how to disable windows messenger

[shapeshifter]

know it should be simple but apparently it's not. i have already:

- disabled messenger in admin tools.. 'services'
- deleted messenger-pf from windows\cache and all random copies of messenger
(msmsgs.exe) EXCEPT in c:\windows
- disable access thru 'set program access and defaults'
- checked startup programs to verify that messenger was not listed

nevertheless messenger still keeps trying to access the net, both as a
server and as a client.

what steps can i take next short of deleting messenger from my computer (i
may need it in the future)? Is there something in the pf file that keeps
loading the program. if so, how do i edit it to change that behavior?


mc

 

[Willie]

DO NOT delete messenger. Start messenger, go to Tools, Options, Preferences
tab, UNCHECK box "Run this program when Windows starts", OK...Should help
you. Good Luck.

Willie

 

[Willie]

P.S. Messenger in admin tools is not related to Messenger(Look to the left
when highlighting messenger in admin tools, and it tells you that. Hope this
helps in some way, combined with my first answer to your post.

willie

 

[Courtney]

P.S. Messenger in admin tools is not related to Messenger(Look to the left
when highlighting messenger in admin tools, and it tells you that. Hope this
helps in some way, combined with my first answer to your post.

willie

If you have Service Pack 1, you can stop Windows Messenger with
Microsoft's help.

Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, Add/Remove Window Components.
Clear the checkbox next to Windows Messenger.

In some cases, the uninstall will be hidden and not listed. If so, close
out Control Panel. Now find the file sysoc.inf in the inf directory
under your windows directory. Open it with notepad. Find the line
"msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7". Remove "hide", but not
the commas that surround it, so it reads,
"msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7". Save the file as "sysoc.inf"
with the quotation marks. Otherwise, notepad will add .txt to the end of
the filename.

Now Windows Messenger will show up on the list.

--courtney

 

[Kangaroo]

Windows Messenger (msmsgs.exe) is NOT the same as Messenger Service
(svchost.exe).

(1) To stop Windows Messenger from starting with Windows:

Start > All Programs > Windows Messenger > Tools > Options > Preferences,
then uncheck both "Run this program when Windows starts" and "Allow this
program to run in the background".

However, if you're using OE, it will start Windows Messenger when OE starts
(and close it when OE is closed, but only if you unchecked the 2nd option
above, otherwise it will leave it running).

(2) To stop Windows Messenger from starting with OE:

Visit Doug Knox's site: http://www.dougknox.com/

Click "Win XP Fixes" then "Prevent Messenger from starting with Outlook
Express" (on the right hand side) and download both the "do" and "undo" vbs
scripts. Run the "do" script.

Note: You will observe that the:

OE > Tools > Options > General "Automatically log on to Windows Messenger"
check-box has disappeared.

(3) Now, if you have Norton AV, it will try (but not succeed) to start
Windows Messenger every 2 minutes (check the Norton log!) unless you go to:

NAV > Options > Instant Messenger > What instant messengers to protect

and uncheck "Windows Messenger (recommended)" option.

Done, HTH,

P.S. Disabling the Messenger Service, as per another poster's reference to
"ShootTheMessenger" from http://grc.com/default.htm is, ASFAI've read, also
recommended (but unconnected).