msmsgs.exe (MSN Messenger) always loads even when configured not to

  • Thread starter Thread starter *Vanguard*
  • Start date Start date
V

*Vanguard*

I don't use MSN Messenger to monitor and use my Hotmail account. Fact is, I
don't use my Hotmail account except to keep my Passport account alive.
After installing Windows XP SP-1 and installing a firewall, I got a message
from my firewall telling me that MSN Messenger wanted to make a connection.
I have it configured to NOT load on Windows startup and to NOT run as a
background program. So it should not get loaded nor should it remain loaded
when exited. But it does both!

What the hell is Microsoft pulling here? I had to define a firewall
application rule that always blocks any inbound or outbound connection for
msmsgs.exe. I suppose I could uninstall MSN Messenger but under other
versions of Windows all I had to do was configure its options to disable its
automatic load and prevent it from running in the background. Guess that
doesn't work anymore.
 
MSN Messenger is built-in to Outlook Express an Internet Explorer. Since XP
uses Internet Explorer as Windows Explorer and Windows Explorer is started
always, Messenegr is always started. You should be able to find a reg patch
to turn it off.

Y.
 
Remove Microsoft Messenger
Microsoft made sure to tightly integrate Messenger into ALL of their internet applications because the just knew we would all use, and love this piece of crap. The word for today folks is: Monopoly.

If you don't enjoy having this thing shoved down your throat at every turn, I found two effective methods of banishing it forever. If you choose to remove Messenger, be sure to go through the options in apps like Outlook, or Oulook Express and uncheck the "enable instant messaging in Outlook" or else these programs will load slower because they are searching for Messenger.


The easiest way is to click Start/Run and copy/paste the following command: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

The second method is as follows: Go to the start menu, and choose the Run command. Type: C:/windows/inf/SYSOC.INF. Now you need to look for a heading that reads "components" and find the line that reads: msgsmsgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7. All you need to do is delete the word "hide." Leave everything else as it is, including the commas. Then save and exit. Now Messenger should be in your add/remove programs list.
 
Open my computer, click program files, and for the
Messenger file, just rename it. For example, I renamed it
I Hate messenger. That will solve your problem. That was a
trick I learned from Leo LaPorte from TechTV.
 
"Yves Leclerc" said in news:%[email protected]:
MSN Messenger is built-in to Outlook Express an Internet Explorer.
Since XP uses Internet Explorer as Windows Explorer and Windows
Explorer is started always, Messenegr is always started. You should
be able to find a reg patch to turn it off.
Click to expand...

Doesn't explain why msmsgs.exe loads even when Outlook Express or Internet
Explorer are NOT loaded. I use Task Manager to kill the msmsgs.exe process.
OE and IE are not running. 100 seconds later the msmsgs.exe process
reappears. Something keeps kicking it off.

The desktop shell (GUI) is explorer.exe, not iexplore.exe. That's why it's
damn tough when explorer.exe hangs as to which one you should kill in Task
Manager. Pick the wrong one and your GUI goes kaplooie.
 
"Mike" said in news:[email protected]:
... If you
choose to remove Messenger, be sure to go through the options in apps
like Outlook, or Oulook Express and uncheck the "enable instant
messaging in Outlook" or else these programs will load slower because
they are searching for Messenger.
Click to expand...

Messenger integration in OE and OL2002 were already disabled. I knew about
that slowing down these clients in trying to check if someone else was
currently up and logged in. I went to Add/Remove Programs to use Add/Remove
Windows Components, deselected MSN Messenger, and removed it. But that was
not sufficient. The C:\Program Files\Messenger path still existed with
msmsgs.exe in it. Also, after killing the msmsgs.exe process, it would
magically reappear in 100 seconds even with OE, OL2002, and IE *not* loaded.

In fact, I downloaded MSN Messenger 6.1 from Microsoft's web site, installed
it, and then uninstalled it hoping that the uninstall would take everything
away for this crap. Nope. The shortcut to MSN Messenger that got added was
one of those "special" links that doesn't show the path to the executable,
so I don't know where MSN Messenger 6.1 got installed (and then removed in
an uninstall). So MSN Messenger is no longer listed as installed in the
Add/Remove Windows Components wizard and is not listed in the Add/Remove
Programs wizard. But it's still there!

