Lenovo and other laptop makers abuse their control centers by placing ads, as seen on the Legion Pro 5

[Redaktion]

The control center in laptops is a central hub for users. These are developed by the manufacturers themselves and increasingly abused in order to place ads or even collect user data. Lenovo is one example.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-and-other-laptop-makers-abuse-their-control-centers-by-placing-ads-as-seen-on-the-Legion-Pro-5.1048490.0.html

[GeorgeS]

So it would appear that we've come full circle. <sigh>

Let me explain.

In the 'beginning' computers may have came with just the bare OS and OEM drivers for included devices installed. It was always a 'given' that the disk image might be slightly outdated so upon powering up, the OS and drivers might go through a few boot cycles gathering updates before the user could take control of the box.

This later morphed into the OEM including nearly countless 'trial ware'. The user COULD spend hours uninstalling each unwanted package (after the update cycles were finished) OR some OEM's offered a hidden 'factory reset/recover' option that would strip all the bloatware and leave a bare OS+drivers that was outdated.

Sometimes it was debatable which process was quicker.

At some point users revolted and for a time a computer again only had the OS+required drivers installed. Or actually with Windows computers on 1st power on the computer would GATHER all the updates and drivers from the web as needed.

So here we are again at 'bloatware'. IMHO: while the modern WIN-OS versions contain a bunch of its own 'bloatware' that I'll always TRY to get rid of, some of the nonsense will just never go away.

Which brings us full circle to when or IF we really have control over how OUR systems function and what software is running on it.

Microsoft appears to enjoy adding & removing features along with customer settings at its own will anytime it wishes to.

There is NO WAY to get only SECURITY UPDATES vs FEATURE UPDATES.

Monopoly.

[Jab]

But it is still possible to uninstall all the spam or block it from appearing on startup, right?

[Gabrielle]

Such a bad practice...especially if you have to use their "ad" software to use product-specific features they advertised (and thought you are done when you paid the product).

[Sitting_Duck]

May I recommend Lenovo Legion Toolkit (LLT). An open-source alternative to the now bloated and telemetry-ridden Vantage.

[Unknown User]

It seems that Lenovo wants to follow in the same footsteps as several smartphone brands that include ads in some of the built-in software.

[Worgarthe]

Use Commercial Vantage. Identical thing as that regular Vantage sans any ads or bloat in general, all the same functionality, and both are from Lenovo.

Or use LLT as mentioned already by Sitting_Duck.