practice has been confirmed by the well-known outlet Gamers Nexus, which reproduced the behavior with an LG UltraGear 34GX900A-B monitor.
How silent installation works
The problem is triggered when you connect a compatible LG monitor to a Windows PC. According to the investigation, Windows Update automatically downloads and installs LG extension packages and software components. About a minute later, the “LG Monitor App Installer” appears installed on the system, without any consent window having been shown or user approval requested.
The installed software promotes subscriptions to McAfee, the well-known antivirus. The installation happens in the background, without the user having to click anything or accept any agreement.
It is not an isolated case
Although LG is the most prominent name in this news, several users on Hacker News have pointed out that other manufacturers such as Razer, Logitech or Nvidia also include additional software packages in their drivers distributed through Windows Update. The difference is that LG’s case has drawn particular attention because monitors are not usually considered devices that need to install applications on the system.
How to protect your PC
Fortunately, there is a simple way to prevent Windows Update from installing manufacturer applications without our permission. There are two methods, depending on the edition of Windows you have:
Method 1: Group Policy Editor (Windows Pro/Enterprise)
- Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
- Go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation
- Search for “Do not download drivers from Windows Update” – or, in this case, look for “Prevent the automatic download of applications associated with device metadata”
- Enable it and click OK
Method 2: System configuration (all editions, including Windows Home)
- Open system properties (sysdm.cpl)
- Go to the Hardware tab
- Click on “Device Installation Settings”
- Select “No” on the option “Do you want to automatically download manufacturers’ apps for your devices?”
- Save the changes
What does LG say?
As of the time of writing this article, LG has not officially commented on this practice. Nor is it known whether the company plans to modify this behavior in future updates. What is clear is that installing promotional software without explicit consent brushes against (when it does not directly cross) the line of what is acceptable in terms of privacy and security.
Conclusion
LG’s practice is a reminder that even the most passive hardware – a monitor – can become a vector for installing unwanted software if the manufacturer so decides. Reviewing Windows’ device installation settings should be a mandatory step for any user concerned with keeping their system free of bloatware.
