You should be more concerned that the OS allowed an application to be loaded without your consent. There must be something that can be set to force user confirmation before allowing an unauthorized application to be installed. None of my Macs allowed the auto-installation, I had to confirm the download of the update.
Sal
Yes, this is a concern for at least two reasons as I've noted in another thread. First is the problem of dumping data on people with metered internet connections, of which I am one. I allocate my usage judiciously because I sometimes run close to the limit. An unexpected, huge download at the wrong time could cost me money.
The second, more crucial issue is the one addressed by this thread: a stealth download which causes a working computer to stop functioning. In the past, automatic Windows updates have caused serious issues for certain users, some of whom found that their machines would not boot. For people who use their computers for real work, this is more than an annoyance. At least MS has the courtesy to offer the user the ability to choose which updates to apply and when to apply them.
Google, OTOH, seems determined to shove its updates out at a time of its own choosing in a manner that can only be described as surreptitious. Not everyone is pleased by this, as is evidenced by reports ranging from disagreeably changed behavior in certain Nik modules to the failure of Photoshop to launch.
So how to keep this from happening is the question, at least for Windows users as the Mac folks seem to have a handle on this. First,
create a support ticket with Nik and request that future updates become user-controlled events. This may work, but it will take time so the next step is to lock down your machine.
I've created firewall rules to block GoogleUpdate.exe, two instances of which I found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update. I also disabled the two Google Update Service entries I found. This may or may not stop the unwanted activity. I will take other measures if need be. Google warns that if its update functions are tampered with that its software may not function correctly or cease to function altogether. At this point, that's a risk I'm willing to take.
