HPSA Crashes and Can't Uninstall

TechNott · ‎10-24-2020

HP Support Assistant start crashing to desktop recently so I wanted to remove and reinstall it. I was surprised to find that it did not appear in the list at Settings > Apps > App & Features so I followed advice elsewhere on this forum and used the MS Troubleshooter to uninstall it (it appeared on the list of software generated by the troubleshooter). BTW, if I go to the Start menu, find HP Support Assistance and attempt to uninstall from there, it opens the control panel for removing programs but still HPSA is not in the list.

I rebooted but the HPSA icon still appeared on the taskbar. I downloaded the latest version, installed and rebooted. The application still crashes when I do the following:

Open the HPSA, which displays a dialog asking for update preferences. I select an option (it doesn't really matter wich one).
My only HP device (a printer) is displayed with the usual buttons for update, etc, so I click on "update".
HPSA again asks me for my update preferences and when I select an option, it crashes.

So, I can't seem to uninstall it completely and it crashes

As I'm writing this, HPSA will not uninstall and reinstall a second time...the installer generates an error:

Not particularly helpful, is it?

Another suggestion: Make the text in your error dialog boxes selectable and copyable. You're not doing your customers any favours by making it more difficult to report the actual error codes and texts.

Dragon-Fur · ‎10-25-2020

@TechNott

HPSA is one of two separate types, neither of which are related to your printer.

We cannot actually "fix" HPSA - we can provide the information to remove it from your computer and reload it from the HPSA Website. Not a lot. It is what we have...

That said,

There are two flavors / types of the HP Support Assistant available.

The two versions of HPSA are actually two different platforms that do essentially the same thing.

1 ) Software Flavor

HP Support Assistant Software, when installed, is located in Programs and Features

and, includes

HP Support Solutions Framework (companion software to HPSA), when installed, is located in Programs and Features

OR

2) Application Flavor

HP Support Assistant Application, when installed, is located in Settings > Apps > Apps and Features

At this writing, the application is likely version 9.6.x

Which kind or "flavor" of HPSA (that) you have installed (and can install) depends on your particular hardware (computer).

Preparation

Before you make changes to your computer: Create a Restore Point

Stop / Exit all programs: Browsers, games, Applications, etc.

Control Panel > icon view > System > System Protection >

Click (Highlight) your main disk (C) > Select Create a Restore Point

Next... Determine what you have installed...

Which "kind" (flavor) of HPSA do you have?
Which "version" of HPSA do you have?

Settings > Apps > Apps and Features

Search or scroll down and find HP Support Assistant

Left-Click on the item (HP Support Assistant)

If the HPSA on your system is "software",

HPSA will list out as version 8.x (at this writing).

The companion software will be listed, too: HP Support Solutions Framework

If the HPSA on your system is "application",

Click Advanced Options > note the version (likely 9.6 or higher)

What if?

If you are running a much older version of Windows, it is possible HPSA "software" may not even list in the "Apps" section. If this is the case, find your HPSA software in Control Panel > icon view > Programs and Features

Next,

Uninstall the HPSA

NOTE

I am not at all sure the following will help - I am not sure how badly the software is tangled in your Operating System. In general, the software does not get "stuck", though, like other software programs, it might be necessary to pry the software out of the system using a tool to remove stubborn programs.

Software Flavor - (If) HPSA Not listed in Settings > Apps

FIRST > Uninstall the HP Support Assistant

Control Panel > icon view > Programs and Features

Scroll down, find, Uninstall the HP Support Assistant

Important: When / If asked whether you want to save any presets / personal HPSA information, respond to have your personal data associated with the program removed along with the HPSA software.

NOTE: If the software will not uninstall, appears to be removed and then shows up again, or is otherwise not “going away” when you tell it to do so, try an Uninstaller program.

Microsoft: Fix problems that block programs from being installed or removed

Also recommended and used by many people:

Revo Uninstaller (Free version)

NEXT > Uninstall HP Support Solutions Framework software from Programs and Features

NOTE: HP Support Solutions Framework is a subset of HPSA. For this reason, HPSA must be uninstalled before the Solutions Framework can be removed.

