HP quietly installs spyware on its PCs | Engadget Today

[froggyboy604]

Customers say the driver is being installed without their permission.

Lenovo has only just settled a massive $3.5 million fine for preinstalling adware on laptops without users' consent, and now it seems HP is getting in on the stealth installation action, too. According to numerous reports gathered by Computer World, the brand is deploying a telemetry client on customer computers without asking permission.

The software -- first identified on November 15 -- is called "HP Touchpoint Analytics Service" and appears to replace the self-managed HP Touchpoint Manager solution. According to the official productivity description, it features "the tools you need to ensure all your managed devices' security -- and brings you greater peace of mind". The problem is, it's installing itself without permission and is wreaking havoc on customers' systems.

HP needs to listen to its users that they don't want spyware, and bloatware. I wonder can users sue HP for installing spyware on their PC without permission.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

Rather troubling news, will have to look into this more.

 

[テクニカル諏訪子]

They did this multiple times before.
And since HP is a budget brand, things like this have to be expected to happen. ヽ(´ー｀)ノ

 

[froggyboy604]

It is disappointing that budget brands secretly install spyware on users computer.

I think it is best to build your own computer, or buy a computer with no operating system, so you install Windows or Linux from the install disc or drive, so bloatware and spyware is less likely to be secretly installed on your computer.

 

[テクニカル諏訪子]

That's not entire true actually.
It's still possible to install spyware that can operate independently from an operating system, either installed on the BIOS, EFI, UEFI, or even directly on a hardware component (built-in microphones or cameras are particularly popular in this case).
This has been revealed in Vault 7 leaks before, so it has been in the news quite some times before about how companies turned the PCs they sold into surveillance tools.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

This would explain why their hardware fails. We had a laptop of theirs for sale in our local store and a lot of them had their keyboards fail.

 

[froggyboy604]

That's not entire true actually.
It's still possible to install spyware that can operate independently from an operating system, either installed on the BIOS, EFI, UEFI, or even directly on a hardware component (built-in microphones or cameras are particularly popular in this case).
This has been revealed in Vault 7 leaks before, so it has been in the news quite some times before about how companies turned the PCs they sold into surveillance tools.

I agree, a worker or government which has access to the motherboard factory can infect the BIOS or UEFI, and hardware components like the CPU, or sound card.

For the typical user, building a PC or buying a PC without an operating system may decrease their chances of getting as many spyware which are installed in Windows.

This would explain why their hardware fails. We had a laptop of theirs for sale in our local store and a lot of them had their keyboards fail.

I think the HP loaded spyware or bloatware software can make the system's CPU and RAM run at the maximum speed for a long time may make chips and parts for the keyboard fail from heat damage from the CPU, RAM, and battery working very hard for long amounts of time.

 

[Danielx64]

They did this multiple times before.
And since HP is a budget brand, things like this have to be expected to happen. ヽ(´ー｀)ノ

I didn't think that HP was a budget brand, I thought that they were good. With that said, I will keep an eye out though.

 

[froggyboy604]

I didn't think that HP was a budget brand, I thought that they were good. With that said, I will keep an eye out though.

HP does have many budget models like the HP Stream 11/14, cheap Windows 10 tablets, and Chromebooks with Intel Celeron and Atom CPUs. HP also has a lot of budget models with Intel Pentiums and Core i3s,

A lot of HP computers had a lot of trial software/bloatware on them, so HP can make money from somr people who choose to subscribe to Paid Trial antivirus and MS Office 365 once the free trial is over. The trial antivirus and other trial software may also pay money to HP to bundle their software on HP computers, so HP can afford to sell computers at a cheaper price, or at a loss/no profit.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

Do you have an article source that would highlight the drivers that need to be watched out for? I setup HPs all the time and I like to check this out.

 

[froggyboy604]

Do you have an article source that would highlight the drivers that need to be watched out for? I setup HPs all the time and I like to check this out.

In my experience of setting up and using a few HP computers, the hardware drivers from the HP website works good enough, and are more reliable than downloading drivers from the maker of the hardware chip like Realtek, Intel, and Nvidia.

But, the bundled HP System Utility programs like HP support assistant are not good to use, install un-needed programs on a PC, and can be slow at times.

 

[Danielx64]

This is worth reading: Remove HP's Telemetry program HP Touchpoint Manager on Windows 10

 

[Demon_Skeith]

ahh, just all the HP bloatware. We do that a lot, if not just wipe the current OS.

 

[froggyboy604]

ahh, just all the HP bloatware. We do that a lot, if not just wipe the current OS.

When doing a clean install of Windows, do you also sell a new retail version of the Windows 10 install disc or USB drive, or just re-use the license key which come with the computer?

 

[Danielx64]

When doing a clean install of Windows, do you also sell a new retail version of the Windows 10 install disc or USB drive, or just re-use the license key which come with the computer?

No you can just use the key/license that comes with the laptop. No need to sell new license or anything like that.

 

[テクニカル諏訪子]

Unless you come across a laptop that doesn't provide you a license key, which by the way is terribly common these days.

And to add: the use of the license key that comes with a computer is legally only valid on that particular computer.
You can use it on other machines too, but that's really considered piracy.
The reason is because the license is an OEM license, which costs less than a retail license, but in return is designated to only the PC it comes with.
And OEM licenses are normally sold to PC manufacturers, not directly to customers.

 

[froggyboy604]

No you can just use the key/license that comes with the laptop. No need to sell new license or anything like that.

Some stores may still sell a install disc for Windows to earn more money, or the customer wants an install disc to install Windows from the install disc if they need to like when their PC is heavily infected with a virus.

 

[Danielx64]

Some stores may still sell a install disc for Windows to earn more money, or the customer wants an install disc to install Windows from the install disc if they need to like when their PC is heavily infected with a virus.

Yes, Dell or HP will sell you a set of recovery discs if you are paying for it. There also a thing called a recovery partition and that is hidden from most people.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

When doing a clean install of Windows, do you also sell a new retail version of the Windows 10 install disc or USB drive, or just re-use the license key which come with the computer?

You can get a free copy of W10 off of a MS site pretty easy and just burn a iso disc which he use. Thankfully all W10 machines come with their key burned into the mother board so it's just a simple process of throwing the OS on.

No you can just use the key/license that comes with the laptop. No need to sell new license or anything like that.

Pretty hard to sell one as well as you need to go through a online place to get it done.

Some stores may still sell a install disc for Windows to earn more money, or the customer wants an install disc to install Windows from the install disc if they need to like when their PC is heavily infected with a virus.

Far as I know, no store actually carries a install disc anymore.

Yes, Dell or HP will sell you a set of recovery discs if you are paying for it. There also a thing called a recovery partition and that is hidden from most people.

Not that it works, I use the W10 recovery features a lot and it rarely works.

 

[Danielx64]

Not that it works, I use the W10 recovery features a lot and it rarely works.

Once I used the recovery partition form HP and it didn't work, I used a restore disk from Dell and it works. I also used restore disks from Lenovo and they works (at the time), so I think it hit and miss really.