XP & MS Messenger
 

Anyone know how to finally get rid of Messenger from XP? I never use it, and keeps trying to get me to sign up, which is extremely irritating. I finally got fed up and after a bit of playing around managed to stop it loading on startup - result! .... almost.

Now, if I go to Windows Update, Messenger 4.6 is listed as a Critical Update. It will "improve my connectivity" according to the text. As bl**dy if - selecting it just installs Messenger again. Microsoft must really want me to have it. Carefully unselect it and you can pick the other updates, but if you're not careful then - as if by magic - Messenger is back again, trying to get me to sign up.

Anyone know how to get the damn thing to go away once and for all. I don't use it, don't want it and will never want it. :)

I do not have XP but if Redmont typists used the same procedure on XP as they did with previous ones (and I am very sure about this) than you should be able to remove it

1. in Control Panel --> Add/Remove Programs (listed as MSN Messenger)
2. providing your original XP CD and start the installation procedure which provides the option to de-selct MSN Messenger

hope this helps

http://www.kaletas-board.org/wbb/images/smilies/hot.gif

I've just tried your suggestion. In XP they've hidden it so that it doesn't appear on Add/Remove programs, but a little 'persuasion' will make it appear and you can then remove it. However, once again Windows Update finds that it missing and decides that is critical that I reinstall it (it isn't).... :(

I need to find some way of preventing it running without deleting bits of it (which seems to trigger Windows Update). :confused:

Microsoft must really want you to have it installed :rolleyes:

Take a look at www.theregister.co.uk
There was a story there recently about this.

Cheers BAL - found a couple of suggestions that I haven't tried in a Register article here. Will give it a go :)

Evo7, if none of that works, J.Helmig has kindly produced a step by step comprehensive guide (complete with photos) at his excellent networking site to help rid you of this nuisance.

http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/wxpmssgr.htm

The j.Helmig page was beautifully presented, but for my own installation of XP-Home, it did not work. The Messenger still refused to appear on "add and remove".
However the chaps from "The register" had a beautifully elegant and fast solution which did:

Open Start/Run, and type in:

RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Neat, fast and totally effective!

:)

Oddly that one didn't work for me - Windows Update went looking afterwards. Maybe there is more that one version out there...?

However, I'm now happily Messenger free :)

Evo 7

Have you tried starting Messenger and clicking on tools, then options then click on preferences. Remove the tick from the first two boxes...

' run this program when windows starts '

and

' allow this program to run in the background '

this way hopefully messenger won't start but enough of it will stay on your drive (about 4MB) to keep update quiet.

I haven't tried it myself cos I do use messenger.

www.xp-erience.org
www.tweakxp.com
http://www.windowsxp.nu/
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/wxp.htm

These are some good resources for getting into what you can do with XP (both versions). A lot of tips are repeated, but if you have the time, you'll find plenty of help.

In the particular tip, they tell you how to reveal ALL the hidden options from the add/remove windows components. A quick google for "XP tweaks" will give lots of results.

RGDS