Restart the computer and log in.

==============================================================

Any Flavor - HPSA listed in Settings > Apps

Settings > Apps > Apps and Features

Search or scroll down and find HP Support Assistant

Left-Click on the item (HP Support Assistant) > Uninstall

Search or scroll down and find HP Support Solutions Framework

If you find a listing for the Solutions software, then

Left-Click on the item (HP Support Assistant) > Uninstall

Restart the computer and log in.

==========================================================

Final Check – Software / Application is Removed

After the software is uninstalled (and the computer is Restarted), check to ensure the software is actually “gone”.

Settings > Apps > Apps & features

OR

Control Panel > icon view > Programs and Features

If the software / application is found > Click to uninstall

Restart the computer and log in.

==========================================================

Download, Save, Install the latest supported HP version of the HP Support Assistant

Website / Information / Video / White Paper / Download

HP Support Assistant

Partial excerpt from the Website:

“Ready to go on your HP PC

HP Support Assistant is included on new HP desktop and notebook PCs. You can install it on PCs from other manufacturers for easy access to support resources and tools for HP printers and PCs. Click the ? icon on your system tray to start HP Support Assistant or download now. During setup, selected new HP PC models running Windows 10 will receive version 9. All other PC models will receive version 8.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After download: If you have ‘Admin’ control, highlight the package and “double-click” to install it, else Right-Click, select run as Administrator
After the software is installed: Restart the computer and log in

Optional - After the software is installed, PIN the program to your Windows Start Screen

Windows key (Start) > list "All apps" > open category "H"

Click open category HP Help and Support

Right-Click on HP Support Assistant > PIN to Start

Help and Troubleshooting for HPSA

HP PCs - Using HP Support Assistant (Windows 10, 8, 7)

HP PCs - Troubleshooting HP Support Assistant - Windows 8.x and Windows 10

Device Home Page - References and Resources – Learn about your Device - Solve Problems

NOTE: Content depends on device type and Operating System

Categories: Alerts, Warranty Check, HP Drivers / Software and BIOS, How-to Videos, Bulletins/Notices, How-to Documents, Troubleshooting, User Guides / Manuals, Service and Maintenance Guide (Replacement Parts and Procedures), Product Information (Specifications), more

When the website support page opens, Select (as available) a Category > Topic > Subtopic

Open Support Home

Enter the name of your HP device

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Dragon-Fur

TechNott · ‎10-25-2020

Thanks for the info.

HPSA is one of two separate types, neither of which are related to your printer.

I might be misunderstanding your point here. Previously, I've used HPSA to install firmware and software updates on the printer and the device has shown up on the HPSA main dialog. What do you mean by not related to my printer?

As for the procedures:

Preparation. Apps and Features does not list "HP Support Assistant" but does list "HP Support Solutions Framework". I uninstalled the framework.
There is no "Advanced Options" under Apps and Features. There is an "Optional Features" but there is no entry for HP on this list. There are no HP programs listed under Apps and Features > Startup, either.
Uninstall the HPSA. At this point, HPSA appears to be gone already since I was able to unload HP SSF. If it had been, HP SSF wouldn't uninstall. The HPSA icon still appears on the task bar, even after a cold start, and there is no mention of HPSA in Apps and Features or Control Panel > Uninstall.

Until that non-functional icon goes away, I don't think progressing further is going to help. I went through these steps already and reinstalling at this point didn't help - the newly installed app still CTD'ed as described above.

Dragon-Fur · ‎10-25-2020

@TechNott

OK.

You are welcome.

It can be confusing. My apologies for not describing it well enough. It's worse since the advent of the different formats.

The lack of Advanced information in Apps is simply a result of a couple of things - the only important bit to you is that you do not have the Application type of the HP Support Assistant.

You are farther along, at least, having removed both HPSA and its companion software HP Support Solutions Framework.

Not sure about that nasty little Taskbar bit.

