Not inherently just a Mac question, but y'all savvy things better than your Mac counterparts

[jcat120]

in our house, my wife's pc is the only thing non-mac we have. Multiple iPads, we both use iPhones and my desktop is an iMac. We have turned off all filesharing completely, as far as I can tell, but her VivoNotebook (most current but it happened to a couple of HPs already) keeps wanting to download and install multiple operating systems. Everything from windows 95 to windows 11 and every version from Home to Enterprise, and the updates for our iPhones, iPads, and my iMac runs Big Sur (because it didn't make the cut-off by one month LOL) and hasn't had much in the way of updates recently. Does anyone have any ideas at all as to what could be the problem? PC "specialists" (used loosely) seem more concerned with passing the buck to everyone else than solving the problem. I can provide any specifics if you ask. Thank you in advance and please don't egg me for bringing up a PC-ish issue here getting kind of desperate. this started about a year and a half ago with her first PC and it's getting strenuous, to say the least.

 

[MacInWin]

Welcome to the forum!

We have turned off all filesharing completely, as far as I can tell, but her VivoNotebook (most current but it happened to a couple of HPs already) keeps wanting to download and install multiple operating systems.

What does that mean? How do you know it "keeps wanting to download and install" this stuff? Messages, errors, prompts, what?

Everything from windows 95 to windows 11 and every version from Home to Enterprise, and the updates for our iPhones, iPads, and my iMac runs Big Sur (because it didn't make the cut-off by one month LOL) and hasn't had much in the way of updates recently.

This pops up on her PC? Updates and upgrades to your iPhone/iPad shows up on a PC? Is the iPhone/iPad attached to the PC in any way? Again, any messages, errors?

If these prompts to download are in your browser, I would suspect bogus advertising and popups. You can look for an adblocker for Windows to see if there is such a thing and install it from a reputable source. A lot of this sounds like attempts at getting you or her to download something nefarious.

 

[pm-r]

You can look for an adblocker for Windows to see if there is such a thing and install it from a reputable source. A lot of this sounds like attempts at getting you or her to download something nefarious.

+1. I would also agree with that comment especially if it is happening on the Windows PC.



- Patrick
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[lclev]

I agree with Jake - if this is occurring in her browser.

I run a network of a mix of macs and pcs. I have never had anything like the issues you are describing. I have a work PC which shares drives with my Macbook Pro. My PC has never shown any prompts to download any mac stuff nor tried to install other operating systems.

You don't say what version of Windows is on the PC but I will tell you earlier versions of Windows would never install over a newer version. If this were on of the PCs I have at work it would be wiped and reinstalled. If that is not an option then download and run Malwarebytes to check for any malware issues. You can run it for free and ignore when it asks for money.

Also practicing safe browsing which includes never clicking on ads (click bait) and have a good adblocker installed. I recommend using Brave browser (my personal preference). Brave comes with an adblocker built in.

Without more information that is the best I can do. I will say when a PC starts acting up that much it is usually the result of malware that has been unknowingly installed. This use to happen to me at work with some of my users. I now have a ton of blocks installed that has really helped. Most people just don't realize what is not a good thing to click on. That is why I would love an all mac network. They seem to just glide around all those issues!

Lisa

 

[Jim40]

in our house, my wife's pc is the only thing non-mac we have. Multiple iPads, we both use iPhones and my desktop is an iMac. We have turned off all filesharing completely, as far as I can tell, but her VivoNotebook (most current but it happened to a couple of HPs already) keeps wanting to download and install multiple operating systems. Everything from windows 95 to windows 11 and every version from Home to Enterprise, and the updates for our iPhones, iPads, and my iMac runs Big Sur (because it didn't make the cut-off by one month LOL) and hasn't had much in the way of updates recently. Does anyone have any ideas at all as to what could be the problem? PC "specialists" (used loosely) seem more concerned with passing the buck to everyone else than solving the problem. I can provide any specifics if you ask. Thank you in advance and please don't egg me for bringing up a PC-ish issue here getting kind of desperate. this started about a year and a half ago with her first PC and it's getting strenuous, to say the least.

 

[Jim40]

Best buy ever. My experience with MacBook Airs M1 & M2 have been a total disaster. All were returned after being given instructions by UK Tech Support Specialist to use Migration Assistant. Wouldn't work.

The PC below

Microsoft 365 Personal | Office 365 apps | 1 user | 1 year subscription | PC/Mac, Tablet and Phone | multilingual | Box​

Brand: Microsoft
Platform : Mac OS Sierra 10.12, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac OS Big Sur 11

 

[IWT]

As regards the File Sharing, previously in place, between your iMac and the PC, I noted that:

"To connect to your Mac, Windows users need the network address for your Mac, and a username and password to use to log in to your Mac."

This is taken from:

Share Mac files with Windows users

To let users connect to your Mac from a Windows computer, turn on file sharing and enable SMB sharing.

support.apple.com

I was therefore wondering: If the PC knows the Username and Admin PW for the Mac along with the Network address for the Mac, could there be some confusion on the PC side such that updates etc for the Mac were coming to the PC.

You'll gather that I'm rather clueless about all of this, but I thought I'd throw in my pennyworth

Ian

 

[Jim40]

I'm pretty clueless about this myself also, as I've never used Windows ever. Hoping that my experience as a Mac user since 1992 will help. My first Mac was an LC III, 2 MB of Ram and and 160 MD of Hard Drive running on System 7.6.

Have run most osMac as I've trundled along. Currently running Ventura 13.01. I contracted blood cancer about a year ago and no relatives except my lovely wife. Spending like there's no tomorrow.