Uninstalling msn messenger

[gingernut]

My teenage daughter has installed msn messenger on to my lovely clean laptop. Now when I try to use it to do some work, I'm inundated by messages from every pimply boy in the area- and probably beyond.

How do I banish this program from my system? I've had a look at "add/remove programs" in the control panel- do I remove the "msn" program? If I do, will it affect any of my other programmes?

Thanks in advance.

[Saab Dastard]

Are you both using the same Windows account?

That should be the first thing to change!

Just bin MSN, you won't regret it! I don't think there's anything of importance dependent on it, so ignore any warnings, just slash and burn!

SD

[gingernut]

Thanks for the replies, my "remove programs" only gives the option of removing msn, not msn messenger, I'm just a little afraid of removing something important.

I havn't got a seperate account, the beauty behind my lap top was that I could switch it on and get started with the minimal of effort, and button pushing.

[BOAC]

Originally Posted by Saab Dastard

Are you both using the same Windows account?

That should be the first thing to change!
SD

- fully endorsed!

You should set yourself as 'administrator' (with password) and her as 'daughter' or whatever (without password), AND limit her account privileges.......or else

[cymruflier]

If you wish your computer to be yours - then go into the BIOS and password protect it. Log onto the Daily Telegraph web site go to search and enter Maybury. follow the links and you will have the best guide to PC's for idiots available FOC. BIOS is not quite the frightening place you might think, it dispalys in MS DOS but it gives time to think and offers Y and N decision points

Be carefull when deleting programs - bits can be left behind. It might be months before they bite - but they will. Particularly true of MS "embedded" programs.

Always remember that as far as kids are concerned - "What's yours is mine. what's mine is my own". Kids rule ONE

MSN is part of XP - dtr didn't install it - she just used it. Now you will get all kinds of 3 dits. 4 dits 2 dits, dah. The admin and accounts function in XP is a joke really - you can download software for free that will find the password.

Highjack this is freeware that simply tells you of any attempts to change file associations; could be spyware. malware or often loading another program. Eg if you have Photoshop on board then this will default as your picture viewer - load another similar program and that will
try to be the viewer of choice and all will overide Win XP. Unless you are very carefull with the install wizard.

If it breaks then it is definitely yours. Kids rule TWO.

[hobie]

How about giving it to her for Christmas .....

and then get your self a really super duper new model, and rem to tell her if she ever touches your new m/c ...... you will put her up for Adoption !!!! ...

[BombayDuck]

or, gingernut if she wants to use it from time to time, just sign out from her account (right click on the MSN icon in the tray and click "sign out" or "exit") and it will stop bothering you.....

[gingernut]

thanks chaps, I'm at work, but I'll try it when I'm at home.

[ormus55]

dont even let her use msn on her own account either. tell to get her own machine, to bugger up.

[10bob]

I certainly don't want to know how to do it (I have no technical skills to try it anyway!), but I'm curious as to how easy this might be.

Whenever you hear about kids using msn messenger etc, you hear warnings about making sure you neve give out personal details to strangers.

However, by virtue of being logged into messenger and chatting to someone with ill intentions, how easy would it be for that someone to attack your computer and try and get personal details (eg XP log in names etc) from your computer without you knowing? If its easy, it makes the whole point about keeping personal details safe pretty redundant, doesn't it?

[Agent86]

My daughter just "had to" use my laptop in the lounge room. (wireless and too cold in her room). It doesn't have Messenger installed so she went to meebo ...chatted to her hearts content and then logged off. Lappie still unsullied by the msn monster.

[Farmer 1]

Forgive me if I'm missing something here, but: a suggestion less drastic than some of the above.

Right click on the MSM icon in the bottom right corner, then select "Sign out."

One of the options for MSM is to sign in automatically, i.e. when the computer is switched on. If you deselect this option you won't have the problem.

However, unless you have separate accounts, it means that your daughter will have free access to all your files and applications.

[SyllogismCheck]

Just to clarify, Windows Messenger is part of the standard XP installation and does not appear in the add/remove programs list. MSN Messenger is not a standard component, does appear in the add/remove programs list, and is most likely what she downloaded/installed as it has more features than Windows Messenger. I'm pretty certain that your entry called only 'MSN' will be MSN Messenger, although it's always appeared as MSN Messenger on my add/remove programs list, so I'm unsure as to why it wouldn't on yours.

MSN Messenger can be deleted with no problems at all. Windows Messenger holds various .Net/Passport and user account information for other programs/.Net/Passport applications which require a login and this may be why it's not so obviously removable.

My best advice would be to remove MSN messenger. Then, if Windows messeger still signs in with her details, simply go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Adminstrator(or whatever your primary user account with administrative rights is called, or the account she logged on and created the MSN account within if there's more than one XP user account) > Manage My Network Passwords. Then, highlight and remove any stored user names and/or passwords which she may have created for either MSN or Windows Messenger. That done, you should be back to a clean, messenger account-free setup.