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General
Technical information
Communications and privacy
Configuration
Common problems
'Compaq Connections' Web site
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General |
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What is 'Compaq Connections'?
''Compaq Connections'' is a service that automatically sends you support information, tips, ideas, and
special offers from HP and our partners, especially designed for HP/Compaq desktop PC owners. It can
also deliver on-line surveys that allow you to provide feedback to HP.
How does 'Compaq Connections' work?
'Compaq Connections' messages automatically arrive when you are connected to the Internet. Messages will
appear on your desktop and will also be stored in the 'Compaq Connections' application. You can read
a message immediately, choose to view it later, or close it and don't view. If you choose to view it
later or take no action at all, the message will automatically close after about 1 minute and will re-
appear later when your PC is idle. Customers in North America typically receive 1-3 messages per
month, though the frequency of messages may vary from month to month depending your PC model,
seasonality, and timing of critical support issues. In other regions of the world message frequency
varies.
Do I need to sign up for 'Compaq Connections'?
In most cases, 'Compaq Connections' is enabled on your PC after you set it up and get connected to the
Internet. The service does not use or access any of your personal information in order to deliver
messages. For more information, see
Does 'Compaq Connections' use or collect any personally identifiable information?
You must have an Internet connection in order to receive 'Compaq Connections' messages. The service
operates independent of the type of Internet connection or Internet Service Provider you have. You can
manually enable 'Compaq Connections' by going to the Start menu, All Programs, PC Help & Tools,
Compaq Connections.
How do I receive more 'Compaq Connections' messages?
When you are connected to the Internet, 'Compaq Connections' automatically checks for the newest 'Compaq
Connections' messages and delivers them to your PC, with no interruption to your Internet experience.
If you log off the Internet while 'Compaq Connections' is checking for or delivering new content, the
activity will stop, then pick up where it left off the next time you connect to the Internet.
What is BackWeb?
HP partnered with BackWeb Technologies to develop the 'Compaq Connections' service. BackWeb is the
provider of Polite® Communications technology, based in San Jose, California. If you want to learn
more about BackWeb, please visit
www.BackWeb.com.
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Technical information |
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Does 'Compaq Connections' slow down my Internet connection when it delivers messages to my computer?
No. 'Compaq Connections' will only use idle resources without interrupting or affecting your Internet
browsing experience.
Which operating systems does 'Compaq Connections' support?
Currently supported operating system is Microsoft Windows XP.
What are the minimum system requirements for 'Compaq Connections'?
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 or higher
Intel Pentium processor or equivalent
16 MB memory
30 MB available hard disk space
Connection to the Internet at 14.4kbps or higher
Does 'Compaq Connections' run as background application on my PC?
Yes. 'Compaq Connections' runs as a background application. It is identified in Windows Task Manager
as 'Compaq Connections'. However it uses only minimal system resources to check for new messages and
deliver them.
How much memory and system resources does 'Compaq Connections' use?
Generally, 'Compaq Connections' uses less than 1MB of system memory as it runs as a background
application and checks for new content at least once every 7-20 days. When new content is actively
being delivered to the PC 'Compaq Connections' will only use idle resources without interrupting or
affecting your Internet browsing experience.
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Communications and privacy |
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How can I get my firewall software to stop telling me that information is being sent to or from the 'Compaq Connections' service?
The process name associated with the 'Compaq Connections' service may appear as "BackWeb" in your
firewall, due to the fact that BackWeb is the core technology behind the 'Compaq Connections' service.
You may choose to configure your firewall software to automatically authorize communications sent to
servers in the 'Compaq Connections' domain. Your configuration should allow both UDP and TCP
communications from updates.paviliondownload.com, home.hppcdl.com, and compaq.hppcdl.com in order for
the service to work properly. Please reference your firewall software documentation for further
instructions. You may also install a patch from HP which will ensure the process name will be
identified as 'Compaq Connections'.
Install the patch.
How can I configure my spyware detection program to not flag the 'Compaq Connections' service as spyware?
The 'Compaq Connections' service should not be considered spyware since it does not track or capture
data from your PC except as it relates to 'Compaq Connections' messages themselves, see
Does HP receive information about how I use 'Compaq Connections'?.
HP and BackWeb Technologies are working with many of the most popular spyware detection software
providers to remove the 'Compaq Connections' service from their spyware definition lists. If your
spyware detection program flags 'Compaq Connections' as spyware, it is recommended that you do not allow
your detection program to delete or disable it. If you do so, the 'Compaq Connections' service will not
be uninstalled cleanly and you may experience application errors. At this time, the only way to fix
such errors or re-install 'Compaq Connections' is to initiate your HP PC's Recovery process. If you
wish to deactivate or uninstall 'Compaq Connections', please see:
Can I de-activate 'Compaq Connections'?
Can I uninstall 'Compaq Connections'?
Does HP receive information about how I use 'Compaq Connections'?
