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Thread: Nuking MS Messenger

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Posts
    429

    Cool Nuking MS Messenger

    I've read recently of the measure m$ have taken to ensure that Messenger stays resident on your m$ system(s) whether you want it or not.

    TheRegister has offered some advice to those who would like to say goodbye to the RAM sucking Passport offering peice of crap.

    The full article can be found here and below is the usfeful info for anyone who just wants rid of Messenger.

    __start_of_TheRegister's_Instructions__

    First, if you're sure you'll never use it, you can take the flamethrower approach and delete the entire Messenger directory (C:\Program Files\Messenger). The problem here is that some future MS 'upgrade' may well re-create the directory for you. You know how helpful MS likes to be.

    Next, you might try re-naming the executable, msmsgs.exe to, say, msmsgs.bak, and then re-creating the executable with a blank file. This might (or might not) trick upgrade packages into assuming that your irritating little Messenger is up to snuff.

    Another method is to open Start/Run, and type in:
    RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

    The following only applies to XP-Pro:

    If you only want to stop it running and prefer to leave it on the machine in case you ever decide to use it, you can go to Start/Run and enter gpedit.msc. Then go to: Computer Configuration/Administrative Template/Windows Components/Windows Messenger/ "Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run" and choose "Enabled".

    For XP Home Edition users, MS recommends the following rather complicated routine, which will persuade most users to delete the Messenger directory instead, we're sure. We quote:

    1.. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

    2.. Locate and click the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft

    3.. On the Edit menu, point to New, click Key, and then type Messenger for the name of the new registry key.

    4.. Locate and click the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger

    5.. On the On the Edit menu, point to New, click Key, and then type Client for the name of the new registry key.

    6.. Locate and click the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client

    7.. On the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then type PreventRun for the name of the new DWORD value.

    8.. Right-click the PreventRun value that you created, click Modify, type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK.

    And we'll note that you should always back-up your registry before hacking it, even with instructions from Redmond.

    __END_OF_COPY__

    Hope this helps,



    J.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    855
    Even though I use Microsoft products, the fact that they don't have some of their own stuff under "Add and Remove" in the Control Panel kind of irks me. I used the "flame thrower" approach and just deleted it's folder from the Program Files. It will give you the "If you delete this some programs may not work message," but just ignore it.
    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    (Romans 6:23, WEB)

  3. #3
    I was bitching about that command line (RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove) to put in whenever IM installs on XP on IRC the other day. Its sucks running updates when all it does is re-install the program I've had to remove 20 times. I suppose i could just run the updates myself.

  4. #4
    Damn Man!
    Ms have to get a better security if they whant to stay where they are now! Linux is comming!

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