Can't eliminate Windows Messenger icon from Notification Area.

[Ari]

Hi Everyone,

I've searched the Knowledge Base with no help found. After finding
these Microsoft newsgroups on my ISP's usenet server, I decided to try
here. Hopefully someone can provide an answer, or a nudge in the right
direction. I also searched this NG for some related keywords, and read
some of the replies, my problem is a bit atypical I suspect.

Unlike most of the users here, my issue is not with making Windows
Messenger run....it regards how to STOP it from running.

I have a newly assembled system with XP Pro SP2, fully updated with
all the stops pulled out to optimize system performance. I use AVG
antivirus, Firefox, and have closed down many of the known security
issues in XP. I use Eudora, and Free Agent to read usenet posts. I
don't use Bill's email software, Instant Messenger, MSN etc or any
other such 'enhancements'. I have no use for Windows Messenger, don't
want it on my system and have no problem deleting the .exe file if
that's what it takes to resolve the problem.

Even though I don't want Windows Messenger, the icon continuously
shows up in my notification area, except it has a small red X on the
lower right hand corner, indicating it is not running. But I can't
make it go away. When I go look at the Services list in the control
panel (Administrative Services), it says disabled.

I set up the machine (initially) with myself as the sole user, but
after working out most of the bugs, I've added 2 additional users
(wife and daughter). They do not see the windows messenger icon and
they also don't use Messenger or want it either. So, the icon only
shows up on my notification area, not on any of the other users.

I should also say that none of the users have administrative
privileges while the computer is connected to the internet and when
changes require the administrator, we turn off the modem before
logging in to the administrators account to do maintenance. We all log
in with a real password.

System Restore is turned off, indexing is turned off, file extensions
are set to display rather than to be hidden, special effects are
turned off.

I've run spyware scans (ad-aware, spybot and Hi-Jack this), the system
is most likely NOT compromised.

Any suggestions besides tracking down and deleting the Windows
Messenger .exe??

Thanks,

Ari

 

[John Barnett MVP]

visit my website http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org Click the Win XP Faq
button and take a look at question 15 - how do i uninstall windows
messenger. alternatively look at question 17. How do i prevent windows
messenegr from auto starting


--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this post. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this post..

 

[Ari]

WOW, awesome website John, thanks very much.

Rather than messing with the setup of Windows Messenger, I decided to
uninstall it using the method described on your website. If it's not
on the hard drive, then it is much less of a security risk!

While I was in the windows components install section, I took out
Outlook, MSN Explorer, the XP splash screen and did some other minor
pruning.

When I restarted, I had to delete the Windows Messenger start up info,
but after that, I was home free!

I've got my running processes down to 27, clearly some of those
deletions had services running that I neither needed or wanted. So,
it's all good.

We've been running XP (pre-alpha, alpha and beta) since 1990 or so
(commonly called DOS3, DOS5, DOS6, Win95, Win98 etc). Glad to see
Bill's OS progressing towards a usable product:>: I don't recommend it
to my friends yet, but we have had XP running for 2 years (without
reinstalling), a new record. Hopefully he will continue to work the
bugs out and someday produce a usable product! XP is a giant step in
that direction, although each time he releases a new version, he seems
to charge for it-over and over::>

Regarding the Splash screen elimination.....is it my imagination, or
does windows load faster with the splash screen gone????

Can you also comment on the ramifications of making the auto-login
changes outlined in your FAQ? It seems to be a step in the wrong
direction (to me) relative to security. Doesn't this allow a hacker
into the system if he gets past the firewall (I have a hardware
firewall in the DSL modem and run Zone Alarm (freeware version)? Or,
would this be ok as long as the account with the auto-login doesn't
have administrative privileges????

Hey John, again many thanks. I think Bill should pay you guys! An MVP
helped me out of a mess a few years ago and I've always felt the
individual did a better job than Bill's outsourced (Willie from India)
tech support people. Clearly, you all are much more in touch with real
people.

