How do I permanently uninstall a built-in Ethernet port?

Hello.

My computer (HP Pavilion a1132n) was hit by an electrical surge through the ethernet cable that damaged the built-in connection - a port that is attached directly to the Motherboard. It no longer recognizes when a cable is plugged in (always gives the unplugged message).

That itself is no biggie, as I simply added a PCI card to replace the connection, and I do most of my work on a wireless hub anyway.

But here's my problem - I need to kill the original built-in connection permanently as it messes with my Network Diagnostics. I am not talking about disabling, but rather a permanent uninstall. I can go into management and uninstall the thing, but as soon as the computer is rebooted, it recognizes it again, and it comes back to life.

Is there any way to slay this vampire?