Winxp and the pre-installed MSN Messenger

[emad]

I took my laptop in to be re-imaged a few days ago, and already it's pissing me waaay the hell off. I went to the add/remove programs menu, went to the windows components screen, and told it to remove Windows Messenger 4.xx from my computer. I also went into the services and disabled the messenger service.

For some reason though, MSN 4 is STILL sitting around on my laptop like a plague that never goes away. Everytime I boot up, it fires up, and forces itself to sign in. Of course, there's no icon in the task bar. That screws up my MSN plus settings and disables my plugins for it.

Even if I ctrl+alt+delete out the MSMSGS.exe, it comes back everytime I restore my laptop from sleep mode and I get the same pain in the ass once again.

For some reason I can't even delete the c:\program files\messenger directory which is where MSN4 is contained... not that it matters considering that the MSMSGS.exe file isn't even in that folder for some odd reason.

It's REALLY odd since I've never had this problem any other time when I had the laptop re-imaged. I want to get rid of this piece of **** and I want it off my damn system. Anybody have any suggestions?

Also, on another note, I'm having problems with my mouse settings. It seems that everytime I restore my laptop from sleep mode, the scroll settings on my Logitech MX500 seem to reset themselves to 1 line per scroll when I have it set up to 6 lines. When I go into the mouse settings through control panel, it says 6 and then it goes back to normal... It's damn annoying for when I want to go through content filled threads like the one in the opinions forum.

 

[Race Idiot]

I took my laptop in to be re-imaged a few days ago, and already it's pissing me waaay the hell off. I went to the add/remove programs menu, went to the windows components screen, and told it to remove Windows Messenger 4.xx from my computer. I also went into the services and disabled the messenger service.

For some reason though, MSN 4 is STILL sitting around on my laptop like a plague that never goes away. Everytime I boot up, it fires up, and forces itself to sign in. Of course, there's no icon in the task bar. That screws up my MSN plus settings and disables my plugins for it.

Even if I ctrl+alt+delete out the MSMSGS.exe, it comes back everytime I restore my laptop from sleep mode and I get the same pain in the ass once again.

For some reason I can't even delete the c:\program files\messenger directory which is where MSN4 is contained... not that it matters considering that the MSMSGS.exe file isn't even in that folder for some odd reason.

It's REALLY odd since I've never had this problem any other time when I had the laptop re-imaged. I want to get rid of this piece of **** and I want it off my damn system. Anybody have any suggestions?

Also, on another note, I'm having problems with my mouse settings. It seems that everytime I restore my laptop from sleep mode, the scroll settings on my Logitech MX500 seem to reset themselves to 1 line per scroll when I have it set up to 6 lines. When I go into the mouse settings through control panel, it says 6 and then it goes back to normal... It's damn annoying for when I want to go through content filled threads like the one in the opinions forum.

c:\WINDOWS\inf\sysoc.inf

Remove all the words 'hide' from the document. Then you can remove the default messenger from add remove windows components.

Or you could just install nLite and make an installation with it cut out.

Also the messenger service is just for net send commands.

Edit: I seriously reccomend nLite, i've got a copy of XP with a whole load of stuff removed and it installs within 15/30 mins. Also you can integrate hotfixes and service packs.

edit: Forgot it was sysoc.inf

 

[Jondot]

Msn 4? Geez that's out of date. I've got messenger 7!

*edit* have you tried defragging? If it has been uninstalled, mabey you need to cover it over with something to stop it rearing it's ugly head

 

[emad]

c:\WINDOWS\inf\sysoc.inf

Remove all the words 'hide' from the document. Then you can remove the default messenger from add remove windows components.

Or you could just install nLite and make an installation with it cut out.

Also the messenger service is just for net send commands.

Edit: I seriously reccomend nLite, i've got a copy of XP with a whole load of stuff removed and it installs within 15/30 mins. Also you can integrate hotfixes and service packs.

edit: Forgot it was sysoc.inf

The sysoc.inf file shows Windows Messenger but it doesn't allow me to uninstall it 👎

As for nLite, that won't be possible. My windows installation is handled by my school's drive image. I have to use this current configuration for my classes and such so I'm locked into it 👎

 

[Solid Fro]

Have you tried removing it from startup?

As for the MX500, tried downloading the drivers from Logitech?

 

[emad]

Have you tried removing it from startup?

Nothing in the startup directory, nothing in msconfig. I'm completely at a loss as to what's causing this to load up of it's own accord. I can't find the EXE, I can't find the file in add/remove programs, I tried some registry tweaks, and still it's doing this. I'd call microsoft's customer support but none of their techs can speak more than a few words of English. It also doesn't help that their phone connection to india is VERY unstable and loaded up with static.

As for the MX500, tried downloading the drivers from Logitech?

I'm doing that now 👍

 

[toyomatt84]

Go to the run program.

Type in "services.msc" without the quotes.

Scroll down to "Messenger".

Right click it and go to properties.

Select Startup Type as "Disabled".

And it won't bother you on boot.

 

[VT]

Go to the run program.

Type in "services.msc" without the quotes.

Scroll down to "Messenger".

Right click it and go to properties.

Select Startup Type as "Disabled".

And it won't bother you on boot.

Thats exactly what I was going to say .. you beat my by about an hour. Damn me for trying to sleep.

And you should be able to completely uninstall it by:

1. Open Add/Remove Programs
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components (Have XP CD ready .. you might need it)
3. Deselect everything that is checked but keep Windows Messenger selected (should be at the very bottom)
4. Hit OK or whatever the proceed button at the bottom is.

 

[Race Idiot]

The sysoc.inf file shows Windows Messenger but it doesn't allow me to uninstall it 👎

As for nLite, that won't be possible. My windows installation is handled by my school's drive image. I have to use this current configuration for my classes and such so I'm locked into it 👎

Yes, what you do is you remove the word hide from that document and then messenger appears in the add remove components part.

And what the hell is everyone saying about disabling the Messenger service? It has nothing to do with windows messenger, it stops the use of the net send command. Also it stops you from reciving them. Windows 2000 has that service as well and that doesn't have any form of inbuilt messenger software. I'm sure NT4 has that service as well.

Transmits net send and Alerter service messages between clients and servers. This service is not related to Windows Messenger. If this service is stopped, Alerter messages will not be transmitted. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

Go to your Windows\inf folder. The default is ~ c:\windows\inf

edit the file called "sysoc.inf"

Remove the reference of "hide" in this line:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

To make it look like this:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7

You may also remove all references to "hide" in all of the other lines as long as you KEEP the commas. Some components you cannot "uncheck" in the add/remove programs GUI.

Do that.