Unable to uninstall/remove Windows Messenger - Printable Version
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+----- Thread: Unable to uninstall/remove Windows Messenger (/showthread.php?tid=63490)
Unable to uninstall/remove Windows Messenger by Kayl on 07-18-2006 at 12:46 AM
(I'm assuming this belongs here. Sorta confused at the moment.)
I have regular Windows Messenger - that's what the file is named, so I assume that's what I have and not a later version. Anyway, I've been trying to uninstall it, but the stupid thing won't go away. I have Windows Live Messenger, but it's treated as a separate program, with regular Messenger automatically signing me into it, and therefore logging me out of WLM. Incredibly annoying, so I'm desperate to get rid of the regular Messenger. Any help?
RE: Unable to uninstall/remove Windows Messenger by Supersonicdarky on 07-19-2006 at 03:20 AM
windows messenger is part of xp so i dont see a point in removing it, but if you still want to try windows messenger remover
and in your case, turn on windows messenger and in the options find the one which automatically starts it on startup and signs in automatically 
RE: Unable to uninstall/remove Windows Messenger by CookieRevised on 07-19-2006 at 10:49 AM
quote:yes, if it is about MSN Messenger, Windows Messenger or Windows Live Messenger, it belongs in this subforum...
Originally posted by Kayl
(I'm assuming this belongs here. Sorta confused at the moment.)
quote:Simple: DO NOT...
Originally posted by Kayl
I have regular Windows Messenger - that's what the file is named, so I assume that's what I have and not a later version. Anyway, I've been trying to uninstall it, but the stupid thing won't go away. I have Windows Live Messenger, but it's treated as a separate program, with regular Messenger automatically signing me into it, and therefore logging me out of WLM. Incredibly annoying, so I'm desperate to get rid of the regular Messenger. Any help?
Windows Messenger is part of Windows XP and is needed to let some functions and features function properly. Hence the reason why you can not simply remove it just like that. And if you do manage to remove it, you will effectivly have crippled certain features of Windows.
You read a lot of stuff about this on many forums and many times people give various ways to remove it or disable/cripple it. However such advise is bad and wrong (even though the posters claim it works)...
What you can do is disabling it from starting up automatically when you start up windows. But that is all you can (and only should) do. Everything else is not recommended unless you want to cripple certain parts of Windows and Messenger itself!
Please read and follow the advise given here (and ignore the links already given in this thread as they do not contain the full story or instructions either):
CookieRevised's reply to I am about to rip my hair out over MS Messanger
EDIT:
quote:not only old plugins depend on Windows Messenger. Windows Live Messenger itself depends on it too, just as some Windows features
Originally posted by andrewdodd13
Note: Doing that will mean that some old Messenger Plus 3 plugins that rely on the WM API will cease to function, but I've not run in to any yet.
RE: Unable to uninstall/remove Windows Messenger by andrewdodd13 on 07-20-2006 at 09:48 AM
Just a side note, if you're willing to reformat your PC, you can use nLite to *safely* remove Windows Messenger from your system before you install.
At least I think it's safe, I've been running like this for almost 2 months now 
Note: Doing that will mean that some old Messenger Plus 3 plugins that rely on the WM API will cease to function, but I've not run in to any yet.
Maybe we should split Cookie's post and sticky it?