He ignored the official Microsoft Store link because it cost $0.99. "Why pay for something that used to be free?" he thought.
The codec pack installed in two seconds—impossibly fast. Then his browser homepage changed to a search engine he had never seen. A command prompt window flashed briefly. His antivirus lit up like a Christmas tree: "Threat detected: PUP.Optional.BundleInstaller." windows 11 codec pack download
In his haste, Alex clicked "Next" three times without reading. He ignored the official Microsoft Store link because
The Hidden Trap in the Download
He eventually formatted his drive and reinstalled Windows 11 clean. This time, he went straight to the and purchased the official "HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer" ($0.99) and installed the free, open-source MPC-HC player, which carried no malware. open-source MPC-HC player