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Windows Store auto-installs adware with new hardware

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

Users are encountering unwanted adware, specifically McAfee advertisements, being automatically installed via Windows installers through the Microsoft Store. This issue appears when connecting new hardware, such as LG monitors, with the "LG Monitor App Installer" appearing in startup apps without user consent. Other manufacturers like Alienware and Samsung have also been reported to engage in similar "ghost installs," raising concerns about Microsoft's policies on automatically downloading software and the potential for exploitation. AI

IMPACT This issue highlights potential vulnerabilities in software distribution and installation practices, impacting user experience and trust in hardware manufacturers and operating systems.

RANK_REASON This is a report about unwanted software installations bundled with hardware drivers, not a new product release or core AI development.

Read on Tom's Hardware →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Windows Store auto-installs adware with new hardware

How we ranked this

Signal score
0 / 100
Composite score across the factors below. Higher = stronger signal that this story matters right now.
Newsworthiness bucket
Tool
This is a report about unwanted software installations bundled with hardware drivers, not a new product release or core AI development.
Source corroboration
Single-source cluster
Only one publisher covered this so far. Single-source stories can still rank when the publisher is high-authority, but they lack cross-source corroboration.
Topics
product, policy
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AI-industry relevance
Low
Off-topic or adjacent — cluster remains reachable but doesn't surface in AI-industry rankings.
Story freshness
93 days old
Aged out of breaking-news scoring windows; ranking reflects the durable signal from the full source set.

Full methodology in our editorial standards.

COVERAGE [1]

  1. Tom's Hardware TIER_1 English(EN) · Hassam Nasir ·

    Companies are now using automatic Windows installers to display Adware through the Microsoft Store when you install new hardware — customer immediately gets McAfee ads on their PC after connecting new LG monitor; here's how to block the new ads

    LG monitors apparently auto-install an app on your PC when you first connect them, all thanks to the Microsoft Store.

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