Spyware in HP Audio Driver - How do I remove or disable?

[Reality_Cheque]

I've just refreshed software on an older laptop, and when configuring I was careful to choose the option NOT to send usage data to HP during the setup. Now, when I clicked the audio driver icon in the system tray for the first time, I had a warning pop up saying that data was being sent to HP. This security position was against the option I chose during install, and this time it didn't even have a 'no thank you' option to select.

How do I permanently turn this spyware off?

I have seen a 2-year-old thread here saying that the only way to do this is to uninstall the audio driver, but I assume that this has been resolved properly by now. Is there an updated driver that is known to be 'clean', and since HP is being a bit dodgy about this, is there a way to confirm that it no longer sending data? 

[Prométhée]

Hello
strange whether related to the audio driver

Specify, what you downloaded and then installed

[GOLD_MASTER]

Hello @Reality_Cheque 

There are software like BYOB among others that collect information to improve their products or services, this is also done by Microsoft with Windows.....

[Reality_Cheque]

Hi Guys, and thanks for the response!
It was a Win 10 refresh, and I just installed Chrome. That was it, and this certainly isn't Chrome-related. 

It appears to be the same problem as this...
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Audio/Turn-HP-data-collection-of/m-p/6445911#M57815

[GOLD_MASTER]

@Reality_Cheque .

What you could do is uninstall the Hp audio driver, then go to Windows update to find a suitable audio driver for your computer and install it.

[Reality_Cheque]

That sounds like the right approach. The only reservation I have is that as HP has been so sly with this, I would really like to confirm that the unwanted spyware issue it truly cured. Short of running something like Wireshark, is there way of confirming that it has stopped 'phoning home'? Are any other HP drivers or Apps known to hold trojans like this.

 

[GOLD_MASTER]

@Reality_Cheque .

They don't actually contain any spyware or Trojans with a backdoor to access more of the user's data other than what is stated in the privacy policy, so that's the programming design they have given the software with limits for them to avoid problems as well, so they won't see what you do on your computer.
Greetings!

[Prométhée]

You did not answer my question exactly
because you say you have reinstalled windows, 10
what did you install next?
another driver version is possible
I have no such problem, for my part

[Reality_Cheque]

Doing some further reading, and that may not be the solution after all. It seems that someone has already trodden this path and Windows Update may be complicit. From another thread, sadly with no resolution...

"I've done another reformat to see when this junk gets installed. Windows Update does install:

• HP Audio Control

• HP System Information"

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/HP-keeps-reinstalling-spyware-Chrome-extension-chan...

A wider Google search isn't helping with this so far. Can't believe that this hasn't been picked up on.

Oh, and I called it a trojan because it carried out activities unrelated to its presentation as an Audio Driver or switcher rather than it being able to remote control, but happy to call it something else. Either way, it's not wanted and needs to go.

[Reality_Cheque]

Sorry, Windows 10 was re-installed, along with Chrome and VLC. That's it.

The problem definitely seems to be either the audio driver or the "HP Audio Switch" widget, and it was right-clicking on this in the tray for the first time that brought up the declaration that it was phoning home. I don't know how to provoke it to do this again.