Updated video drivers and Chrome lost my forum passwords!

[Box Brownie]

Very odd...........

I updated my nVidia drivers and part of that triggered W10 telling me to go the MS Store to 'get' the nVidia Control Panel GUI. It opened my Chrome browser which is default one with a message in under top ribbon that Chrome was not my default..............I clicked make my default and store page opened. But it struck why should this be needed as the installer in the past included the GUI !!!

Did a restart and there was the nVidia GUI as before.......................but....................all my various forums had logged me out ~ not a big issue, just annoying

But just wonder what triggered that to happen that would affect forum membership cookies???

 

[4wd]

It really shouldn't be able to do anything like that, even if you re-install chrome and log-in everything should re-appear as before and usually you don't even need log-in to sites again

 

[Box Brownie]

It really shouldn't be able to do anything like that, even if you re-install chrome and log-in everything should re-appear as before and usually you don't even need log-in to sites again

Yes, kind of odd....................also my FB logged out!!!

However, I forgot to add the old driver was the W10 update one version 432.00.....it installed on 5th Jan 2020...........there is or was a lot of chatter about "the imposition" of that driver though I was happy to leave it but for some more recent new programs (e.g. Topaz AI ones) GPU demanding software the advise has been to update the video driver, so that is what I eventually did

Now, when you look for v432.00 on the nVidia website it does not exist so appears to be a Microsoft modified one unique to MS. MS have always been accused of being invasive especially in regard to the OS and their Browser, so cynic that I am it would not surprise me that the video driver was also in some manner tied in to browser activity!!!

As I said it was odd that after the new driver (v442.92) update the popup that W10 gives in to lower RH corner of the screen said go to the MS Store and get the nVidia Control Panel and clicking that opened Chrome but with the warning/reminder I mentioned above about it not being my default browser........it seemed to be clicked that "make default" is what triggered to loss of all the login cookies :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

PS @Snapsh0t have you seen anything like this before? I am surmising nothing sinister ~ just one of those MS oddities

 

[gramps]

Worth doing a Malwarebytes & CCleaner IMO

 

[Box Brownie]

Worth doing a Malwarebytes & CCleaner IMO

Good point!

SuperAntiSpyware will clear all cookies as when I use that everything gets logged out but yes will run that and Malwarebytes..................they are my 'go to' ones as well the ESET

 

[Box Brownie]

Of note(?) I also use Chrome on the phone and that was logged out too.

Now, as far as I am aware Chrome on multiple devices does have some commonalities but due the different OS's they are limited.......but one is that Chrome will make unannounced updates (from one launch to the next!) Therefore, the new driver was from the nVidia website and digitally signed so passes MS install guidelines could this have been a coincidence with Chrome opening "anew" from an update to itself?

 

[Box Brownie]

I ran SuperAntiSpyware and it found only 85 cookies.....there are typically 100's. Deleted them all logging me out of TP on the PC buy not on the phone. As still logged in, unlike before.

So does seem more like a Chrome update wiping out all cookies......but never seen that before???

However on the PC now running Malwarebytes and will also do a full AV scan with ESET Internet Security after that

PS before starting AV I checked the Chrome version and it is most current but no idea when my PC received it other than that is was released last month!

 

[Box Brownie]

OK

Nothing shows as detectable issue on intrusion or infection.

Just seems that whatever happened it cleared the Chrome Cache on both the PC and the Android phone As mentioned I recall seeing such a 'flushing' when I use SuperAntiSpyware to clear all cookies on the PC and the phone also ends up being logged out!

 

[Canon Bob]

I did a raft of updates on my editing machine recently (including Nvidea) and I also lost many (not all) of my cookies (Chrome user too) but I didn't know which update had triggered the event.
I suspect that Google (or Chrome) propagates cookies for password saved sites across platforms on the same account so that logging on with one PC will bypass the need on another PC that's logged on to the same Google account.