Re: Removing MSN Messenger

From: Jonathan Kay [MVP] (msnewsreplies_at_jonathankay.com)
Date: 05/28/04 

Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 11:53:20 -0400

Greetings Noel,

You can completely remove Windows Messenger (4.7) but if you do, you will be preventing
Remote Assistance, Whiteboard, Application Sharing and any other applications that utilize
Messenger from working (or loading without problems). Instead (and this should solve your
problem), you should simply disable it. To do so, open it up, click Tools, Options,
Preferences tab and unchecking 'Run this Program when Windows starts' or 'Run Windows
Messenger when Windows starts' (depending on version). As well, you can disable it further
by going to Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, Add/Remove Windows Components on
the left, uncheck Windows Messenger in the components list and click Next >. Note: this is
only available if you've installed Windows XP Service Pack 1 -- if you haven't, visit
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. This won't remove Windows Messenger, but it will let it
stay out of your way.

However, if you really want to remove it completely, for Windows Messenger 4.7, close down
Messenger if it's running (right click the messenger icon in the notification area/system
tray and click close). Then click the start button, then click Run and type in (copy-paste
if you like):
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Then click OK.
Messenger will then be uninstalled. For more detailed instructions and screenshots, go to,
http://messenger.jonathankay.com/problem.aspx?ID=7
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

"Muskie" <daleandruth@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3sHtc.54624$tb4.2041040@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Could someone please tell me how to remove MSN Messenger from Windows XP? This is
> frustrating the heck out of me! I have gone into msconfig and have removed it several
> times. After I remove it from Startup in msconfig, the system reboots and it is not in my
> system tray, but then it will be selected in Startup in msconfig again!! I have removed
> Windows .NET Framework, but still Messenger keeps coming up!
>
> - Noel
>