View Full Version : HOWTO: Remove Windows Messenger from Windows XP


damunzy
Jul 08, 2002, 09:55 AM
Finally a way that I have found to remove Windows Messenger without slowing down Outlook Express.

Click on the Start button.
Click on Run.
Type cmd.
Hit Enter or click OK.
Type:rundll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

sumthinelse
Jul 09, 2002, 03:58 AM
PH, I am running win2k. There is a messenger service but it is supposed to have something to do with the alerter.

Dumb question: why do you want to remove it?

damunzy
Jul 09, 2002, 04:46 PM
I use Trillian and I don't need Windows Messenger (it is the same thing as MSN Messenger but it is built into XP). It ALWAYS pops up when you run programs like Outlook Express. So this way it doesn't have to start the program up and be one of those annoying little tray icons in the bottom right hand corner.

kmad
Jul 25, 2002, 01:45 AM
Using outlook express is pretty bad

it has more security flaws than the FBI

KaeptnOvi
Jul 25, 2002, 02:46 AM
Cool, I just removed it. Thanks a lot.

I don't like IM's anyway so I'm happy to get rid of it.

Pillager
Jul 26, 2002, 07:45 AM
IIRC, I 'uninstalled' Messenger simply by renaming its .exe file. It stopped the annoying 30 sec wait when starting Outlook Express, at least.

baseballtwin86
Jul 26, 2002, 09:40 AM
Thanks PH. I ran this last night, and killed that sucker.

damunzy
Jul 26, 2002, 07:55 PM
Originally posted by Pillager
IIRC, I 'uninstalled' Messenger simply by renaming its .exe file. It stopped the annoying 30 sec wait when starting Outlook Express, at least. When I unistalled Outlook Express by any method other than the one I detailed above I got a 30 second delay (before removing it the program came up in no time and I see maybe a 1 or 2 sec improvement now).....weird how computers work. :)

Aya
Mar 02, 2005, 01:53 PM
Finally a way that I have found to remove Windows Messenger without slowing down Outlook Express.


This seems rather brutal. Check out:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q302089

Ayatollah So
May 28, 2005, 09:56 AM
Guys, explain to me like I'm a six-year-old. Will this stop those annoying messages that say
"Messenger Service
Message from WINDOWS to ALERT on 5/28/2005 11:53:02 AM

Microsoft Internet Security Bulletin

blah blah Spyware blah blah
http://blah.blah.blah"

If so, I gotta say
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

Padma
May 28, 2005, 10:28 AM
This seems rather brutal. Check out:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q302089
If you notice, this thread is 3 years old - 2002. Was XP even out, then? ;)

Ayatollah So: I don't use WIndows, but I assume this is what they are talking about.

Zelig
May 28, 2005, 11:06 AM
Guys, explain to me like I'm a six-year-old. Will this stop those annoying messages that say
"Messenger Service
Message from WINDOWS to ALERT on 5/28/2005 11:53:02 AM

Microsoft Internet Security Bulletin

blah blah Spyware blah blah
http://blah.blah.blah"

If so, I gotta say
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

You really should upgrade to SP2. I'm almost positive that those don't occur with SP2 anymore, and it provides a hoard of other security fixes.

FriendlyFire
May 31, 2005, 04:53 AM
Use xplite

In addition to removing MSN I have removed XP tour
Outlook express, Themes, screensavers, etc etc

Zelig
May 31, 2005, 01:20 PM
Use xplite

In addition to removing MSN I have removed XP tour
Outlook express, Themes, screensavers, etc etc

If you're into removing large chunks of stuff from windows, check out nLite.

Drivebymaster
Apr 02, 2006, 04:27 PM
Dude...I have been wondering for AGES how to remove this S.O.B. and now...I love you!!

EDIT:
SON OF A MOTHER CRAP...I bumped a year old thread...I have got to start reading the date bars more....damn I messed up

Speedo
Apr 02, 2006, 05:23 PM
You really should upgrade to SP2. I'm almost positive that those don't occur with SP2 anymore, and it provides a hoard of other security fixes.

That's the messenger service, which is disabled by default with SP2.

As for windows messenger itself, it's better just to prevent it from running via group policy.

Drivebymaster
Apr 02, 2006, 05:37 PM
Why on earth did M$ incorprate something that stupid...I mean seriously...I hate windows messenger...

anyways where is the group policy....I should prolly check the control panel

Speedo
Apr 02, 2006, 05:44 PM
You won't find it there. Check out the MS support link Aya posted.

History_Buff
Apr 03, 2006, 10:26 AM
Guys, explain to me like I'm a six-year-old. Will this stop those annoying messages that say
"Messenger Service
Message from WINDOWS to ALERT on 5/28/2005 11:53:02 AM

Microsoft Internet Security Bulletin

blah blah Spyware blah blah
http://blah.blah.blah"

If so, I gotta say
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

This one is an easy fix. You'll lose the Messenger Service, but this has nothing to do with MSN, and odds are you don't know what it does and you'll never use it.

So, go Start->Run, and type in "services.msc". This will open up a new window, with a complete list of stuff you don't need to know about. Scroll down until you see "Messenger". Right-click it, choose properties. In the "Start Up Type" list, choose "Disable". Then click ok, close the services box, and you're done. No more of that **** to bother you ever again.

Drivebymaster
Apr 03, 2006, 11:24 PM
Ya I did the whole services shut down and what not today...and I must tell you I AM VERY happy with the speed increase on my Celeron D...thats right :(

Now that I am on any new PC or what not I am all about effeciency...because of this slow processor there is virtually no way for me to play any cool hi gfx game... Celeron the cheap cousin of the pentium

Heres another celeron joke...you can't make a celeron run faster! only run less slow

PrinceScamp
Apr 04, 2006, 12:45 AM
Outlook Express? People USE it? I''ve NEVER used it, I always thought it was cruddy.

History_Buff
Apr 04, 2006, 12:47 AM
It's not neccesarily the processor thats the problem. A good deal of the time a proccesor just stalls while it waits for the Cache and RAM to properly adjust itself, especially so when you're using Virtual Memory. Unless the cache is built into a Celeron (I have no idea, one way or the other about the cache's location on any chip).

Speedo
Apr 04, 2006, 03:15 PM
All CPUs have cache built in... they have to have it. The speed of onboard cache makes the fastest memory and FSB or HT speeds look like molasses. I'm not overly familiar with intel's stuff, but Athlon64s have 64KB + 64KB L1 cache, and 512KB or 1MB (depending on the model) L2 cache. Some other types of CPUs have L3 cache, but it's not so common.