Shoutbox

I uninstalled Windows Messenger and I also disabled the Windows Messenger Service. I still have the process "msmsgs.exe" running in the background whenever I reboot my PC (using task Manager). Is this process related to MSN Messenger? If not, how can I prevent this process from running in the background? Thanks.

No, it isn't necessarily needed. But, I think that you need it to run some of the features for MSN Messenger, as it is the Windows Messenger process, and to use some of the MSN features, you will need Windows Messenger, I am not 100% sure if the process needs to be open though...

I would leave it there.

Removing it:

To remove it, go to Start > Run... and type in "msconfig" (without the ""), then go to the "Startup" tab, and uncheck "msmsgr.exe from the list, then press "OK" or "Apply", and restart your computer, it shouldn't start up now.

The Messenger Service has nothing to do with either Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger.

Also read CookieRevised his reply to I'm about to Rip my hair out over MS Messenger

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Originally posted by traxor
No, it isn't necessarily needed. But, I think that you need it to run some of the features for MSN Messenger, as it is the Windows Messenger process, and to use some of the MSN features, you will need Windows Messenger, I am not 100% sure if the process needs to be open though...

I would leave it there.

Removing it:

To remove it, go to Start > Run... and type in "msconfig" (without the ""), then go to the "Startup" tab, and uncheck "msmsgr.exe from the list, then press "OK" or "Apply", and restart your computer, it shouldn't start up now.

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There's no "msmsgs.exe" line in the startup tab of msconfig panel.

It is probably one of your plugins for Messenger Plus! if it is installed that is causing the application to launch. Simply End the task of it and try Renaming the file to like 1msmsgs.exe and see if the system operates fine. If it does great, if you get an error then that program is launching Windows Messenger.

Ok, I found that the application "msmsgs.exe" was located in the C:\Program Files\Messenger folder so I renamed it to "msmsgs.BAK" after ending the process in task manager. It seems that MSN Messenger is still running fine, so it is not dependent on it. I found this instructions to remove msmsgs.exe:

"Exit MSN Messenger by right-clicking the MSN icon in the notification area, and selecting Exit.
Add the following registry entries, both with a DWORD value of 1:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client\PreventRun
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client\PreventAutoRun
Open a command prompt by clicking Start/Run, then typing "command" and clicking OK.
Uninstall MSN Messenger by typing "rundll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %systemRoot%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove"
Uninstall the leftover installation information file by typing "rundll32 setupapi,InstallHinfSection BLC.Remove 128 %systemRoot%\INF\msmsgs.inf"
Allow MSN Messenger to be displayed in the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog in the future (if it pops up again!) by typing "notepad.exe %systemRoot%\INF\sysoc.inf" and deleting the word "hide" from the line that starts with "msmsgs=". It MAY be possible to skip to this step directly and perform the uninstallation directly from the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog, but that method MAY leave unwanted components and has not been thoroughly tested.
Cross your fingers and reboot! You will probably get a message asking you to confirm the removal of some leftover files. Click OK. "

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Originally posted by alegator
Ok, I found that the application "msmsgs.exe" was located in the C:\Program Files\Messenger folder so I renamed it to "msmsgs.BAK" after ending the process in task manager. It seems that MSN Messenger is still running fine, so it is not dependent on it. I found this instructions to remove msmsgs.exe:

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Please read what Ezra has said.

The proper way of removing or disabling Windows Messenger is not what you have listed!!! As a matter of fact what you have listed is wrong or not entirly correct in many ways (for starters what you have posted has got nothing to do with MSN Messenger, but with Windows Messenger; those are two different programs).

Please read and follow the advise given in:
CookieRevised's reply to I am about to rip my hair out over MS Messanger

Again, do not follow any other instructions as they are not the proper way...

Thanks cookie, I'll try that

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Again, do not follow any other instructions as they are not the proper way...

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I hope that wasn't directed at me Cook, the only reason I said to do what I did was to see if any application would crash while trying to use its API then you would know what is causing it to launch.

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Originally posted by Matty

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Again, do not follow any other instructions as they are not the proper way...

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I hope that wasn't directed at me Cook

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nope