What gets confusing is the use of "Messenger" in at least 3 different
programs. There's "Windows Messenger" which does instant messaging and can
use Exchange's instant messaging, and which is the one listed in the
Add/Remove Windows Components wizard. Then there is the "Messenger" NT
service which uses NetBIOS calls over ports 135, 137, 138, 139, and an
ethereal dynamic port assignment. And last is the "MSN Messenger" which is
yet another but separate IM client.

So I decided to kill the msmsgs.exe process and then rename the directory to
C:\Program Files\Messenger_KILLED. So far I haven't seen the msmsgs.exe
process reappear. This is similar to the solution proposed by don in
another reply to this thread. However, the problem with this solution is
that you end up with records in the System event log (seen in Event Viewer)
that say:

Unable to start a DCOM Server: {F3A614DC-ABE0-11D2-A441-00C04F795683}.
The error:
"The system cannot find the path specified. "
Happened while starting this command:
"C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" -Embedding

So something is continually trying to run the msmsgs.exe program but now
fails because it cannot find it, and then a record is logged of this failure
in the System log.
The easiest way is to click Start/Run and copy/paste the following
command: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection
%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

The second method is as follows: Go to the start menu, and choose the
Run command. Type: C:/windows/inf/SYSOC.INF. Now you need to look for
a heading that reads "components" and find the line that reads:
msgsmsgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7. All you need to do is
delete the word "hide." Leave everything else as it is, including the
commas. Then save and exit. Now Messenger should be in your
add/remove programs list.
Click to expand...

I tried this. Edited the file, closed and saved the changes, but there was
no entry listed in Add/Remove Programs for Messenger. So then I went back
to Add/Remove Windows Components to re-add the Windows Messenger program
(after renaming C:\Program Files\Messenger_KILLED back to just
....\Messenger). Although Windows Messenger was re-added in Add/Remove
Windows Components, and although SYSOC.INF was edited to eliminate the hide
parameter (so there were just 2 contiguous commas in place of that
parameter), there was still no [Microsoft|Windows|MSN] Messenger listed in
Add/Remove Programs (which has to be unloaded and restarted since there is
no Refresh function).

The list of installed programs (that Add/Remove Programs will list unless
hidden) is listed under the registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Didn't find msmsgs or Messenger listed under that key. However, a search at
support.microsoft.com turned up the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=302089

It mentions about disabling one of the two options (you disable a "Do Not
...." option so it can be confusing). I disabled both of them. Besides not
allowing Windows Messenger to run, I figured I might as well as configure it
to also not load on Windows startup. The do-not-load option being disabled
probably kills the load-on-startup option but it doesn't hurt to have both
disabled.

So now the path is named C:\Program Files\Messenger (as it was), Windows
Messenger is still installed using the Add/Remove Windows Components wizard,
but it no longer shows as loaded in Task Manager. I'll delete the rule in
my firewall to see if it ever detects msmsgs.exe again trying to make an
Internet connection.
 
It doesn't matter the process used (speaking lightly), it is the ending
result. The workarounds for Messenger have been out for nearly two years.



Utilities for Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_u.htm#xp_util


*Vanguard* said:
"Mike" said in news:[email protected]:
... If you
choose to remove Messenger, be sure to go through the options in apps
like Outlook, or Oulook Express and uncheck the "enable instant
messaging in Outlook" or else these programs will load slower because
they are searching for Messenger.
Click to expand...

Messenger integration in OE and OL2002 were already disabled. I knew about
that slowing down these clients in trying to check if someone else was
currently up and logged in. I went to Add/Remove Programs to use Add/Remove
Windows Components, deselected MSN Messenger, and removed it. But that was
not sufficient. The C:\Program Files\Messenger path still existed with
msmsgs.exe in it. Also, after killing the msmsgs.exe process, it would
magically reappear in 100 seconds even with OE, OL2002, and IE *not* loaded.

In fact, I downloaded MSN Messenger 6.1 from Microsoft's web site, installed
it, and then uninstalled it hoping that the uninstall would take everything
away for this crap. Nope. The shortcut to MSN Messenger that got added was
one of those "special" links that doesn't show the path to the executable,
so I don't know where MSN Messenger 6.1 got installed (and then removed in
an uninstall). So MSN Messenger is no longer listed as installed in the
Add/Remove Windows Components wizard and is not listed in the Add/Remove
Programs wizard. But it's still there!