These are usually removed when the software is removed (of course).

You could drag through AppData and see if you can find anything - Having removed the actual software, config folders and the like for either software packages could be removed. Back up your data before you start digging around... I don't think this is the solution, but it doesn't take long to run some search patterns...

I am assuming since you cannot get rid of it, the icon is in the Taskbar bin and not just Pinned to the Taskbar.

IF it is just a pinned icon, Right-Click and Delete or check in Windows Start > All apps > Right-Click and remove...

What else?

You could try prying the taskbar apart in the Registry.

I do not generally recommend registry edits (safe and not sorry and all that).

More importantly in this instance - I have not tried this particular action.

Nonetheless, AFTER having made a complete backup of your system and personal data AND having exported the entire Registry, the edits explained in following might work:

Can’t unpin or remove program icons from Windows 10 Taskbar

Were it me, I'd try everything else I could think of first.

Too, there are a lot of articles on the 'net: There may be a better / easier / safer method to pry that icon out of the File System.

Thank you for participating in our HP Community.

We are a volunteer community workforce dedicated to supporting HP technology

Click Thumbs Up to say Thank You for the help.

If the answer helped resolve your issue, Click "Accept as Solution" .

Dragon-Fur

Dragon-Fur · ‎10-25-2020

@TechNott

HP Support Assistant can - to some extent - manage the software and driver updates for your computer and perhaps for an added device like your printer.

HP Support Assistant is an update manager - when the software is working as it ought, it happens that HPSA can do a few things for your printer.

Your printer is not dependent on HPSA, does not need HPSA, and can be perfectly managed, updated, and used without HPSA.

Don't read too much into it - none of it matters to your current concerns about getting rid of the left over HPSA icon in the Task Manager.

Ignore that I said anything about it, in other words.

If you ever manage to get HPSA out of the computer File System so it can be reinstalled, the computer and the printer will again be able to be managed by the HPSA Software.

If you cannot get the remnants of HPSA out of the File System,

You will have to reload the Operating System to correct the problem.

Thank you for participating in our HP Community.

We are a volunteer community workforce dedicated to supporting HP technology

Click Thumbs Up to say Thank You for the help.

If the answer helped resolve your issue, Click "Accept as Solution" .

Dragon-Fur

TechNott · ‎10-27-2020

You could drag through AppData and see if you can find anything - Having removed the actual software, config folders and the like for either software packages could be removed. Back up your data before you start digging around... I don't think this is the solution, but it doesn't take long to run some search patterns...

I am assuming since you cannot get rid of it, the icon is in the Taskbar bin and not just Pinned to the Taskbar.
IF it is just a pinned icon, Right-Click and Delete or check in Windows Start > All apps > Right-Click and remove...

Well, the icon was pinned to the task bar, and is still registered, as the "HP Support Assistant Quick Access" toolbar. It's sitting just on the left of the notification area, where it usually resides. Left-clicking does nothing (sort of suggesting that the app has, in fact, been removed), right-clicking it displays the taskbar context menu.

Going to Toolbars and deselecting the toolbar hides it in the notification area, but not in the Toolbars lists of available ones. I wasn't expecting that but I'll consider this a victory even though the toolbar should have been removed through the uninstall process.

I'm not, at this point, going to root around in AppData or the registery. My next sensible step is to a) try reinstalling the HPSA once more, then b) remove all the HP software for the printer and re-install new from scratch.

I dislike doing b) because attempts at this step in the past have been highly likely to screw up system and network stability (e.g. unable to reliably connect to the printer over ethernet (never wifi), forcing the same process on the other networked PC with the same driver package installation, unable to retain printer settings (page size default, in particular)).

Generally, the HP drivers and support software have been reliable and, more often than not, helpful (although the vote margin on that is pretty slim). Once and a while, they've been nightmares - hours spent uninstalling and reinstalling to ensure detection and reliable connectivity.

P.S. Edit: Don't know why the image of my notification area isn't being displayed. Pasting to the original post worked the first time.

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