Darn... Got Microsoft Scumware from WindowsUpdate

G

grz01

Yuck, so Microsoft apparently has now joined
scumware distributors like Gator and Real(Crap)Player.com,
forcing unwanted, unsolicited software on their clients.

After the latest update from WindowsUpdate
I suddenly have a totally unwanted Windows Messenger icon
popping up in my systray after reboot.

I have NEVER installed such scumware on my system,
but now it got it unsolicited from an ordinary windowsupdate.

In the Control Panel=> Add/Remove Programs => Windows Components
it still UNCHECKED, i.e. marked as NOT installed,
which is obviously a lie.

But it also gives a problem... how the heck do I now
uninstall it when it's already marked as NOT installed?!

Help Appreciated, if anyone can advice on this.

------------------------------------------------- grz01
 
S

Shenan Stanley

grz01 said:
Yuck, so Microsoft apparently has now joined
scumware distributors like Gator and Real(Crap)Player.com,
forcing unwanted, unsolicited software on their clients.

After the latest update from WindowsUpdate
I suddenly have a totally unwanted Windows Messenger icon
popping up in my systray after reboot.

I have NEVER installed such scumware on my system,
but now it got it unsolicited from an ordinary windowsupdate.

In the Control Panel=> Add/Remove Programs => Windows Components
it still UNCHECKED, i.e. marked as NOT installed,
which is obviously a lie.

But it also gives a problem... how the heck do I now
uninstall it when it's already marked as NOT installed?!

Help Appreciated, if anyone can advice on this.

You chose to download it and let it install from the Microsoft Windows
Update web page and now you complain?

MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger?

As for "MSN Messenger", this one can be removed from the Control Panel ->
Add/Remove programs. It can alternatively be stopped from loading by
selecting TOOLS -> Options inside the application itself and looking under
the "General" tab and unchecking "Automatically run Messenger when I log on
to Windows" checkbox. OK your way out then right-click on the icon in the
taskbar and exit or just log off/back on.

Disable/Remove Windows Messenger
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_mess_disable.htm
Microsoft's take on its removal:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302089
 
W

wyocowboy

Yuck, so Microsoft apparently has now joined
scumware distributors like Gator and Real(Crap)Player.com,
forcing unwanted, unsolicited software on their clients.

After the latest update from WindowsUpdate
I suddenly have a totally unwanted Windows Messenger icon
popping up in my systray after reboot.

I have NEVER installed such scumware on my system,
but now it got it unsolicited from an ordinary windowsupdate.

In the Control Panel=> Add/Remove Programs => Windows Components
it still UNCHECKED, i.e. marked as NOT installed,
which is obviously a lie.

But it also gives a problem... how the heck do I now
uninstall it when it's already marked as NOT installed?!

Help Appreciated, if anyone can advice on this.

------------------------------------------------- grz01

Right click the icon, then click exit.
Go into task manager and end the process named msmsgs.exe.
Go into Windows Explorer, browse to c:\program files\messenger
Rename the messenger folder to messengerdisabled

That should do it, until it installs again :)
 
6

666interface

wyocowboy said:
Right click the icon, then click exit.
Go into task manager and end the process named msmsgs.exe.
Go into Windows Explorer, browse to c:\program files\messenger
Rename the messenger folder to messengerdisabled

That should do it, until it installs again :)
thats what i had to do
 
J

JD

Windows Messenger is not "scumware." It is part of Windows. The only choice
you have in Windows Components is to remove the shortcut from your Start
Menu Programs. If it's in your notification area, that only means that it is
running. It's easy to prevent that. Just go to the Options page of Windows
Messenger and instruct it not to load when Windows loads.
 
H

Harrison Hoffman

Windows Messenger is a big part of Windows. When you uninstall it, you
break a lot of things.
 
J

John E. Carty

Can you give us a list of what it breaks???

Harrison Hoffman said:
Windows Messenger is a big part of Windows. When you uninstall it, you
break a lot of things.
 
L

L David Matheny

Harrison Hoffman said:
Windows Messenger is a big part of Windows.
When you uninstall it, you break a lot of things.
That is a very disturbing assertion. If Microsoft has indeed
become that arrogant, it's time for all of us to start considering
Linux. I've said for some time that if anybody can make Linux
succeed, it's Microsoft. Or did you mean to say that Internet
Explorer is a big part of Windows? That would be old news.
 
M

Michael Cecil

That is a very disturbing assertion. If Microsoft has indeed
become that arrogant, it's time for all of us to start considering
Linux. I've said for some time that if anybody can make Linux
succeed, it's Microsoft. Or did you mean to say that Internet
Explorer is a big part of Windows? That would be old news.
If the OP wants to remove it just use the method the MS provides. Go to
Start > Run and enter this line and run it:

Rundll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

I've never had a problem after uninstalling it. Of course, he could also
just go into the Messenger options and prevent it from loading that way
too.
 
D

Damian

John said:

http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html


"Break" was inaccurate, it causes a problem with OE if you remove Windows
Messenger:

To prevent a long delay when opening Outlook Express when you have the
Contacts pane enabled. Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Right click in the right pane and select New, Dword value.
Name it Hide Messenger
Double click this new entry and set the value to 2.
 
J

John E. Carty

No, but there was a claim made that it breaks many things and you stated you
could supply the list :)
 
D

Diogenes

John said:
No, but there was a claim made that it breaks many things and you
stated you could supply the list :)

No he didn't say that. Perhaps if you learned to post correctly you could
follow what was posted.

Join the top-poster file... /PLONK/
 
J

John E. Carty

Diogenes said:
No he didn't say that. Perhaps if you learned to post correctly you could
follow what was posted.

Join the top-poster file... /PLONK/
Yes, he did and I'll post how I damn well please thank you :)
Windows Messenger is a big part of Windows. When you uninstall it, you
break a lot of things.
--
Harrison Hoffman

Can you give us a list of what it breaks???
--
John E. Carty



I can. Quit top-posting and I will.
 

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