It is an annoying one, isn't it. If you look just below that flahsing pop-up, you will see "Close" or "Collapse" - click on that and it will shut down. I block this crap through AOL too but these on the forum keeping jumping right back up. I have no clue as to how the internet system works but it may be that these ads are sponsors ($$$) to defray costs on the net. Sal

A library has many books on your topic.

Thanks to both of you. I found "hpwuSchd Application"in the start menu, but as the popup happened well after startup, I don't think that is what is doing it. More likely is what I found in HP Solutions. I hadn't even looked there before, and there were checkmarks in all three categories for automatically checking for updates. I changed them. Actually, this popup would not have alarmed me, were it not for the fact that it had no button there at all, and right after that, Windows 7 sent a popup about backing up, which I had not set for Mondays (though I had tried to do a manual backup a few hours earlier), so I got the idea that maybe my clicking on the HP popup triggered a key logger or something, which triggered the backup notice in order to capture my Admin password. Is such a thing even possible? I couldn't even close the popup using Task Manager. That was upsetting, too. Anyway, full scans with both MBAM and Superantispyware didn't find anything alarming, only a lot of adcookies in the case of the latter. The popup I got was pale blue and had a number of crosses or stars in it. Is that what you got, Raven? And was there actually a radio button, or did the whole thing act as a button? I was going to complain to HP about the shame of them (a computer company after all!) creating and sending out a popup with nowhere to click on. Now that I know that you got ignored, I won't waste my time. Aggravating, isn't it!

I am not sure how much dead space you have behind the cooktop cabinet, but you may be able to have the cooktop sit towards the back of the cabinet and then have the pop-up vent actually be behind the cabinet. It depends on just how far from the edge of the countertop that will end up being and if you are comfortable with that. Are you still going to be able to access the vent fan in case it ever needs service or replacement?