Retired wrote:

> This is probably off topic but it causes me to smell a rat anyway.
> New HP computers come with an eBay link on the desktop which properties
> are ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard\Shared\WizLink.exe"
> http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=4
> &tp=dticon&s=ebay&pf=cnnb&locale=en_us&bd=all&c=11 4"
> The link takes you to the same place as http://www.ebay.com would except
> that in the address bar you see "/?clk_rvr_id=288993127703" appended.
> What is the purpose of the garbage link? Is it so eBay can see that HP
> directed someone to their site? Do they give HP a reward for that?
> What the hell is "Wizlink" anyway? Never mind. I just looked it up.
> "This application appears to have been factory loaded by HP. It is linked
> to bloatware such as the Ebay shortcut on my desktop.
> I realize wizLine, Ebay, and the rest are paying HP to do this, however, it
> would be nice if HP would remember that we, their CUSTOMERS, are paying
> them also."

Why do you think HP is having anything to do with eBay? To collect
click-through revenue. Well, how do you think eBay knows that you are
coming there from a redirect from HP so they pay HP for that redirect?

Just delete the desktop shortcut to eBay. Problem over.

You are "paying" HP for a license to any software they chose to put on
your host. You don't have to use any software they included. You could
flatten and install your own instance of the OS. What you paid for is
what HP decided to compose for their image on the model they sold you.
You thought that was the only bloatware that HP put in their image?

You didn't buy a Microsoft-blank OEM image on your host. You bought
HP's OEM image and they can put whatever they want in it. So can Acer,
Toshiba, eMachine, some computer shop down the street, or whomever you
PAID to get *pre-built* hardware that included *pre-installed* software.
You paid them to build it for you but you get what they chose to build.
Now if you really want control over what software is on your host, one
way is to do a fresh install of what YOU want or pay someone even more
to generate a custom image per your specifications.

When you buy a car, THEY chose where the cigarette lighter was located,
not you, despite you bought THEIR car. You bought THEIR image. You can
tweak it or discard it and build your own image.