[gblargg]

Wait, you're saying a monitor can just advertise a URL over the video connection for its driver and then Windows will blindly install it, without user confirmation? I thought that LG had submitted these "drivers" (adware) to Microsoft and they approved it.

[Sophira]

As far as I'm aware, the monitor does not transmit a URL. Windows is looking at the hardware's vendor and device IDs and using those to look up and download the "drivers" that LG has stated are for that device.

[stkdump]

I think the point is that:

1. Yes Windows must have "approved" the drivers

2. Windows Update runs automatically and not (usually) manually

3. Automatic update can't even be disabled, only manually postponed a bit

At least 2 and 3 are different on virtually every Linux distro. Also, I find it very unlikely that they would accept such behavior.

To give MS the benefit of the doubt here, now that this happened and has been reported on they might decide to enforce stricter rules on manufacturers in the future. But as a Windows user you don't have a choice in case you don't like how they decide and how their decisions might change again later.

[dmos62]

https://github.com/raphire/win11debloat

This has an option to disable downloading of auxiliary apps when a device is connected. Yes, it's a Windows Update thing.

> Prevent Windows from auto-installing device companion apps, like LG Monitor App, Alienware Command Center and more.

[tosti]

Neat codebase, well structured imho.

Here's the thing it does: https://github.com/Raphire/Win11Debloat/blob/master/Regfiles...

[bayindirh]

I believe you register your device with Microsoft so Windows can automatically obtain and install drivers for them when they are plugged in.

What LG sent in for installation is not a simple .inf or .sys/.dll file. They sent in a whole bag of software which does all the nasty things, and Microsoft doesn't vet or care about the software installed as the "driver" of the hardware.

[debugnik]

This is actually a feature of the .inf by design, an AddSoftware directive. It can even link to apps from the store instead of bundling them with the driver. This is designed to install settings panels like the ones for GPUs.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/i...

I guess that from Microsoft's perspective, the driver itself wasn't suspicious, but it installs a questionable sidecar app they would have never vetted anyway.

[ssl-3]

Eh? No.

It's just a device attached to a computer.

But in a Plug-and-Play world, its addition is noticed by the operating system -- as has been normal for decades.

Microsoft's Windows operating system sees this new hardware ID and then goes forth to install whatever-the-fuck software it associates with that identification, presumably as a service to the user. (Did Microsoft approve it? Dunno. I'm just over hear eating popcorn.)

[gblargg]

> Eh? No.

That's what I thought. It is vetted software, just like on Linux. Microsoft just doesn't care if it shows ads.

[ssl-3]

That's an excellent and terrific point. In this way, the dichotomy between Windows and Linux can be as if they're just two sides of the same "vetted" coin.