How do I get rid of this background task/process?

[UncleMo]

I believe it causes crashes to my desktop but am not certain.

[snepp]

I did a little searching on it, not a whole lot of info out there, but what is there isn't exactly positive. Do you have an installed application called "Updates from HP"? If so I'd see if it has an option to disable any type of automatic checking/updating. If the option doesn't exist, I suggest uninstalling it.

[MarkB]

HP usually stands for Hewlett-Packard, a company that makes scanners, printers etc. If you have a HP appliance, it's probably just a piece of software that checks the Hewlett-Packard site periodically for updates to your drivers or peripheral software.

If you want to stop it starting permanently, go to Start-Run and type "msconfig", without the quotation marks. Hit enter and the Microsoft Configuration Utility will appear. Click the Startup tab and look for something that has HP in the title, such as HPAgent or HPUpdate. If you don't see anything there, go back to Task Manager, right-click on the item and click Go to process. Remember the process name, then flip back into the MSCU and enlarge the Command list so that you can see the full path of the items that will launch on startup. Look down this list for the file that you saw in Task Manager process list. When you find it, simply click the tickbox on the far left once so that it is unchecked, then click OK. It'll ask you to restart now or later, so choose whichever you prefer. When you next start Windows, that process won't be loaded.

(There is, of course, the possibility that it's launced as a service and not a startup item, so if it isn't in the Command list either, post back and I can give you some more instructions.)

[UncleMo]

Thanks alot guys.

Mark you are EXTRA thorough, I'll say that. I know it is part of my HP PC, but man this kind of help would help out the most illiterate of PC users I'm sure. I'll look at this tonight when I get home.

[MarkB]

With a tech. support background, you get used to breaking everything down as much as possible just in case the person isn't too PC literate, so I'm used to it by now. :)

[snepp]

And for future reference, all of HP's software is buggy, resource hogging garbage.

The "hpboid.exe" process, a status monitor for printers, has known issues with 100% CPU usage. (just one example, this one I've had myself)

:)

[UncleMo]

yeah I suspect that is doing something strange as well. not sure why i need something to monitor the status of my monitor...

[MarkB]

And for future reference, all of HP's software is buggy, resource hogging garbage.

The "hpboid.exe" process, a status monitor for printers, has known issues with 100% CPU usage. (just one example, this one I've had myself)

Oh, most definitely. I have the misfortune of owning a Packard Bell PC (for those who don't know, HP and Packard Bell are essentially run by the same parent company) and not only is the tech. support terrible (which even I had to use quite a bit at first due to the pathetic condition of the "new" PC), their software is absolutely atrocious. God help you if you ever need to actually use any of it. I gave up on it when reinstalling Windows most recently and installed an actual copy of XP rather than the crap they provide on their "recovery discs".

Conclusion - avoid everything associated with "Packard" and their parent company, whether it be Packard Bell or Hewlett-Packard.

[Sharpshooter]

I do the msconfig and basically just leave my virus protection stuff there and that's it. Uncheck all the other stuff and you should be fine.

[UncleMo]

thank you.

[UncleMo]

MarkB, you said:

(There is, of course, the possibility that it's launced as a service and not a startup item, so if it isn't in the Command list either, post back and I can give you some more instructions.)

What do you mean exactly?

And, does anyone else do what Sharpshooter said above when he said:

"I do the msconfig and basically just leave my virus protection stuff there and that's it. Uncheck all the other stuff and you should be fine."

I dont' want my computer to blow up or become possessed.

[Sharpshooter]

The msconfig gives you the user freedom to start things or not start things during startup. These "things" are not part of normal booting up so you are safe there. For example, I do want my virus protection to kick in during boot up, but if a computer is never ever hooked up to the web/network, what's the point of loading the protection on. Just uncheck the box and free up the memory.

Also, some people want their messenger, weather bar, ESPN ticker etc. etc. loaded during startup, but I'm not a fan of that. If I want messenger, then I'll double click on it's icon when I need it as opposed to having it "always" load up during start up.

Also, let me tell you about my computer specs:

Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz

ONLY 256 MB ram

ONLY 64 MB GeForce crappy card.

And I run MVP 2005 at full blast with very high resolution and together with 3D Analyze. It look totally awesome. So my specs are not very high end anymore so I free up as much junk as possible.

Yet again, if you are hesitant about it, then don't do it.

[MarkB]

MarkB, you said:

(There is, of course, the possibility that it's launced as a service and not a startup item, so if it isn't in the Command list either, post back and I can give you some more instructions.)

What do you mean exactly?

And, does anyone else do what Sharpshooter said above when he said:

"I do the msconfig and basically just leave my virus protection stuff there and that's it. Uncheck all the other stuff and you should be fine."

I dont' want my computer to blow up or become possessed.

In the msconfig window, there are various tabs. One is Services, one is Startup. Both tabs have an effect on what loads at startup, but "standard" programs that launch at startup will normally be placed in the Startup tab, while programs that need launched earlier or with higher priority, such as firewalls, anti-virus programs and Windows services are usually placed in the Services tab.