ASUS Z390 Motherboards Automatically Push Software into Your Windows Installation

[R-T-B]

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The potential for it to be exploited could present a risk of exposing one's personal data and online habits.

Yes, but that is certainly not the core issue. The core issue is persistent unrequested software installation.

 

[lexluthermiester]

persistent unrequested software installation.

Persistent, unrequested and unwanted software installation. It's very similar to the unwanted(and unremovable unless you root) bloatware that comes on phones.

 

[R-T-B]

Persistent, unrequested and unwanted software installation. It's very similar to the unwanted(and unremovable unless you root) bloatware that comes on phones.

Even if it was wanted... choice should come first. We don't want to become like the cell phone market, exactly.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Even if it was wanted... choice should come first.

Very much agreed. No manufacturer has the right to install anything without user knowledge.

 

[ty_ger]

No?

Look it up. ASUS entered a partnership with GIGABYTE for GIGABYTE to manufacture ASUS motherboards. GIGABYTE is one of the few companies which actually manufactures motherboards. The majority of the rest contract to companies like Foxconn.

 

[R-T-B]

Look it up. ASUS entered a partnership with GIGABYTE for GIGABYTE to manufacture ASUS motherboards. GIGABYTE is one of the few companies which actually manufactures motherboards. The majority of the rest contract to companies like Foxconn.

Didn't know, will have to google when I get home.

EDIT: From what I read, it sounds more like ASUS is manufacturing GIGABYTE boards. ASUS is also an OEM BTW (Used to be much bigger when they owned Pegatron).

 

[holyprof]

Interesting. Doesn't GIGABYTE manufacture ASUS's motherboards? Yes.

As much as I dislike the new, post year 2002 ASUS, it's one of the biggest PC parts manufacturer and even split into 2 different ones (Asus and AsRock) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASRock#History
So yes, they make their motherboards and even made (and probably still do) laptop motherboards for different brands. My old toshiba laptop (from 2006) had an Asus motherboard in it.

 

[Turmania]

They should give users the choice to enable or disable it. If not fine them.

 

[hat]

They should give users the choice to enable or disable it. If not fine them.

That's what I was saying. There's an option for it, but it's enabled by default, and it automatically pushes the files when enabled. I think it should be a one-time option when exiting setup... "Reboot & Install" with further options to install everything (ASUS Armoury Crate) or just drivers.

 

[lexluthermiester]

There's an option for it, but it's enabled by default, and it automatically pushes the files when enabled.

Still, this kind of thing is very unsettling and has huge potential for abuse. Very much against it. Yet another thing to check against when shopping for hardware. ASUS and Gigabyte are now off my lists.

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

Wow... seems OEMs are getting desperate to "simplify end user's hassle" by using this kind of method, eh? This is a big finding. And I thought that bloatware is bad enough... OEMs are even putting an automated process that installs those crap without network & user's consent.

 

[GC_PaNzerFIN]

Can't afford to put that <1GB USB stick with network drivers on the box with that 300-500 bucks motherboard. Nope.
They rather install crap on your PC from UEFI without asking for it.

I stopped buying and recommending Gigabyte boards when they started not giving a flying duck about their BIOSes and solely relied on high-end Asus boards, but oh boy are they making it harder to recommend every day over this kind of BS things.

 

[micropage7]

Looks like I won't be buying Asus motherboards if this is common practice then. Out of general principle. I am not paranoid or anything, but I absolutely despise shit being installed without my consent or even knowledge.

agree, at least give some notification or option which one that user want to install

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

Guess every system builder is gonna go to the UEFI & disable such features if they want a clean install of Windows & not getting those "intrusive" greetings that OEM vendors have been putting in.

 

[Viking73]

I'm aghast that Windows provides this driver 'auto-load' feature for any motherboard that exposes a 'WPBT' in its UEFI. Asus is just leveraging a UEFI and Windows feature:

The ASUS UEFI firmware exposes an ACPI table to Windows 10, called "WPBT" or "Windows Platform Binary Table". WPBT is used in the pre-built OEM industry, and is referred to as "the Vendor's Rootkit." Put simply, it is a script that makes Windows copy data from the BIOS to the System32 folder on the machine and execute it during Windows startup - every single time the system is booted.

I don't think this feature should be automatically enabled in retail versions of Windows. If the UEFI has drivers to install then Windows should ask for your permission first. Unfortunately, its probably necessary to enable it in OEM windows to meet the goals of the pre-built OEM PC industry.

Yet another reason to use Linux...

