[SOLVED] Help and Support window keeps popping up

2 weeks ago I installed windows 7 on my HP compaq laptop. it was working fine. Then 2 days ago the Windows Help ans Support window started popping up and now I can't get ride of it. How can I disable it. I have tried a few things but they have not worked. In the task manager under processes I see the HelpPane.exe. If I hit end task on it, it just starts again. With it being on I can't do anything.
HELP

Welcome to the forums

Do you have an HP Help wizard running in the system tray? If so, can you try temporarily disabling it to see if that prevents the popups?

Hi,

I have the same problem with pdsam55.. I tried scanning it with Norton Internet security and one live care but no virus or spyware was detected.

I already reformatted and reinstalled windows 7 ultimate but still the same.

Would appreacite any help from you guyz!. Thanks.

Any chance you are hitting the F1 key or it's stuck? This is programmed to open Help & support. Try a different keyboard.

Hi TrainableMan,

Thanks for the reply.

No, it was neither stuck. I tried to run this so called registrybooster2010 and 250 errors was detected in my registry. Now, I dont know how would I fix it. Im not yet sure if it has something to do with my installer. Registry will be deleted also as you format right? I cant figure out how come there are errors in my registry..

Thanks again.

OK, many registry errors are very common issues - for example Microsoft Word may be set to remember the last 5 documents you edited, well what if you actually deleted one of those items because you no longer want it? A registry checker sees this as an error because the registry points to a file that does not exist. Now this error won't make Word function incorrectly but it may slow it down a 100th of a second while he checks to see if the file is there. Other cases for registry errors are uninstalled software - you tried a product then deleted it when the free trial ended - again it may leave pointers to deleted items. A registry cleaner attempts to remove these invalid links to make system calls to the registry more efficient.

Most registry cleaners offer to save the registry changes to a backup file before deleting, basically it writes out the information to a file before it deletes it from the registry. This way if something is deleted that it turns out you need, it can be restored. This is always a good safety precaution.

OK, now I am not clear - do you believe this registry cleaner caused what is happening? Or is this something you ran to try to fix the problem? A registry cleaner isn't likely to fix such a problem but it could inadvertantly create such a problem by deleting something that was needed - this is when you would execute the backup file it created and it would put back all the changes it took out, effectively putting you back to before you ran the registry cleaner.

Another thing you said worries me - FORMAT. When you format a harddrive EVERYTHING on that drive is lost - the operating system, the registry, all your programs and all your data. I do not believe you are at this point so please do not format. The system normally takes restore points at least once a week so I would recommend trying a restore to a previous date/time before I would ever format and reinstall everything. Also you should have been given the option to create a system repair disk and hopefully you did that, that is another thing we could try.

BTW, CCLEANER and TuneUp Utilities 2010 are the only registry cleaners I have any experience using in Windows 7 and therefore are the only products I feel safe to recommend.

Many free registry cleaners and free virus scanners are actually malware designed to infect your computer with annoying popups "buy me to clean your system" etc

Now I did a search and Registry Booster 2010 v4.7.1.1 is a free download from CNET and I trust CNET so if that is the version and location where you got the software, then it should be valid for the purpose it is said to do.

Hi again,

Im really going crazy now. Its back again. I thought its ok the last time I used the registry booster but now its here again.

I already tried to restore to previous dates but still the same so I decided to reformat but still nothing happened good. I went to where I brought the unit and they tried to check and fix it. They tried to reinstall a trial version of windows 7 just to check if its just my installer that has a problem but its still the same. I suspect my hardware has problem but according to them its only the OS.

Is there a way to return its factory settings??! Do you think its really just an OS problem?

Thanks!

Is this a laptop or desktop? Are you absolutely sure the F1 key isn't bad?
If they installed another copy and it started doing it again then I honestly suspect it is hardware. Have you used registry booster since the reinstall?

I would like you to try downloading KeyTweak
http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/
and disable the F1 key.

If this solves the problem then it would pretty much prove there is a problem with your F1 key.

I have never used this program but it seems like the best chance to test my theory.