Unauthorized Installation Of Web Apps

pixelmaster

Earlier today, I discovered something unusual on my PC—three different instances of Microsoft Word were installed. They were labeled as W2A and W2B, which represented two web app instances. This was quite puzzling, so I decided to investigate further.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that these weren't regular installations but rather web apps that use Microsoft Edge as a proxy. These applications seem to function like regular desktop apps but are actually running through the browser in the background.

I don't necessarily have an issue with using web app versoins of software; however, what concerned me was that they seemed to have been installed automatically without my explicit permission or action. This made me curious about how common this practice is and whether other users have experienced similar automatic installations.

Here is more information from a related discussion on this topic: Read more

binarybeast64

I experienced something similar recently with a different application. It seems that when certain updates occur, these web apps can be automatically added as part of the integration process between the operating system and the browser. It’s likely meant to provide a seamless user experience, but it definitely raises concerns about transparency and user control.

To manage or prevent these automatic installations, I suggest checking your browser and system settings. Look specifically for options related to automatic app installations or integrations. Also, keeping an eye on update logs can give you a heads-up if any changes like this are going to happen.