Windows boss confirms LG will remove McAfee pop-up advertising
Gamers Nexus recently demonstrated how LG’s Monitor App Installer could arrive through Windows Update and repeatedly display McAfee trial pop-ups. We covered the issue earlier this week after users reported the same behavior on systems connected to LG monitors.
Microsoft has contacted LG following complaints about McAfee trial advertisements appearing through the LG Monitor App Installer. LG has agreed to disable the pop-up as an immediate response.
The utility can be installed automatically through Windows device metadata after a compatible LG monitor is connected. Users reported that the application then displayed a McAfee promotion without them requesting additional software.
LG agrees to remove the pop-up
Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Windows and Devices, confirmed that Microsoft had discussed the issue with LG. He said LG would disable the McAfee pop-up while both companies worked to improve the experience for customers.
Thanks again for bringing this to our attention. 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. We appreciate LG working with us toward a shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers.…
— Pavan Davuluri (@pavandavuluri) July 22, 2026
LG maintains that McAfee itself was not installed automatically. The company said users still had to approve the antivirus installation and that its monitor utility did not collect or transmit personal information. The problem was that users had never asked to see the pop-up in the first place, and it was likely the last thing owners of a brand-new monitor, or even one purchased several years earlier, expected to encounter.
The complaints focused on the advertisement rather than an automatic McAfee installation. Gamers Nexus reportedly reproduced the behavior on an LG UltraGear 34GX900A-B, where the promotion appeared during 31 of 32 system boots.
App arrived through Windows Update
The LG Monitor App Installer can reach Windows systems through Microsoft’s device metadata process. This allows hardware vendors to associate applications with connected devices and distribute them automatically alongside drivers.
Windows users can remove the utility through Settings under Apps and Installed apps. Automatic device-associated application downloads can also be disabled through Group Policy, although this setting is not available on every Windows edition.
Source: Windows Latest
