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is Asus auto driver update legit?

So I just built a new PC. Updated windows 10 for the first time, and rebooted. When I rebooted, a program popped up called Auto Driver Installer from Asus (which is my motherboard). I figured it came from a Microsoft update, launched it with admin rights, and it didn't find anything. I pinned it to the taskbar, and rebooted. However, it deleted itself and I can't find it anywhere on the computer now.

Is that normal behavior or did I just get root kitted? I have half a mind to just send it all back to newegg lol.

9 comments

altima_neo

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Asus has some shit that runs automatically, right off the motherboard.

Caught me off guard too, when my fresh install of windows ona new build suddenly had an Asus splash screen and Armory Crate auto installed.

Malix

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While you can toggle it off from bios, that switch defaults to on, and as I have an AMD board, I've had to update bios several times (early adopters, yay) so defaults get set and... yea. Hate it with a passion.

My concern is that since the installer doesn't fit on the bios image, it fetches it from the internet at some point on the boot process. To me that sounds incredibly risky, it's (possibly) just one bad dns record away from downloading and installing a malicious payload on boot, by default. And how sure can we ever be that the tiny installer snippet on the board is even legit asus installer, can a bad actor flash their own in there and then just sell the board forward?

Could we just... NOT have hardware automatically install stuff?

Tibert

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Yeah currently I have armoury crate disabled in the bios. But another s* has arised. I have an hp x27q display. The omen app from the Microsoft store is beeing installed automatically. Even after tweaking registry settings, store setting,... Can't stop the install.

So I just granted myself access to the folder, and deleted everything I could... Now it won't change my display settings by itself again.

Malix

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never even heard of omen app, but seems like total bloatware laced with datacollection (because.. .what isn't nowadays?)

The enshittification of the windows platform is on full blast. :/

Tibert

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I don't remember the name, but it's a full bloatware app, which still has some use on laptops tho.

But for a display is a total trash app.

It has less settings than the display, while overwriting them with whatever settings are available (the app doesn't even have custom rgb levels...).

With advertising for nvidia GeForce now. With settings for nvidia...(I have an amd gpu...). System management which requires special drivers... And other s*

Psythik

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My Gigabyte board does this too. Tries to install some bullshit I don't want after booting into Windows. Thankfully you can disable it in the BIOS.

ares35

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disabling is best course of action. this auto install crud that's baked-in has had vulnerabilities.

Kumabear

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it’s a thing.

Yes I hate it.

I think it can be disabled in bios.

Everything is probably fine.

Psythik

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The only drivers I install are for graphics, sound, and chipset. I download them directly from their respective websites instead of using bloatware apps to do it. I let Windows Update find the rest of the drivers. Never had an issue.