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Home > Windows XP Common Issues > Windows Messenger Uninstall/MSN Messenger
August 28, 2008

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Disable Windows Messenger 4.x without removing abilities from MSN Messenger 5:
Disable Windows Messenger 4.x permanently using the registry
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Disable Windows Messenger 4.x without removing abilities from MSN Messenger 5:

By following these steps Windows Messenger will not start when you login to Windows and will not automatically sign in when Outlook/Express is started (although the tray icon will load when you start Outlook Express v6 unless you install this registry update).

First of all open the main window of Windows Messenger, go tools > options. Select the preferences tab and uncheck 'Run this program when Windows Starts'. Then click ok.

Window Messenger Options

Next open Outlook Express, go Tool > Options and select the General tab, uncheck 'Automatically logon to Windows Messenger' then click Ok.

Outlook Express General Tab

Disable Windows Messenger 4.x permanently using the registry (Windows Messenger v4.5 and later)
Click below to download the registry files to either enable or disable Windows Messenger on your system.

Enable
Disable

NOTE: This method also prevents programs that use the Messenger Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) from using Windows Messenger. Microsoft Outlook 2002, Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP are examples of programs that use these APIs. Disabling Windows Messenger in this fashion my cause programs that rely on Windows Messenger features such as outlook express to hang for periods of time when first started. However in the case of Outlook Express if you are using it as a News Reader only with the /newsonly switch or launching news from within Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express will not hang.

For Windows Messenger 4.0 see here to prevent run by using group policy.

  
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