HP is in the same boat as most other manufacturers when it comes to installing bloatware (pre-loaded software) on all their devices. Of all these, HP Audio Switch is a popular one but also encounters a common issue whereby a pop-up appears on the screen and won’t simply go away. While the reason for this is unclear, it is speculated that corrupted files could be a possible cause. Now, if you are one of those looking for ways to get rid of this HP Audio Switch Box, this article is worth reading. It narrates the ways you can try to remove this box with ease. These steps are known to work irrespective of the windows version you are using but are mostly geared towards the Windows 10 version.
Ways to fix HP Audio Switch Box won’t go away:
Disable the Audio Switch at the Startup
You can normally disable the startup tasks conveniently in the Task Manager. However, HP has created a set-up task in the HP Audio Switch system settings. This means that you will need to adhere to the use of Task Scheduler. To get access to it, first, open the control panel and tap on the System and Security option. Next, Scroll down and click on the Administrative Tools, and you will come across a new window.
Consider the list and search for the Task Scheduler. Double-click on it to open it. You will come across another window that is divided into 3 sections. Click on the ‘Task Scheduler Library’ in the right-hand menu. A list of the tasks currently scheduled on your PC will pop up in the middle. You need to find the HP Audio Switch in this list and click on it. Finally, take a look at the left-hand bottom part underneath the Selected Item. You will come across the Disable Option. Go ahead, click on it and then restart the PC to see the effect.
In case you wish to re-enable the HP Audio Switch once again, go ahead following the next steps and click on the Enable instead option. You can then hit the Delete option, but in such a case, you will not be able to enable the setting later on.
Update the Audio Drivers
Fixing the audio drivers will likely end up overwriting the corrupted files leading the box to disappear. For doing that, open the Windows Control Panel, and select the Hardware and Sound option. Select the option Device Manager in the new menu under the option Devices and Printers.
Next, you need to find the ‘Sound, video, and game controllers in this list and look for the HP Audio driver, or you can select the computer’s main audio device/speaker. Hit the right-click button and proceed with the ‘Update Driver’ option.
Now in the new window, you will have to click on the Browse my computers for drivers option, followed by picking up your preferred option from the list of available drivers on your computer option. Here, select HP Audio drivers. You can even decide to uninstall the drivers, but the glitch is that you might have to reinstall all of these once again, or the sound might not work. Look for the right pair of drivers for your computer on the HP website.
Repair the Corrupted Files using Windows System File Checker
If your files are not repaired even after updating the audio drivers, you must repair them manually. In such a case, you technically have 2 methods available to run the System File Checker on the Windows 10 PC. Here you will understand what is the easiest method since all other methods require you to enter the BIOS settings.
This needs you to type some commands in the command prompt. However, following the instructions properly will help you a lot to conduct the task successfully. First, open the Command Prompt by simply typing CMD in the search bar on the windows taskbar. Make sure to proceed with the right click on the application and then select the option ‘Run as Administrator’ followed by hitting ‘Yes’. Once it opens up, next, you will have to type “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” but make sure to omit the quotation and press the enter button. Include space before the slash (/) for the same to work.
This step will take about 30 minutes. Once done, you will come across a notification on the Command Prompt stating that the operation is successfully completed. It is now time to type “sfc/scannow” but without the use of quotation marks in the command prompt. Press enter once again. And as before, do give space before the slash sign here too.
Ensure to create a system restore point before running the SFC to stay safe in case it breaks something- some command. For creating a system restore point, go ahead typing “Create a restore point” in the search bar on the windows taskbar. This will open up a system properties window. It is important to ensure that you are on the System Protection tab. Select the option Create and tap OK.
Its Time To Scan Your Computer For Viruses
There are chances of certain situations popping up where you will find that certain things are not happening accordingly since there is something wrong with the software. However, it might be a different case as a whole. Maybe there is a virus that is portrayed as the application. The next move you need to take will depend on what type of antivirus software is installed on your PC.
You might wish to look for different options to conduct a full system scan. You will be able to find the virus in windows security as Virus and threat protection popping up in the left-hand menu. Proceed by clicking on the Scan options available in the list beneath the Quick Scan button. Now select the option Full Scan in the new menu and go ahead, hitting the Scan now option.
Uninstalling the HP Audio Switch
If you are still struggling to get rid of the HP Audio Switch Box that is popping up on the screen and bothering you, the ultimate option is to get rid of the app, i.e., uninstall the app. Since it is bloatware, the computer doesn’t have to function properly and thereby can be deleted.
Go ahead uninstalling the app by simply opening the Control Panel from the Windows Start Menu. Under programs, tap on the Uninstall a program option. Look out for the HP Audio Switch option from the list, and then you need to right-click over it and choose the Uninstall option. Accept and follow any prompts popping up.
To be safe, you can proceed with first creating a system restore point and then uninstalling any of the HP software as needed. Step 2 points out the step you should be following for this. Users enjoy the privilege of downloading the HP Audio Switch from the manufacturer’s website in case they wish to reinstall it again. Proceed with selecting the device you own to check out the latest version of Audio Drivers available for it.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