HP collects aggregate information about how customers are interacting with 'Compaq Connections'
messages. Information collected is not tracked to an individual user. 'Compaq Connections' monitors
activity, such as links clicked, for each message displayed and sends this information back to HP via
the 'Compaq Connections' servers. HP uses this information to improve the performance, relevance, and
overall satisfaction of the 'Compaq Connections' service.
Does 'Compaq Connections' use or collect any personally identifiable information?
No. HP and its subsidiaries respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. The 'Compaq
Connections' service does not collect, use, or store any personal information such as name, address,
phone number, email address, or IP address. In some instances, such as with anonymous customer surveys,
non-personal data such as model number is collected and analyzed in aggregate in order to help us improve
the customer experience, system usability, and content. The rules to deliver 'Compaq Connections'
messages are based on the configuration of your PC at the time of purchase. The rules are generally
based on product classifications such as model number, product number, region or language. 'Compaq
Connections' can deliver messages based on serial number, however it does not tie serial numbers to
customer registration data (personal data) and it does not collect or store serial number data. The
rules do not access or recognize any of your personal data or applications you have installed after
purchasing the PC. If you purchased your PC after June 2005, you may be able to view the data used to
deliver messages to your PC by opening the 'Updates from HP' application at Start, All Programs, PC
Help & Tools, Updates from HP. Within the application, go to 'Preferences', then 'Profile'.
Occassionally, you may be prompted to enter additional data which can be added to the list of rules used
to deliver 'Compaq Connections' messages. Entry of such data is optional and HP will disclose how the
data will be used. After the service delivers new messages, they reside locally on your PC as they
display on your desktop.
Where can I find HP's full privacy policy?
HP's Online Privacy Statement can be found at
welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/privacy.html
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Configuration |
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Can I look at messages that I've closed in the past?
The most recent messages will be available to view in the 'Compaq Connections' application.
Go to: Start, All Programs, PC Help & Tools, Compaq Connections.
Do I need to be connected to the Internet for 'Compaq Connections' to work properly?
Yes. 'Compaq Connections' resides and operates on your PC. Messages can display on your desktop even
when your PC is not connected to the Internet. However, you must have an active Internet connection in
order to access to any Internet links that are included in a message. You also need to connect to the
Internet at least periodically in order for the service to check for new messages, deliver them to your
PC, and send usage data back to HP.
How can I choose the type of content I want to receive?
If you purchased your PC after June 2005, you may be able to choose the type of content you want to
receive by opening the 'Compaq Connections' application at Start, All Programs, PC Help & Tools,
Compaq Connection. Within the application, go to 'Preferences', then 'Content Options'. This function
is not available on older PC's.
Can I forward the 'Compaq Connections' service or messages to my friends with non-HP PCs?
No. At this time, 'Compaq Connections' is currently supported only on HP Pavilion desktop PC's and
Compaq Presario desktop PC's which were sold with the service already pre-installed. The service name
for HP Pavilion PC's is "Updates from HP".
Can I deactivate 'Compaq Connections'?
Yes. You have the ability to deactivate the service within each message you receive. This option is
found either in the "Options" menu on the initial desktop pop-up message or in some cases in the footer
of the message main content. Alternatively you will find the deactivate option through the Start menu
under:
Start, All Programs, PC Help & Tools, Compaq Connections
Please remember that if you deactivate the service, you will miss important support notices and usage
information specifically for your PC model. You may reactivate the service any time by going to the
same Start menu location.
Can I uninstall 'Compaq Connections'?
Yes. In the Microsoft Windows Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Look for
'Compaq Connections' in the list of programs and click the Remove button. Please remember that if you
uninstall the service, you will miss important support notices and usage information specifically for
your PC model. In order to re-install it, you will need to initiate your HP's PC Recovery process.
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Configuration |
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Why can't I see the full content for a message when I click "View now" on the initial message window?
The 'Compaq Connections' service usually delivers content that is viewable in a browser window. If you
have browser windows already open on your desktop the content may display within a currently open window
and that window may not come to the forefront of windows on your desktop. You may need to check your
open browser windows to find the 'Compaq Connections' content. Alternatively, some ad/pop-up window
blocking software may prevent 'Compaq Connections' content from launching a browser window to display
content. You may need to temporarily disable your pop-up blocking software then click "View now" on
the initial message which appears on your desktop. Please refer to the help documentation for your
ad/pop-up window blocking software for instructions on how to disable the blocking feature.
Should I accept a digital certificate I've received referencing HP and BackWeb technology? What if the expiration date of the certificate is in the past?
Digital certificates referencing HP and BackWeb may occasionally appear on your desktop for a variety of
reasons, such as if 'Compaq Connections' channels are re-subscribed or if you are being prompted to
install an executable from HP. If you are certain the certificate is from HP or BackWeb, HP recommends
you accept or install the certificate as instructed. The expiration date on such certificates may be a
past date, such as May 17, 2002 or March 11, 2000, however this will not prevent the certificate from
installing or operating correctly. You should proceed to accept or install the certificate as
instructed.
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