All articles tagged with #lg monitor app installer
Microsoft intervened after LG’s Monitor App Installer automatically installed software and displayed McAfee ads, leading LG to agree to remove the McAfee promotion from the Windows Store app. The episode highlights how Windows’ Universal Windows Platform auto-install feature can surprise users, a practice used by other hardware makers as well (Razer, Logitech, Asus, Gigabyte).
LG’s Monitor App Installer, which some LG gaming monitors install via Windows Update, is pushing McAfee ads (and occasional LG apps) on startup. After scrutiny, Microsoft said LG would disable the McAfee pop-up, highlighting broader worries about perimeter devices automatically installing software and potentially collecting data without explicit user consent. LG’s role and the scope of affected models remain under discussion as users report long-running ad prompts.
LG’s monitor app updater uses Windows’ device metadata to silently install software via Windows Update, with LG’s changelog mentioning McAfee as an added app and a 30‑day trial, effectively serving adware without user consent. Microsoft’s Store policy notes the automatic app installation is by design. Users can block it via Group Policy or uninstall the app, but the incident highlights a broader OEM practice of bundling software through the update pipeline on Windows. There are no public statements from Microsoft or LG at the time of writing.
The Verge reports that when a new LG UltraGear monitor is connected to a PC running Windows 11, Windows Update silently installs LG driver updates and the LG Monitor App Installer, which by default pushes LG’s own apps and McAfee antivirus pop-ups without any permission prompt. Microsoft’s documentation warns that auto-installation can occur without user notice, and users have found ways to block it (e.g., via group policy or Windows settings), raising privacy concerns about data collection tied to the installer.