Still getting annoying, intrusive HP pop-up ads on my desktop

[bcspecht]

I bought my HP Pavillion desktop PC back in March 2025. Since then I have been struggling to get rid of the super annoying and intrusive pop-up ads that frequently appear on my desktop (not in the browser, but on the desktop). I thought I finally found a permanent solution by using the SETTINGS>SYSTEM>NOTIFICATION settings to turn OFF these pesky intrusions from HP who seem to think that they have the right to continually push these ads onto the product that I paid for. They call it a "service" and won't stop doing it no matter how I try to stop it. For a while there was peace and I was no longer getting these pesky intrusions. But they have started up again. I have gone into every area to try to rip these things out by the root, but they just keep coming back like a bad weed. There is something called HPMediaNetwork.exe that is NOT necessary for Windows to function. I have located this executable file in a number of directories on my HP Pavillion and tried to uninstall or simply delete them. I can't. I get a message telling me they are "in use" and cannot be removed. This is part of the HpseuHostLauncher that looks for product ads to toss onto my desktop whenever they feel like it. Today I went into my  HP Privacy Settings and tried turning OFF "HP may use my contact details and information about my system to send me personalized offers and news." This was ON by default. I set it to OFF. If this doesn't stop this problem, I will never buy another HP computer again and never recommend to anyone that they buy one either. I am sick and tired of BLOATWARE that comes preinstalled on a new computer. One of the first things I do is remove it all and use the products that I CHOOSE TO USE. These pop-up ads that HP insists on forcing onto my computer are just another form of BLOATWARE that they are making money from because they can intrude into my privacy and demand my attention for something THAT I DON'T WANT! I have repeatedly asked HP for help in stopping this practice, but they are worse than USELESS. NO MORE HP PRODUCTS FOR ME!

[Bill_To]

Greetings @bcspecht 

Welcome back to the Forum.

Yes, everybody likes to push ads because the user is the product.

Have you ever tried Microsoft Autoruns?

I've been using Autoruns since the early 2000s.

You should run this program as an Admin.

Autoruns can also check your PC's startup items for malware using Virus Total.

Be careful using Autoruns. This program, while appearing to be deceptively simple, has the ability to break Windows.

I would back up data and do a system restore point before using this software. You should also test the System restore point in the WinRE before making changes using Autoruns.

Or do a system image, if you do system images, before running Autoruns.

You might be able to stop the offending process using Autoruns If you could figure out what HP process or executable is doing the ads.

Look, HP could embed this process in other software such as HP Support Assistant. So it could be difficult to isolate the startup item producing the ads. Or disabling the correct ad producing startup item could break other HP software.

What I am saying is you may have to methodically uninstall all HP software to get rid of the ads if this can't be done using Autoruns.

Uncheck the possible HP startup item in Autoruns. Exit the Program.

Restart the PC and test for the absence of HP ads to see if you got the right item.

Keep trying other HP startup items until you find the culprit. The ad producing startup item has to be on the list.

You can restore a HP startup item by running Autoruns again. Place a checkmark in the startup item box to restore functionality.

Exit Autoruns. Restart the PC.

Again, you could break Windows or temporarily break HP software when using Autoruns.

You're using Autoruns at your own risk.

Regards