What gets confusing is the use of "Messenger" in at least 3 different
programs. There's "Windows Messenger" which does instant messaging and can
use Exchange's instant messaging, and which is the one listed in the
Add/Remove Windows Components wizard. Then there is the "Messenger" NT
service which uses NetBIOS calls over ports 135, 137, 138, 139, and an
ethereal dynamic port assignment. And last is the "MSN Messenger" which is
yet another but separate IM client.

So I decided to kill the msmsgs.exe process and then rename the directory to
C:\Program Files\Messenger_KILLED. So far I haven't seen the msmsgs.exe
process reappear. This is similar to the solution proposed by don in
another reply to this thread. However, the problem with this solution is
that you end up with records in the System event log (seen in Event Viewer)
that say:

Unable to start a DCOM Server: {F3A614DC-ABE0-11D2-A441-00C04F795683}.
The error:
"The system cannot find the path specified. "
Happened while starting this command:
"C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" -Embedding

So something is continually trying to run the msmsgs.exe program but now
fails because it cannot find it, and then a record is logged of this failure
in the System log.
The easiest way is to click Start/Run and copy/paste the following
command: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection
%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

The second method is as follows: Go to the start menu, and choose the
Run command. Type: C:/windows/inf/SYSOC.INF. Now you need to look for
a heading that reads "components" and find the line that reads:
msgsmsgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7. All you need to do is
delete the word "hide." Leave everything else as it is, including the
commas. Then save and exit. Now Messenger should be in your
add/remove programs list.
Click to expand...

I tried this. Edited the file, closed and saved the changes, but there was
no entry listed in Add/Remove Programs for Messenger. So then I went back
to Add/Remove Windows Components to re-add the Windows Messenger program
(after renaming C:\Program Files\Messenger_KILLED back to just
...\Messenger). Although Windows Messenger was re-added in Add/Remove
Windows Components, and although SYSOC.INF was edited to eliminate the hide
parameter (so there were just 2 contiguous commas in place of that
parameter), there was still no [Microsoft|Windows|MSN] Messenger listed in
Add/Remove Programs (which has to be unloaded and restarted since there is
no Refresh function).

The list of installed programs (that Add/Remove Programs will list unless
hidden) is listed under the registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Didn't find msmsgs or Messenger listed under that key. However, a search at
support.microsoft.com turned up the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=302089

It mentions about disabling one of the two options (you disable a "Do Not
..." option so it can be confusing). I disabled both of them. Besides not
allowing Windows Messenger to run, I figured I might as well as configure it
to also not load on Windows startup. The do-not-load option being disabled
probably kills the load-on-startup option but it doesn't hurt to have both
disabled.

So now the path is named C:\Program Files\Messenger (as it was), Windows
Messenger is still installed using the Add/Remove Windows Components wizard,
but it no longer shows as loaded in Task Manager. I'll delete the rule in
my firewall to see if it ever detects msmsgs.exe again trying to make an
Internet connection.
Click to expand...
 
"Kelly" said in news:[email protected]:
Figure it out.
Click to expand...

I did. See my reply to Mike. Mike had some suggestions which look to
unregister the program or try to get it unhidden so it appears in the
Add/Remove Programs listing. don had a suggestion to rename the file
(renaming the directory works the same). Although that works, it's not the
most correct solution.

Don't go looking for job in tech support. You won't cut it. I checked some
of your other replies and they seemed genuine, so I don't know why you
decided to be curt this time. No responding would've been a better
response.
 
"Kelly" said in news:%[email protected]:
You just answered your own question. Keep in mind, that this isn't
your only thread.
Click to expand...

True. I've never put all my questions into a single thread. I do not
overload the post with multiple topics. I try to keep the thread focused on
just one problem. I do the same when reporting problems or defects. I
don't throw them all together in one huge post with numerous questions. The
usual result is that you only get one of the topics discussed and the others
get ignored; i.e., if you ask 10 questions in a post, you might get replies
regarding just 2 of them (and usually just the easy ones). The number of
separate threads that I open on different topics doesn't discount the value
of each alone.

