MS Messenger and Windows Messaging confusion

[jsteph]

I want to completely obliterate MS Messenger (the AOL AIM-like thing). However I'm not sure which services, files, directories, registry entries, etc belong to MS Messenger--which I don't want--and which belong to Windows Messaging, which I understand is required by many critical Windows processes.

I removed what I thought was MS Messenger from the Run section of the registry for HKLM and HKCU, but it keeps coming back! It's not 'signed in', but the damn thing is taking up valuable status-bar space--and worse, it has the red X-in-a-circle warning icon, which I tend to view as a critical warning. As if not being an active part of some juvenile chat-room is a critical failure.

How do I get rid of this nuisance?? Thanks,
--Jim

 

[linney]

Try some of these.

302089 - How to Prevent Windows Messenger from Running on a Windows XP-Based Computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302089&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

327390 - Windows Messenger Starts When You Start Outlook Express After You Remove Access to

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;327390&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_messenger_remove.htm

How To uninstall Windows Messenger completly from your computer
faq779-1380

The other method to uninstall it completely,
Go to Start > Run, then type in this and run it. (one Line)

RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

 

[gpalmer711]

Its not particually easy to read (I will rewrite it soon) but the information on removing both messenger applications can be found here faq779-4299

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk