unwanted Magic Desktop update

[Nelson Longflap]

I've had a HP Pavilion DM1 netbook running Windows 7 since Christmas 2011, and on the whole have been happy with it for lightweight computing jobs. Just recently I've been getting requests to update Magic Desktop. It's something I've never used but was apparently preinstalled by HP; I either missed it when I removed most of the crapware or it is lying to me when it says HP had preloaded it.

My reaction to the update request was to use the Control Panel to uninstall the unwanted Magic Desktop program (it was there). However that hasn't stopped the requests to update being downloaded whenever I'm online.

The update invitation comes with the ambiguous message 'Do not notify me about this update', with an associated tick box.  Do they mean 'Don't notify me and I will do the update without asking' or does it mean 'Tick the box to stop me bothering you again'. I'd like it to be the latter!

I'm inclined to tick the box and see if that reinstalls an updated Magic Desktop so I can uninstall it again. If it doesn't do that then hopefully it may have gone away. But before going ahead with this plan I thought I'd ask the collective intelligence at yacf whether there is a Better Way.

[Biggsy]

Look in the Task Scheduler (and double check Uninstall a Program) for anything relevant.  And/or install CCleaner and run its main program and also check the Startup entries.

Alternative advice: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-and-Software/Magic-desktop-problem/td-p/426937

[Nelson Longflap]

Thanks for that very prompt reply Biggsy.  If possible I prefer not to add more software in order to remove something else, so I followed your tip to check the Task Scheduler but there didn't appear to be anything relevant to Magic Desktop. There is no sign of it in Startup either. So ...

I checked C:\ProgramData and found a folder
Easybits Magic Desktop for HP
which I renamed as
Easybits Magic Desktop for HP_Renamed20131220

Shortly after I did this I got the exact same update notification as shown in my OP   

A bit of googling suggested these update notices come from an EasyBits specific program called
C:\ProgramData\Easybits Magic Desktop for HP_Renamed20131220\mdhpSUN which I renamed
C:\ProgramData\Easybits Magic Desktop for HP_Renamed20131220\mdhpSUN_renamed20131220

I'm assuming that renaming the folder and the program will make them invisible to whatever is using them. If that works, and there are no consequential problems, I'll go back and delete them.

If none of that works I'll undo the renaming and adopt your suggested plan B and download CCleaner or something similar.

Doesn't look like there will be an instant answer, but to close this thread I'll report the final outcome here.

Thanks very much again - its been a learning experience   

[fuaran]

Try running msconfig (open the start menu, then type in msconfig in the search box).
That will list various things that run at startup, and you can disable them.

[Biggsy]

There'll be entries with obscure names.  It's worth researching every one of them if you like to minimise crapware in general.

[Nelson Longflap]

Thanks both ...

Try running msconfig (open the start menu, then type in msconfig in the search box).
That will list various things that run at startup, and you can disable them.

It looks like that may have done the trick ...


Might try switching off some other stuff now I know how to do it