msmsgs.exe question

[alphabetarian]

Right now, I'm running WinXP home with Norton Internet Security 2003 as my antivirus and firewall. NIS keeps telling me that msmsg.exe keeps trying to "phone home" I was wondering how to turn this off...permanently. I've gone the start->control panel->admin tools->services route and disabled it there, but it keeps trying to dial out seemingly every 5 minutes.

Now, I've heard that to do this permanently, there's a registry tweek to do this. I was wondering, where in the registry and how??

Thanks in advance,

alpha

[sumdumguy]

you don't want to ever use msn messenger ?

Stop Windows Messenger from Auto-Starting

Simply delete the following Registry Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\MSMSGS

Uninstall Messenger

You have to edit sysoc.inf (located in /WINDOWS/inf). Under [Components] you should see the following line:
msmsgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7. Take the word 'hide' out of the line, and it should look like this:
msmsgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7. Exit and save.

Go to Add or Remove Programs, and click on Add/Remove Windows Components. There you should now be able to uncheck the MSN Messenger Service, and by clicking Next it will uninstall.

[Starfuckers|Inc]

Be clear, is it the messenger service that comes with XP or the msn messenger service? Because I'm on Windows 2k and the msn messenger service is listed as msnmsgr.exe in my processes. If it's the former, then open up a command prompt in DOS (start, run, type 'cmd' in case you don't know) and then simply type @ the prompt:

net stop messenger

No need for a registry tweek for this, if it is msn's messenger, uninstall it?

Star****ers|Inc

[alphabetarian]

Sorry Star, I guess I should have mentioned that it was in c:\>Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe. But the 'net stop messenger' command didn't work because it's already been stopped.

Well, I couldn't find the registry entry under the path you gave sum. The entry for Messanger wasn't under 'Run'. I did everything else though, but messenger still comes back. Guess I shouldn't be surprised since it's probably the Registry entry that makes it all possible. Oh well.

Thanks again for your help folks,

alpha

[sumdumguy]

hmmmm.. well you could open up regedit and search for msmsgs.exe and get rid of it that way but you could just try renaming that file..

here.. look at this thread..
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Oper..._20387654.html

[TidaLphasE23]

G'day alphabetarian, On NIS when the pop up window appears, there should
be a check box that says " always use this action" block access and tick this
box. NIS should always block it. This site Has some registry tweaks that might help you. cheers. TidaL.....

[alphabetarian]

Sum, went to that thread and found instructions how to do it using a start/run command. Ran it, got an error message, but it apparently did the removal with no problems. Had to reboot (gee, what a surprise) but I haven't seen it since. So far so good I suppose.

Thanks to all that responded...

alpha

[SDK]

Un-install Windows Messenger. Run this command
%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %systemRoot%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Un-install MSN Messenger with Add/Remove Program

[alphabetarian]

Just an update... Thanks to Sum, and all who responded, NIS hasn't bugged me about Messanger trying to "phone home" in like 3 days. All is good.

And for Tidal, when I was getting messages, it wasn't the from the typical box that pops up in the middle of the screen, it was from the little bar with the globe on the right and side of the screen that comes sliding across the screen during an alert.

Thanks again to all who responded..

[JockVSJock]

Uninstalling Windows will take care of the problem all together.