HP quietly installs system-slowing spyware on its PCs
https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/28/hp-quietly-installs-system-slowing-spyware-on-its-pcs/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.
One complaint on the HP support site says: "It's been making my computer work so hard I can hear it like cranking away and the light in the back of my computer is flashing rapidly in-tune with the cranking. In Task Manager I can see it starting and stopping numerous applications."
It's not yet clear how the new driver is being installed. It may have come with the latest Windows updates, or via HP and its support assistant processes, but regardless, customers aren't happy. "I understand that it hoovers all sorts of telemetry data -- and I am not willing to share too much of it really, definitely not without my knowledge," says one user on HP's forums.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I noticed a marked slowdown on my HP desktop about mid Nov., but considering that I had been downloading lots of stuff, I thought maybe I was the problem. Nope, not me. Just found this mess (HP TAS) installed, but not by me. Considering how tech challenged I am, I would never have found it without this post. I am NOT a happy camper! Makes me wonder what else has been installed without my knowledge or permission.
Needless to say, I'm going to have to uninstall TAS, but what will prevent HP from reinstalling it?
There's probably an easier way. Egnever probably knows what it is.
eta: two more strategies off the top of my head - using Windows security settings to prohibit anything touching a portion of your filesystem
and also blocking certain ports that HP would use to install it with (no clue which ports those are).
Anyway, Egnever would be the person to ask.