Some Windows 10 and 11 users have noticed an ad asking them to use Bing as the default search engine for Google Chrome if it is set as the default browser. As it turned out, this is not a system notification, but a separate, unwanted program signed by Microsoft.
Image source: arstechnica.com
From time to time, Microsoft takes unexpected steps to encourage people to use its products and stop developing its competitors. This applies to Bing search in the Edge browser, as well as Edge itself, which the company recommends over others. But for perhaps the first time ever, Microsoft has decided to persuade users of another browser to opt for Bing using suspicious system messages.
A type of system message prompts Windows 10 and 11 users to switch to the Bing search service in their default browser, Google Chrome. As it turned out, this promotional message has nothing to do with the Windows notification system, but is a standalone executable “BGAupsell.exe” that is digitally signed by Microsoft. The practice unintentionally evokes associations with malicious adware applications.
It seems that such a drastic measure to promote its own products has alarmed the leadership of Microsoft itself. “We are aware of these reports and have suspended the notifications while we investigate this unintended behavior and take appropriate action to resolve it.”– leads The edge Statement by Microsoft spokeswoman Caitlin Roulston. Previously, the Edge browser started flagging the Chrome installer file as malicious.
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