Regards

Ari

 

[Rick]

visit my website http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org Click the Win XP Faq
button and take a look at question 15 - how do i uninstall windows
messenger. alternatively look at question 17. How do i prevent windows
messenegr from auto starting

Why not just post it here?

Start click Run type gpedit.msc then click OK
Expand Local Computer expand computer configuration expand
Administrative Templates expand Windows Components then expand Windows
Messenger
Double click do not allow Windows Messenger to be run and then click enable
click OK
on the file menu click Exit

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Hi Ari,

Glad you found my site useful.

I agree that the lack of user name and password can cause a serious security
breach. But no matter how many time you bang on about security, the average
user of XP has the opinion that security is for businesses only.

My inbox is regularly full with questions asking how to get rid of the
inconvenient login screen. While i am aware of the security implications i
cannot and, hopefully, do not try to force my opinions on other users. If
they wish to remove the login screen then, if i don't tell them how to
remove it, someone else will.

Personally i would use the login screen for all accounts regardless of there
privledge status. Okay the login screen adds valuable second to the boot up
process but, and again this is a personal observation, i feel people are
becoming a little paranoid over how quickly the pc should boot up. Mine
takes, on average, 90 seconds. Is that slow or fast? It doesn't really
bother me, but it does others. XP was originally supposed to load in 30
seconds. When i have used bootvis it tells me it loads in 38 seconds. This
is what people are thinking about. Why should XP boot is 38 seconds and yet
my machine take three times longer to do the same job. Answer is simple.
Bootvis starts timing from when XP starts its processes, not when the pc is
switched on. The pre-amble of the BIOS etc takes 30 seconds anyway, so now
we are running at 68 seconds for bootup. Add any applications that need to
start with windows and you can probably add a further 30 seconds. Total 98
seconds. So my 90 seconds to desktop is quite good.

The thought of windows loading quicker without the splash screen is maybe a
misnomer. All the splash screen is doing is covering the dozens of lines
that fly by as the drivers etc load. It is possibly because you can actually
see information flying past on the screen that you have the illusion of an
increase in windows boot up.

Regards

John


--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this post. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this post..

 

[Ari]

Thanks again John,

Your thoughts on using the log in for all users regardless of type of
privileges they have makes good sense.

I can certainly understand (now that is), why my google search
produced hundreds of hits with instructions on how to get around the
log in, but almost nothing on the importance of maintaining the log in
as a security issue.

I can't say I'm unhappy to hear that most users are oblivious to the
possible problems associated with lax security. After all, if a hacker
finds 99.9 percent of the online systems completely susceptible to
attack, he/she is much less likely to go after mine! So, I'm not at
all unhappy that others chose to operate in that manner, if you catch
my drift::>.

My brother in law who is even more security conscious than I am had
been led to believe that the log in only protected him from
unauthorized access via the kb though...since he doesn't let the PC
out of his sight, he hasn't been requiring himself to log in.

I thought the password log in to be the last doorway to the system
(after the firewall is breeched).

I do make the family members use real passwords (capitol letters,
lowercase, punctuation and no single word or real word passwords
allowed). We don't have anything on our system that is overly
valuable, but maintain the security to minimize the threat of the
system being commandeered and used to launch attacks on other systems
via the internet.

I just noticed someone has a stand alone gun safe with fingerprint
recognition, but they aren't common in the computer world yet-would be
nice to have a fingerprint recognition system! Program it with me and
my family members fingerprints, and have it automatically log on to
the member who's print is recognized! Maybe someday soon::>

Regarding the speed of the boot up with the splash screen gone.....I
did time it, and it does boot faster. I didn't double check it, so
perhaps I made an error. I won't bother to undo it just to confirm
it's quicker-so we leave the faster boot up issue as a 'maybe' I guess
and call it good.

Thanks so much for your honesty and help-it's much appreciated.

Ari

 

[John Barnett MVP]

You are welcome Ari. Incidentally there are 'fingerprint' keyboards around.
I can't give you any links off the top of my head, but Microsoft had
developed one and so had Logitech.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this post. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this post..