If you don't have the time to bother dispensing useful info in a reply, then
just don't bother replying - unless, of course, your intent is to flame or
ridicule. It is a peer community so pick and choose the threads in which
you can actually offer assistance, and stay out of those where you cannot
help. Rather than just chiming in with a "me too" post, go look at others
where you can provide some real help. Telling someone to "figure it out",
to keep looking, that you're not going to provide any insight, and just to
put a post in a thread with your name on it is not helping. Yeah, I finally
answered my own question but it wasn't due to anything you pretended to
proffer as assistance. Mike (and don), at least, provided an insight on how
to resolve the problem and I just happened to come upon a better solution.
I didn't see you come up with a solution or guidance. By the way, your "me
too" reply in pretending you know but won't tell really just tells us that
you never did know. We all occasionally make idiots of ourselves but most
of us don't make an effort to prove it to others.

Rather than simply state that there is a solution if I continue looking
further (i.e., a "go away" reply), just pick the ones that you *can* answer
or believe that you can help with, and don't bother replying to those where
you cannot help. You don't have to reply simply because you happened to
read a post. Why bother saying anything if all you can manage say is "I
won't help, go look elsewhere"? Basically you say you don't know but felt
compelled to waste a post to tell us. But then maybe you're just in a bad
mood right now.
 
"Kelly" said in news:[email protected]:
It doesn't matter the process used (speaking lightly), it is the
ending result. The workarounds for Messenger have been out for
nearly two years.


*Vanguard* said:
"Mike" said in
... If you
choose to remove Messenger, be sure to go through the options in
apps like Outlook, or Oulook Express and uncheck the "enable instant
messaging in Outlook" or else these programs will load slower
because they are searching for Messenger.
Click to expand...

Messenger integration in OE and OL2002 were already disabled. I
knew about that slowing down these clients in trying to check if
someone else was currently up and logged in. I went to Add/Remove
Programs to use Add/Remove Windows Components, deselected MSN
Messenger, and removed it. But that was not sufficient. The
C:\Program Files\Messenger path still existed with msmsgs.exe in it.
Also, after killing the msmsgs.exe process, it would magically
reappear in 100 seconds even with OE, OL2002, and IE *not* loaded.

In fact, I downloaded MSN Messenger 6.1 from Microsoft's web site,
installed it, and then uninstalled it hoping that the uninstall
would take everything away for this crap. Nope. The shortcut to
MSN Messenger that got added was one of those "special" links that
doesn't show the path to the executable, so I don't know where MSN
Messenger 6.1 got installed (and then removed in an uninstall). So
MSN Messenger is no longer listed as installed in the Add/Remove
Windows Components wizard and is not listed in the Add/Remove
Programs wizard. But it's still there!

What gets confusing is the use of "Messenger" in at least 3 different
programs. There's "Windows Messenger" which does instant messaging
and can use Exchange's instant messaging, and which is the one
listed in the Add/Remove Windows Components wizard. Then there is
the "Messenger" NT service which uses NetBIOS calls over ports 135,
137, 138, 139, and an ethereal dynamic port assignment. And last is
the "MSN Messenger" which is yet another but separate IM client.

So I decided to kill the msmsgs.exe process and then rename the
directory to C:\Program Files\Messenger_KILLED. So far I haven't
seen the msmsgs.exe process reappear. This is similar to the
solution proposed by don in another reply to this thread. However,
the problem with this solution is that you end up with records in
the System event log (seen in Event Viewer) that say:

Unable to start a DCOM Server:
{F3A614DC-ABE0-11D2-A441-00C04F795683}. The error:
"The system cannot find the path specified. "
Happened while starting this command:
"C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" -Embedding

So something is continually trying to run the msmsgs.exe program but
now fails because it cannot find it, and then a record is logged of
this failure in the System log.
The easiest way is to click Start/Run and copy/paste the following
command: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection
%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

The second method is as follows: Go to the start menu, and choose
the Run command. Type: C:/windows/inf/SYSOC.INF. Now you need to
look for a heading that reads "components" and find the line that
reads: msgsmsgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7. All you need to
do is delete the word "hide." Leave everything else as it is,
including the commas. Then save and exit. Now Messenger should be
in your add/remove programs list.
Click to expand...

I tried this. Edited the file, closed and saved the changes, but
there was no entry listed in Add/Remove Programs for Messenger. So
then I went back to Add/Remove Windows Components to re-add the
Windows Messenger program (after renaming C:\Program
Files\Messenger_KILLED back to just ...\Messenger). Although
Windows Messenger was re-added in Add/Remove Windows Components, and
although SYSOC.INF was edited to eliminate the hide parameter (so
there were just 2 contiguous commas in place of that parameter),
there was still no [Microsoft|Windows|MSN] Messenger listed in
Add/Remove Programs (which has to be unloaded and restarted since
there is no Refresh function).

