HOWTO: Remove Windows Messenger from Windows XP

damunzy · Jul 8, 2002

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:

Code:

rundll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

sumthinelse · Jul 9, 2002

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 9, 2002

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

Using outlook express is pretty bad

it has more security flaws than the FBI

Grisu · Jul 25, 2002

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

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

Thanks PH. I ran this last night, and killed that sucker.

damunzy · Jul 26, 2002

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 2, 2005

munzy said:
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

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

Aya said:
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

Ayatollah So said:
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

Use xplite

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

Zelig · May 31, 2005

FriendlyFire said:
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.

warmwaffles · Apr 2, 2006

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 2, 2006

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.

warmwaffles · Apr 2, 2006

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 2, 2006

You won't find it there. Check out the MS support link Aya posted.

History_Buff · Apr 3, 2006

Ayatollah So said:
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.

warmwaffles · Apr 4, 2006

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

HOWTO: Remove Windows Messenger from Windows XP

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