 

[hat]

Can't afford to put that <1GB USB stick with network drivers on the box with that 300-500 bucks motherboard. Nope.
They rather install crap on your PC from UEFI without asking for it.

I stopped buying and recommending Gigabyte boards when they started not giving a flying duck about their BIOSes and solely relied on high-end Asus boards, but oh boy are they making it harder to recommend every day over this kind of BS things.

Why, though, when you can just load from UEFI which already exists and is large enough to accommodate? Including an unnecessary USB stick would be wasteful on many levels. How many old driver CDs do you think have been dumped in the garbage all over the world? It's a good idea, but implemented all wrong. You should have to explicitly tell the UEFI to do this.

 

[lexluthermiester]

You should have to explicitly tell the UEFI to do this.

While this is a good point, it's still a bad idea that has the potential for serious abuse!

 

[hat]

As do all things... but it could be neat if done right.

 

[lexluthermiester]

but it could be neat if done right.

Technologically, heck yes that is a very cool idea.

 

[Hockster]

My Crosshair VII Hero has the same thing with a fresh install.

 

[Manoa]

this is like the management engine, which exists since core 2 and it is a much bigger threat than this.
this you at least know about and have control to disable in BIOS or delete the files, with ME you got no control at all.

 

[bb1000]

When was virus made. It had already happened

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a...auto-update-virus-researchers-warn-2019-03-25

 

[R-T-B]

this is like the management engine, which exists since core 2 and it is a much bigger threat than this.
this you at least know about and have control to disable in BIOS or delete the files, with ME you got no control at all.

Believe me, I'm well aware. The Intel ME needs to die as does all "security subsystems" not under direct user control (Yes, AMD has one too).

 

[lexluthermiester]

Believe me, I'm well aware. The Intel ME needs to die as does all "security subsystems" not under direct user control (Yes, AMD has one too).

This! Yes! A Thousand times yes!

 

[John Naylor]

1. I always install windows when not connected to the network so I can prevent Windows from doing this.

2. There should be a warning sticker on the manual cover

3. Don't see why everyone doesn't do it the Autodesk way .... when you get a system crash, there's a pop up that says to the effect ... "The program has crashed. You file with all progress up to the moment of crash can be recovered by restarting the program and using the "Drawing Recovery Manager". If you'd like to send us information on what caused the crash, hit yes."

Interesting. Doesn't GIGABYTE manufacture ASUS's motherboards? Yes.

Not to my knowledge ... Pegatron owns several divisions that used to belong to Asus and still performs services designs and builds products for Asus:

Pagatron aquired AsRock in 2010 shortly before it was spun off from Asus.

Pegatron acquired Unihan Corporation from Asus in January 2008. Since then, the Unihan Corporation has been a subsidiary of Pegatron Corporation that designs and manufactures computers, peripherals, and audio-video products .

Asus Laptops are made by Pegatron

PEGA Design and Engineering is Pegatron's design team that used to be the Asus design team. The PEGA D&E helps Pegatron's clients (including Asus) do product development, market research, conceptualization, product design, materials study and production.

For a time, Pegatron was handling Asus' Tech Support and RMA processes .... I believe this stopped around 2015 as emails on Asus TS inquiries that I get no longer come from Pegatron.com

PEGA CASA design team (again formerly the Asus design team) does design for notebooks, smartphone, e-books, network communication equipment, displays, projectors, cleaning robots, home appliances , fashion and vehicle accessories), building interior design and building materials, multimedia ads and marketing and spo on.

This isn't even a privacy issue really, so unsure why people keep going there...

Regardless, privacy is still managable to a limited extent if you know how.

No?

I understand the concern.... If my neighbor asks to borrow my lawnmower, I'll say grab it , its in the garage and he does... I'm fine with that. If he takes it without my knowledge or consent, then Im pissed.

Asus used to do this very well ... along with many other things. Not so much anymore. Provide a DVD or USB stick which instals a set up utility ONLY. Uon installation, it opens a small window (1 of 4) ... the 1st thing in that window should be an option to a) Install PDF Reader and b) "Open Manual". The 2nd window should be a drop down listing all drivers with checkboxes so you can install what ya want. Clicking on each driver should open a description of the driver, what it does and potential issues. The 3rd window should be all utilities w/ same features as above. The 4th window should have TS info.

Opening the setup utility at any time should present that same page 2 / 3 where the same check boxes are present listing each driver with 2 columns of checkboxes

A) Installed .... driver version listed for each installed driver
B) Upgrade Available ... list new driver version

With a check in the box, it's installed when ya hit "Install / Uninstall All Items" button... unchecked boxes get uninstalled.