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Quick Start, Episode 7: Crimes... And Felonies.

Cathode Ray Dude - CRD2 HN recommenders · 2024–2026
235K views · documentary · evergreen · Uploaded 2024-03-25

Cathode Ray Dude covers two bizarre HP 'Quick Start' features: QuickLook, an offline email client built on EFI firmware, and Daystarter, which hijacks the Windows boot process. It includes an explanation of EFI applications and why HP built these things.

Cited as a deep, entertaining look at firmware-level software and vendors abusing pre-boot access.

Demoscene & retrocomputingHistory of computingOperating systems & kernels

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6 comments from Hacker News

@Latty2024 · in “An IRC client in your motherboard”

This instantly made me think of a recent video by the Cathode Ray Dude, talking about HP's 'email client' (read: Outlook Plugin) "QuickLook" which was a shipped product implemented this way: [VIDEO] (also goes into some even weirder stuff they did). This does the hard bit of networking that QuickLook skipped though.

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@jwoglom2024 · in “An IRC client in your motherboard”

I think this might be the video you're talking about, in case anyone is also interested in a brief history of quick boot operating systems and UEFI: [VIDEO]

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@kmeisthax2024 · in “Microsoft breached antitrust rules by bundling Teams and Office, EU says”

"Public API" doesn't mean you can't change the API, nor does it limit how quickly extensions or new versions can be added to that API. It just means you have to actually inform people of what you're changing and when. If a client application refuses to implement functionality, that's on them, not the original developer. If I want the new feature, I'll switch. These days however, new features nowadays are usually things I don't want. Not strictly outright anti-features, but usually completely pointless "Bob needs a bonus[0]" changes that lets a middle manager put something good in their promo packet. The whole reason why people want compatible file formats and third-party clients is specifically so we can dictate to the originator of those formats and protocols how and how fast they can iterate on their products and limit how bad they can deliberately make them to increase profits. [0] [VIDEO]

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@voidUpdate2024 · in “Negative Rings in Intel Architecture”

I found out about these through CRD's video about the horrors of HPs Daystarter, which uses ring -1 to hijack the windows boot process and display its own stuff instead of the boot screen. ( [VIDEO] )

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@prettyStandard2024 · in “New iMac with M4”

That would be amazing. This reminds me of the offline email client HP built on EFI. Cathode Ray Dude - [VIDEO]

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@nhubbard2026 · in “I Ported Coreboot to the ThinkPad X270”

> Hopefully the BIOS writers do not abuse this Unfortunately, they have. Multiple examples from the excellent Cathode Ray Dude: [LINK] [VIDEO]

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