I recently sent my laptop in for a hard drive replacement and got a fresh install of Windows 11. Now I see that Foxit PDF Reader is installed on my system. Can someone explain why this would be the case? I want to make sure there's nothing suspicious going on with this install. Will Windows Defender scan my system and find any potential keyloggers or other issues?
2 Answers
Your tech probably installed it to make things easier for you since Foxit is a well-known alternative to Adobe Reader. It's pretty standard for manufacturers to include some extra software they were paid to add. If you're worried about clutter, a clean reinstall of Windows is always a good step to get rid of any 'shovelware'.
Foxit PDF Reader is just a handy program for reading PDFs. It’s likely that your technician used a tool like Ninite or included it in their default image when setting up your laptop. No need to panic; it’s a legitimate and common software.
Ok, so I shouldn't be paranoid about my install lol.
When you say manufacturer, do you mean the technician? I was hoping for a clean install, and now I have this. Is it the same process for reinstalling Windows as it is for a new hard drive?