Check your Windows 11 Start menu for an HP app thats mysteriously installing itself without permission

Date:
Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:23:35 +0000

Description:
HP Smart app has gone rogue, apparently, and is installing itself from the Microsoft Store.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Windows 11 and Windows 10 users are reportedly experiencing a puzzling situation whereby an unwanted HP app is being installed on their systems without their knowledge.

Windows Latest flagged up this rather peculiar problem that affected the writers PC, as well as others according to reports.

The application in question is HP Smart, and were told its being errantly installed from the Microsoft Store. Its an app which allows for controlling
HP printers or MFDs ( multifunction devices that also scan ), and its being installed on non-HP PCs and also those not connected to an HP printer, which is pretty mystifying.

It isnt clear why this installation is happening, but there are reports of it occurring on Windows 11 23H2 , 22H2, and Windows 10 (on Reddit and elsewhere, as well as from Windows Latest).

Windows Latest has been in touch with Microsoft about the problem, and the software giant said it was aware of these reports, and will be in touch soon to share further details on the matter. Analysis: Not so smart move

This is an odd one, for sure, but it seems Microsoft has an investigation underway and well get the results of that soon enough. Stay tuned.

If youre curious about whether youve been affected, you can just jump into
the Start menu and scroll down to the H section of the app list to see if HP Smart is present. If so, the cure is simple enough just right click on the entry for the app, and select uninstall. (The app may also be present under the recently added section at the top of the menu).

Whether the app could end up being installed again after you remove it isnt made clear. At any rate, wed imagine Microsoft will have the solution to this one before long.

It should be noted that in the past thereve been complaints of the HP Smart app being installed on PCs when people have, for example, taken their
computer to a friends house and gone on a network that has an HP printer. In other words, Windows detects the presence of the HP printer and then automatically grabs the app. So perhaps whats going on here is a false detection of HP hardware triggering the installation, but were just guessing here.

Really, there should never be a case where software is installed without the users knowledge, and there should always be a prompt to show whats about to happen, and to check that its okay to go ahead with the installation. You might also like... Microsoft rolled out the last big Windows 11 update before Windows 12 Copilot AI could soon be available to a lot more Windows 11 users Dont make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/check-your-windows-11-start-menu-f or-an-hp-app-thats-mysteriously-installing-itself-without-permission


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)