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                           DISABLING/REMOVING WINDOWS MESSENGER



                     [THE COMMON INTERNET METHODS]

Probably the MOST common question on XP is how to get rid of that pesky
Windows Messenger that loads everytime you boot up your machine. To remove
this program you have a couple of options:
a) click start, go to run, type in the following line:
   RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\inf\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove
b) Go to start, run.., type in:
   %WINDIR%\Inf, click ok. Find sysoc.inf and double-click on it. Under 
   [components] search for msmsgs, remove the "HIDE" word from the line and
   save it.
c) To disable Messenger from booting; click start - run - type gpedit.msc
   then go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows
   Components\Windows Messenger, Double-click "Do not automatically start
   Windows Messenger initially", click Enabled, click ok.
d) To disable the running of Messenger; click start - run - type gpedit.msc
   then go to Computer Configuration\Adminstrative Templates\Windows
   Components\Windows Messenger, Double-click "Do not allow Windows Messenger
   to be run", click Enabled, click ok.

Unfortunately the drawback is that Outlook Express will now launch slowly.
Perhaps this some sort of message that microsoft doesn't want you to remove
their precious Windows Messenger? There is away around this problem too:
a) Go to C:\Program Files\messenger, rename msmsgs.exe to msmsgs1.exe, 
   outlook express will lose its delay.
b) Alternatively, you can do some registry editing (start - run.. - regedit)
   and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express, create
   a new DWORD value named Hide Messenger, give it the value of 2.

                       [THE MICROSOFT WAY]
As per article Q302089 in the microsoft knowledge database, this is how you
SHOULD remove windows messenger. Note that these methods described don't 
remove windows messenger, they just disable it from loading.

  >XP Professional Only<
- click start, run, type gpedit.msc, click ok
- go to computer config\adminstrative templates\windows components\
  windows messenger
- double-click "do not allow windows messenger to run" click enabled
- click ok

  >XP Home Edition
- Start messenger
- click options, tools
- click preferences tab, uncheck "run this program when windows starts"
  then click ok

 > Prevent Outlook Express from using Windows Messenger
- open outlook expres, click tools, options
- click general tab, uncheck "automatically log on to windows messenger"
- click ok

 
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