Users have discovered that branded applications are appearing through the Microsoft Store and Windows Update without the owner’s explicit consent.
Owners of certain LG and Alienware monitors have reported automatic installations of branded software in Windows without any clear user request. These programs show up via the Microsoft Store and Windows Update, and in some instances, they trigger advertising notifications from third-party services.
A Reddit user under the handle Mags_Smash related how they started receiving pop-up ads for McAfee, even though they had never installed that antivirus software. Upon investigation, they found the cause was the LG Monitor App Installer, which had appeared after connecting a new LG monitor.
According to the user, once they plugged in an LG UltraGear 27GP83B monitor and two LG UltraGear 27GN800 displays, the system automatically installed an application with the identifier “9PM9N6F47JB8-LGElectronics.LGMonitorApp.” The installation was recorded by Windows tools, specifically Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer.
After this issue was brought up, other users shared similar experiences. Several people only discovered comparable software on their machines after performing a system check. In addition to LG, owners of Dell and Alienware monitors also reported analogous behavior, comparing it to the automatic installation of the Armory Crate program on certain Asus motherboards.
Removing the LG Monitor App through the standard Microsoft Store method is not possible. One available option is to disable its automatic startup in Windows via autoload application settings. To completely block its installation, users have to modify group policy settings.
As more permanent solutions, users suggest enabling a ban on automatic downloads of applications tied to device metadata within gpedit.msc, under Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Device Installation. Another option is to fully turn off the Microsoft Store through Windows group policy settings.
Such practices have faced criticism previously with other manufacturers, such as Asus and its Armory Crate program; however, in this case, users have specifically highlighted the problem of the lack of explicit consent during installation.
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