To heck with killing prop drivers, I would be happy if they killed all those stuipid unneeded “helper” apps that install in my system tray that use .NET framework or some other Library type DLLs to install that then just sit in my app tray and consume massive amounts of memory and processing time.
Like I really need some HP shovel ware sitting on my desktop to tell me that the drivers has been updated or that the toner on the printer I rarely use is still at 89% capacity....
Also banning other crap that “driver suites” tend to install like ANY sort of damned browser toolbar or anythign that runs ar startup that isn’t directly driver related. I don’t need another volume mixer for my sound card when the windows one works just fine for 99.9999% of the users out there, at least give me the option when installing the driver to leave the blankety blank shovel ware off.
Tell me about it! I had the same problem with an Epson hanging on the network at a customer site. I downloaded the 75MB "driver" and installed it. Course the crapware comes along for the ride without even a box to indicate that you're sane and want it about like you want the plague. So I uninstall the crapware and it deletes the driver!! I didn't realize anything actually deleted drivers. The only workaround I found was to install it on another machine and share it, then configure a printer from Windows on the machine where you really want to have it (selecting the option where Windows goes and gets the driver from the share machine and installs it locally), then delete it from the other machine! What a load of crap all in an effort to try to FORCE their customers to run their spy/mal/crap/shovelware. I have noticed in the last couple years, though, more and more printer mfgrs offering a minimal "driver only" install for download. I still trust the other method more, though, to get only the driver and avoid any of the other stuff. (They may still include what they consider the absolute minimum level of crap they're willing to let you get away with otherwise.)