HP installing HP Touchpoint Analytics Client Telemetry service

HP installing HP Touchpoint Analytics Client Telemetry service
by Martin Brinkmann on November 27, 2017
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/11/27/hp-installing-hp-touchpoint-analytics-client-telemetry-service/

HP customers from around the world report that HP started to install the HP Touchpoint Manager software on their devices, and with it a new Windows Telemetry service called HP Touchpoint Analytics Client.

According to these reports, this is done without user interaction, and in the background. The first report of the installation of HP Touchpoint Analytics dates back to November 15, 2017.

A user on the Bleeping Computer forum reported that the program was installed on his Windows machine on that date. Posts on Reddit, and HP's own customer forum confirmed the installation of the new application and service on Windows machines.

The description of the service confirms that it is used to gather Telemetry:

Harvests telemetry information that is used by HP Touchpoint's analytical services.

When you visit HP's Touchpoint Manager website, you get the following bits of information:

The HP Touchpoint Manager technology is now being delivered as a part of HP Device as a Service (DaaS) Analytics and Proactive Management capabilities. Therefore, HP is discontinuing the self-managed HP Touchpoint Manager solution.

It appears that HP transformed the technology to a cloud based service. The service seems to send data to HP once per day. Users find the data under ProgramData\HP\HP Touchpoint Analytics Client\Transfer Interface on the Windows drive.

Some users reported that the installation slowed down their system significantly, and that removing the application from the system restored the performance.

What you can do about it
First thing you may want to check is whether HP installed the HP Touchpoint Manager on the Windows PC.

Option 1: Services

1. Use Windows-R to bring up the run box.
2. Type services.msc and hit the Enter-key on the keyboard.
3. Look for HP Touchpoint Analytics Client in the Services listing.
   1. If it is there, HP Touchpoint Manager is installed.
   2. If it is not there, skip to option 2.
4. Double-click on the service to open its details.
5. Set its startup type to disabled.
6. Select Stop to stop it in the current session.

Option 2: Windows Programs

1. Use Windows-R to load the run box.
2. Type appwiz.cpl to load the Programs and Features control panel applet.
3. Locate HP Touchpoint Manager.
4. Right-click the program name, and select Uninstall to remove it.

Uninstallation of the program should remove the Service as well.

Closing Words
Installation of invasive services without user consent should be a big no-no, but it appears to happen quite frequently.

Now You: Any HP users here who have this new Telemetry service installed?

 

HP stealthily installs new spyware called HP Touchpoint Analytics Client
It isn’t clear how the spying driver gets installed — Microsoft and HP both stand accused — but if you have an HP machine, locating and deleting the offending “service” takes just a few minutes.



Hard to imagine in this age of privacy scandals, but HP is installing a telemetry client on its customers’ computers — and it isn’t offering any warning, or asking permission, before delivering the payload.

Dubbed “HP Touchpoint Analytics Service,” HP says it “harvests telemetry information that is used by HP Touchpoint’s analytical services.” Apparently, it’s HP Touchpoint Analytics Client version 4.0.2.1435.

There are dozens of reports of this new, ahem, service scattered all over the internet. According to Günter Born, reports of the infection go all the way back to Nov. 15, when poster MML on BleepingComputer said:

After the latest batch of Windows updates, about a half hour after installing the last, I noticed that this had been installed on my computer because it showed up in the notes of my Kaspersky, and that it opened the Windows Dump File verifier and ran a disk check and battery test.

Thus pointing the finger at this month’s Windows updates — but that isn’t the only way it could be spreading. It isn’t clear to me if the new driver came bundled with the latest official Windows cumulative updates and/or Monthly Rollups and/or Security-only updates, or if it’s being downloaded by HP’s own HP Support Assistant routines. Regardless of the infection vector, lots of HP customers are livid. Rightfully so.

this one from PurplePassion22:

On 11/18/2017 Hp Touchpoint Analytics Client was installed on my computer without my consent. I'm assuming it was installed in the background as an update to Hp support or framework. However it happened I don't appreciate it's sneaky take over of my computer's system resources. From yesterday to today it's been making my computer work so hard I can hear it like cranking away and the light in the back of my computer is flashing rapidly in-tune with the cranking. In Task Manager I can see it starting and stopping numerous applications, it's client service and installer, console window host, command prompts, timeout-pause command prompt, it's causing a lot of up and down use of antimalware service executable and local system.

If HP has responded to its customers, I certainly haven't seen anything.

The official HP Touchpoint Manager website says:

official productivity description says:

From helping you enforce a mobile security policy to wiping a device, HP Touchpoint Manager features the tools you need to ensure all your managed devices' security—and brings you greater peace of mind.

Martin Brinkmann on ghacks has a detailed accounting of the spyware and how to remove it. He gives step-by-step instructions for disabling the HP Touchpoint Analytics Client in your Services listing, as well as deleting the HP Touchpoint Manager.

What were they thinking?

 

I just did option 1. Thx

 

It’s a reason people should be careful with OEM’s Bloatware.

 

Christmas presents in advance to angry and screwed HP owners
HP releases Synaptics driver update that removes disabled keylogger

"HP customers who use one of the affected notebooks are asked to download the updated driver and install it on machines affected by the issue. The HP support page lists business and consumer notebooks affected by the issue."

"Affected notebooks include HP G4, G5 and G6 devices, EliteBook and Elitebook Folio devices, HP mt* thin clients, HP ProBook laptops , HP zBook mobile workstations, various Compaq notebooks, HP 15* and HP17* notebooks, HP ENVY devices, and HP Pavilion and Omen devices."

"Basically, if you own a HP notebook or use one at work, search for it on the HP support page to find out if a driver update for it is available."

According to the researcher, the update is also distributed via Windows Update.