Windows Instant Messenger

[cranheim]

I am running Windows XP Home Edition, IE 6. All the latest fixes are
installed. I just noticed after booting my machine, Windows Messenger starts
up. I see the little green icon in the status bar. I thought I disabled this
a while ago, but can't remember how I did it. I disabled it because I do not
use it, and worry it might be a security risk. Do some programs, like
TurboTax, turn this on? I would like to be able to disable or enable it at
will. Thanks for your help. Charles Ranheim

 

[Ron Badour]

Without knowing what version of Messenger you use, my directions may not
correspond to your program. Double click the Messenger icon and on the
resulting screen, click Tools, Options and General

 

[cranheim]

Ron Badour,

I tried two things: First, I went to my IE6 browser add-ons and disabled
"Windows Messenger Browser Extension". This did not stop the Windows
Messenger from starting. Secondly, I double clicked on the green Instant
Messenger icon at the bottom of the task bar, and it opened an option
screen. Under the General heading, I unchecked the "Run Windows Messenger
when Windows starts". This stopped it from starting when I boot the machine.
However, there were two more options under the General heading. One said to
allow running instant messenger in the background. I don't remember what the
other one was. Now I can't get back to the options screen because I have no
Windows Messenger icon to click on. If for some reason I wanted to use the
instant messenger again, how would I activate it? I believe it is the .Net
instant messenger, if there is such a thing. Thanks for your help. Charles
Ranheim

 

[Ron Badour]

Look on your start menu--there should be a shortcut for Messenger on it. If
you don't find a start menu entry and you use Live Messenger, the file name
is: msnmsgr.exe; otherwise, it may be msmsgs.exe.

 

[Grampy Pete]

Btw, msie 6 is not secure. Download msie 7.

 

[cranheim]

Grampy Pete,

I installed IE7 when it became a recommended fix. I fought with it for
two months. It would hang, run slow, and other unpredictable things. I tried
removing all add-ons to see if it was one of those, but it still did not
work for me. I contacted MS because it was a problem with a recommended
update. After going over what was happening, and what I had already done, he
recommended I go back to IE6 and wait for a major update to IE 7. When I
went back to IE 6, all my problems went away. I still get security updates
to IE 6, and it runs fine. Now that I know how to turn windows messenger on
and off, it still bothers me how it got turned on, after I had turned it off
a long time ago for security reasons. The last program I installed was
TurboTax for 2007, but I did not see it turn on then. I am not sure exactly
when it turned on this time. I don't always display the complete task bar
icons. Is it possible some spyware did it? Charles Ranheim.

 

[Big Al]

Look on your start menu--there should be a shortcut for Messenger on it. If
you don't find a start menu entry and you use Live Messenger, the file name
is: msnmsgr.exe; otherwise, it may be msmsgs.exe.

Another option would be to use a 3rd party messenger program, like
trillian. It allows you to converse with AOL, ICQ, Messenger and other
users. There is a free version. And it can be loaded at will rather
than at start if that is an issue.

Not sure what feature you need in messenger.

I removed mine by simply stopping it, then deleting the C:/program
files/messenger folder. Had no ill effects except that windows update
wants to add it back in everytime so you have to change the option on
that update to not load and don't notify you again.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Btw, msie 6 is not secure. Download msie 7.

And once you discover that it's shite, you can roll back to ie6.