I got a virus from HP

[Envergure]

When my friend who has an HP Pavillion laptop plugged his Flash drive into my computer something called HPLIP Toolbox was installed on my system without my knowledge.

[MaxIBoy]

Complain.

[LaRoza]

When my friend who has an HP Pavillion laptop plugged his Flash drive into my computer something called HPLIP Toolbox was installed on my system without my knowledge.

Are you sure?

HPLIP is the printer software that Linux uses for many printers. Distros have it a lot.

Are you using Linux? Was the HP laptop running Linux?

[Grant A.]

HPLIP is installed by default on *buntu installations.

[OutOfReach]

Doesn't HPLIP provide drivers for printing in Linux for HP printers?

[I-75]

The only flash drives I ever use are from Micro Center. There are no added programs, rootkits, enhancements or anything. Just format it when you get it and you are good to go and they are dirt cheap. I tried another flash drive and it added some "features" I didn't want in my Windows XP computer.

[Grant A.]

I tried another flash drive and it added some "features" I didn't want in my Windows XP computer.

OT:

How is that not illegal?

[Envergure]

@MaxlBoy: I did.
@LaRosa: It was never there before. Yes, the HP laptop was running Ubuntu 8.04
@T-75: Reminds me of when Logitech installed stuff on Macs with their mouse drivers.

[zmjjmz]

HPLIP comes with Ubuntu.

[wolfen69]

HPLIP is installed by default on *buntu installations.

yes, but not "HPLIP Toolbox". you have to install that.

[blatestblabla]

When my friend who has an HP Pavillion laptop plugged his Flash drive into my computer something called HPLIP Toolbox was installed on my system without my knowledge.
Were you running this in Windows or Linux?

I find it hard to believe HP would have even bothered spending the time to develop the means to install some extra tool in Linux and embed it on their flash drives. Maybe Windows, but not Linux.

[macogw]

yes, but not "HPLIP Toolbox". you have to install that.

Er, unless you did an upgrade at some point. Until Hardy, it was included by default. It could also have been a dependency for something else you installed. For example, if you installed KDE, it would've been automatically added.

[ad_267]

Reminds me of my Sandisk U3 cruzer micro (long name I know). It had an annoying extra partition with software that would run every time it was put on a Windows computer. The only way to remove it was to download a tool from the sandisk website (gparted might have helped too, I didn't try though). Then when you try to download the removal tool they try to convince you that you really do want their annoying software and ask why you're removing it before you an get the download.

[macogw]

Reminds me of my Sandisk U3 cruzer micro (long name I know). It had an annoying extra partition with software that would run every time it was put on a Windows computer. The only way to remove it was to download a tool from the sandisk website (gparted might have helped too, I didn't try though). Then when you try to download the removal tool they try to convince you that you really do want their annoying software and ask why you're removing it before you an get the download.

And when you choose "I use Mac or Linux" as the reason to get rid of, they give you a .exe

[ad_267]

And when you choose "I use Mac or Linux" as the reason to get rid of, they give you a .exe

Exactly.

[FuturePilot]

And when you choose "I use Mac or Linux" as the reason to get rid of, they give you a .exe

Haha yeah I found that funny. I replaced U3 with PortableApps. Much better :)

[Envergure]

I just installed Intrepid from scratch and it isn't there.

Oh btw double-checked and my friend there has a Dell, not an HP. Strange.

[init1]

Reminds me of my Sandisk U3 cruzer micro (long name I know). It had an annoying extra partition with software that would run every time it was put on a Windows computer. The only way to remove it was to download a tool from the sandisk website (gparted might have helped too, I didn't try though). Then when you try to download the removal tool they try to convince you that you really do want their annoying software and ask why you're removing it before you an get the download.
It's not a partition, it's actually a virtual CD drive. That way it can autostart. It would be a lot easier to remove if it was only a partition.

[ad_267]

It's not a partition, it's actually a virtual CD drive. That way it can autostart. It would be a lot easier to remove if it was only a partition.

Ah that explains it. I remember there was something tricky about getting rid of it.