Technology and Science23 July, 20263 min read
Microsoft Forces LG To Disable McAfee Pop-Up Ads On Windows 11 UltraGear Monitors
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LG Monitor App Installer installs via Windows Update with monitor drivers and McAfee ads. Microsoft pressured LG to disable the McAfee pop-up on affected monitors.
McAfee Pop-Up Backlash
Microsoft intervened after reports that some LG UltraGear monitors were installing an “LG Monitor App Install” program without permission once connected to a Windows PC, with the program showing a pop-up ad for McAfee’s Scam Detector software. PCMag Australia reported that Gamers Nexus said at least eight LG UltraGear monitors were doing this, and that a Microsoft executive reached out to LG to pull the plug after the issue was flagged on Reddit.
In a statement tied to the dispute, Microsoft EVP for Windows and Devices Pavan Davuluri said, "We’ve connected with the team at LG, and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app," while LG told Windows Latest that “McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user’s explicit consent.” Ars Technica described how the LG Monitor App Installer installs itself through a Windows Update alongside monitor driver updates, then pushes ads for a 30-day free trial for McAfee via a pop-up on affected systems, with editor-in-chief Steve Burke saying the pop-up appeared “on every single boot.”
Timeline and Public Voices
Windows Latest tied the escalation to a July 17 Reddit screenshot of the LG Monitor App Installer pop-up, which warned: “PSA: Do NOT buy an LG monitor, it automatically downloaded an app that gives me pop ups for their own apps and McAfee. This cant be legal.”
Two days later, on July 19, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney replied in the thread by tagging Windows boss Pavan Davuluri, writing “Many reports of this occurring with arbitrary hardware.”
Davuluri responded a few hours later with “Thanks, Tim. The team is looking into it.” and then followed up days later by confirming Microsoft had contacted LG and that LG agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from the app.
Ars Technica added that Microsoft’s representative said the LG Monitor App Installer will no longer show pop-up ads for McAfee, while also noting that the removal of McAfee “doesn’t address the problem of a peripheral installing ad-pushing software onto people’s computers.”
What’s at Stake Next
LG’s defense, repeated across outlets, insisted that “McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user’s explicit consent,” and that the LG Monitor App Installer is distributed through Microsoft’s official Windows distribution process, which included McAfee as an option. TechRadar described a workaround that involves using gpedit.msc to enable “Prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata,” aiming to stop unwanted applications from being installed when devices like LG monitors connect.
“En 32 reinicios consecutivos, el anuncio de McAfee apareció 31 veces.”
Profesional Review said Gamers Nexus tested an LG UltraGear 34GX900A-B priced at 1.200 dólares and found that in 32 consecutive reboots the McAfee ad appeared 31 times, while also pointing to LG release notes that mention the antivirus as an “aplicación adicional.” Ars Technica framed the ongoing stakes by reporting that even after Microsoft pushed LG to disable the McAfee pop-up, the broader issue remained that a connected peripheral could install ad-pushing software via Windows Update, with the app also capable of showing ads for LG software such as LG Switch and LG Calibration Studio.