HP audio controls on non-HP desktop

[Nicholas_Scrase]

Hi, bit of a weird request. I had an issue mirroring an OS from my desktop Nvme SSD to an older HDD (for backup reasons), so I put the Nvme and the HDD which I wanted to mirror it to in my laptop which then worked. However, since putting the Nvme SSD back into my desktop I now have HP software on it that my laptop added ( audio controls, flow etc) and since I don't have the devices in my PC pop-ups keep appearing with errors etc.

I've tried deleting the apps, but that didn't work, and now I can't even find the audio controls app in any list to try again. This is really annoying because I don't want to keep closing the pop-ups every 2 seconds.

I've tried forcing them to stop from task manager, but they keep reopening.

Is there a program/command, or software that I can use to remove these programs from my PC's SSD?

I still use my laptop, but I just don't want extra bloatware on my desktop.

Any help would be much appreciated

[Raqeeb26]

Hi @Nicholas_Scrase ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

That is definitely a frustrating and "weird" issue, but one that is common when moving an operating system drive between fundamentally different computer architectures (like an HP ProBook laptop and a generic desktop PC).

The problem is that HP's proprietary software (like HP Audio Controls and HP Flow) installs deeply integrated system services and drivers that constantly look for the specific hardware chips found only in the ProBook 450 G5. When your desktop PC doesn't have the laptop's specific audio chip or flow sensor, the services crash and auto-restart repeatedly, causing the pop-ups and errors you are seeing.

Since the normal uninstall process failed, you need a more aggressive, targeted removal method.

Here is a step-by-step plan using a combination of Windows tools to force-remove these components:

 

 Step 1: Disable the HP Services Causing the Pop-ups

We need to stop the programs from starting and looping the error messages.

1. Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

2. Go to the Startup Tab: Look for any entries related to HP, HP Audio, HP Flow, or Bang & Olufsen (B&O).

3. Disable: Right-click each related entry and select Disable.

4. Go to the Services Tab:

   • Click the Services tab at the top.

   • Click the Name column header to sort alphabetically.

   • Look for services starting with HP or HPS (e.g., HPSysInfoCap, HPAppHelperCap, or services related to Audio/Flow).

   • Right-click on the service and select Stop.

   • Right-click again and select Open Services.

5. Stop Services Permanently: In the Services window, find those same HP services, double-click each one, change the Startup type from Automatic to Disabled, and click OK.

⚠️ Note on HP Sure/Wolf Services

Be careful not to disable critical security services like HP Wolf Security or HP Sure Sense/Click if you need them. Focus only on the ones related to audio, flow, and sensing.

Step 2: Remove Stubborn Services via Command Prompt

If the error persists ,you can use the Service Control (SC) command to delete the persistent services directly.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press Windows Key and type CMD. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

2. Delete the Service: You must know the exact service name (not the display name). You can find this name in the Services window (from Step 1, it's the Service name field, e.g., HPFlowService).

3. Type the following command, replacing [ServiceName] with the actual service name, and press Enter:

   Bash

   sc delete [ServiceName]
   

   Example: If the annoying service is called HPAudioControlService, you would type: sc delete HPAudioControlService

4. Repeat this command for every HP service you identified that is causing the problem.

5. Restart your PC to complete the final cleanup.
   
   

Hope this helps resolve you issue.

Please , do let me know if you need any other assistance, will be happy to assist you 🙂.