The list of installed programs (that Add/Remove Programs will list
unless hidden) is listed under the registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Didn't find msmsgs or Messenger listed under that key. However, a
search at support.microsoft.com turned up the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=302089

It mentions about disabling one of the two options (you disable a
"Do Not ..." option so it can be confusing). I disabled both of
them. Besides not allowing Windows Messenger to run, I figured I
might as well as configure it to also not load on Windows startup.
The do-not-load option being disabled probably kills the
load-on-startup option but it doesn't hurt to have both disabled.

So now the path is named C:\Program Files\Messenger (as it was),
Windows Messenger is still installed using the Add/Remove Windows
Components wizard, but it no longer shows as loaded in Task Manager.
I'll delete the rule in my firewall to see if it ever detects
msmsgs.exe again trying to make an Internet connection.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

And Ferrari cars have been out for even longer but when you buy your first
one it is still new to you. Also, when I first did a search at
http://support.microsoft.com/, no articles came up that dealt with this
problem. Obviously I wouldn't be asking if I felt that no one had an
answer, so obviously the solution would have to have been around for awhile.
I already figured out how to rename the directory simply to make it
impossible to find the executable but did not like that solution. It's a
workaround, not a fix. And if it was such a well known solution then why
didn't Mike or don, who actually tried to provide help, not also know it?
Time for an ego check, Kelly.
 
Disable Messenger: Over 12,000 posts and replies:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Disable+Messenger&
meta=group%3Dmicrosoft.public.windowsxp.*


*Vanguard* said:
"Kelly" said in news:[email protected]:
It doesn't matter the process used (speaking lightly), it is the
ending result. The workarounds for Messenger have been out for
nearly two years.


*Vanguard* said:
"Mike" said in
... If you
choose to remove Messenger, be sure to go through the options in
apps like Outlook, or Oulook Express and uncheck the "enable instant
messaging in Outlook" or else these programs will load slower
because they are searching for Messenger.

Messenger integration in OE and OL2002 were already disabled. I
knew about that slowing down these clients in trying to check if
someone else was currently up and logged in. I went to Add/Remove
Programs to use Add/Remove Windows Components, deselected MSN
Messenger, and removed it. But that was not sufficient. The
C:\Program Files\Messenger path still existed with msmsgs.exe in it.
Also, after killing the msmsgs.exe process, it would magically
reappear in 100 seconds even with OE, OL2002, and IE *not* loaded.

In fact, I downloaded MSN Messenger 6.1 from Microsoft's web site,
installed it, and then uninstalled it hoping that the uninstall
would take everything away for this crap. Nope. The shortcut to
MSN Messenger that got added was one of those "special" links that
doesn't show the path to the executable, so I don't know where MSN
Messenger 6.1 got installed (and then removed in an uninstall). So
MSN Messenger is no longer listed as installed in the Add/Remove
Windows Components wizard and is not listed in the Add/Remove
Programs wizard. But it's still there!

What gets confusing is the use of "Messenger" in at least 3 different
programs. There's "Windows Messenger" which does instant messaging
and can use Exchange's instant messaging, and which is the one
listed in the Add/Remove Windows Components wizard. Then there is
the "Messenger" NT service which uses NetBIOS calls over ports 135,
137, 138, 139, and an ethereal dynamic port assignment. And last is
the "MSN Messenger" which is yet another but separate IM client.

So I decided to kill the msmsgs.exe process and then rename the
directory to C:\Program Files\Messenger_KILLED. So far I haven't
seen the msmsgs.exe process reappear. This is similar to the
solution proposed by don in another reply to this thread. However,
the problem with this solution is that you end up with records in
the System event log (seen in Event Viewer) that say:

Unable to start a DCOM Server:
{F3A614DC-ABE0-11D2-A441-00C04F795683}. The error:
"The system cannot find the path specified. "
Happened while starting this command:
"C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" -Embedding

So something is continually trying to run the msmsgs.exe program but
now fails because it cannot find it, and then a record is logged of
this failure in the System log.


The easiest way is to click Start/Run and copy/paste the following
command: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection
%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

The second method is as follows: Go to the start menu, and choose
the Run command. Type: C:/windows/inf/SYSOC.INF. Now you need to
look for a heading that reads "components" and find the line that
reads: msgsmsgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7. All you need to
do is delete the word "hide." Leave everything else as it is,
including the commas. Then save and exit. Now Messenger should be
in your add/remove programs list.

I tried this. Edited the file, closed and saved the changes, but
there was no entry listed in Add/Remove Programs for Messenger. So
then I went back to Add/Remove Windows Components to re-add the
Windows Messenger program (after renaming C:\Program
Files\Messenger_KILLED back to just ...\Messenger). Although
Windows Messenger was re-added in Add/Remove Windows Components, and
although SYSOC.INF was edited to eliminate the hide parameter (so
there were just 2 contiguous commas in place of that parameter),
there was still no [Microsoft|Windows|MSN] Messenger listed in
Add/Remove Programs (which has to be unloaded and restarted since
there is no Refresh function).

The list of installed programs (that Add/Remove Programs will list
unless hidden) is listed under the registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Didn't find msmsgs or Messenger listed under that key. However, a
search at support.microsoft.com turned up the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=302089

It mentions about disabling one of the two options (you disable a
"Do Not ..." option so it can be confusing). I disabled both of
them. Besides not allowing Windows Messenger to run, I figured I
might as well as configure it to also not load on Windows startup.
The do-not-load option being disabled probably kills the
load-on-startup option but it doesn't hurt to have both disabled.

So now the path is named C:\Program Files\Messenger (as it was),
Windows Messenger is still installed using the Add/Remove Windows
Components wizard, but it no longer shows as loaded in Task Manager.
I'll delete the rule in my firewall to see if it ever detects
msmsgs.exe again trying to make an Internet connection.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

And Ferrari cars have been out for even longer but when you buy your first
one it is still new to you. Also, when I first did a search at
http://support.microsoft.com/, no articles came up that dealt with this
problem. Obviously I wouldn't be asking if I felt that no one had an
answer, so obviously the solution would have to have been around for awhile.
I already figured out how to rename the directory simply to make it
impossible to find the executable but did not like that solution. It's a
workaround, not a fix. And if it was such a well known solution then why
didn't Mike or don, who actually tried to provide help, not also know it?
Time for an ego check, Kelly.
Click to expand...
 
"Kelly" said in news:[email protected]:
Disable Messenger: Over 12,000 posts and replies:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Disable+Messenger&
meta=group%3Dmicrosoft.public.windowsxp.*
Click to expand...

12,000 is a worthless number. Lots of people talking about the same problem
does NOT equate to an equal number of GOOD solutions. Redo the Google
Groups search with:

+"disable messenger" +302089

and there are only 29 matches. That presumes that you already knew about
the KB article (in which case my post would've never appeared). So
obviously not many really knew the BEST answer. Others might work but were
workarounds, and some still caused problems or resulted in entries getting
logged in the System events log. Only an idiot would waste the time
scanning through a deluge of 12,000 posts of which extremely few mention the
KB article. Just because there are lots of posts on a topic doesn't mean
you'll QUICKLY find the answer, or even find an answer. In a pile of 12,000
marbles which are all black except for 29 that are dark purple, what do you
think would be you chances of finding one of the 29 dark purple marbles?
Are you really going to waste much of you time other than a cursory scan?

Usually I do a search at http://support.microsoft.com/ to see if there is
already a KB article about the problem. I don't know why my first search
(before posting here) didn't turn up KB article #302089 that a subsequent
search turned up (after posting here but prompted by Mike's reply). Guess
it depends if you are lucky in picking the correct set of words to search
on. It could also be that I missed the one match in the list of 107 matches
when scrolling through the list of matches.

I also did a search on "messenger" within this newsgroup before posting. I
just did the search again. In the 65,923 messages (at the time I searched)
in this newsgroup, this thread was the only one that got matched. Since I
am posting here, and since no one has previously discussed anything
"messenger" before, don't go spewing about the question being previously
asked numerous times when it has not!

So, yeah, I did look before posting. Either I got swamped with lots of
useless posts and gave up reading them because I had other more important
tasks to complete, or possibly I missed the one or few useful posts or KB
articles out of the deluge presented. The point isn't that I asked a
question that may have been often asked before (but for which few actually
had the best answer and was asked somewhere else). The point was that
apparently you knew the solution but instead decided to spew "figure it
out". This was quite contradictory from your usual reponses that I've seen
in other threads, but then maybe I haven't viewed enough of your replies to
get a correct consensus.
 
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