Windows Messenger and Windows Live Messenger are useful instant messaging programs. However, if you don’t use instant messaging, Messenger can quickly become a resource-intensive frustration that can come at the most inopportune moment. Fortunately, you can uninstall or uninstall Messenger on all versions of Windows XP, Vista and 7.
Windows XP
Since Windows Messenger is included with the Windows XP operating system, you cannot uninstall the program directly from the GUI. However, you can uninstall and disable Messenger so that it doesn’t interfere with your computer.
The first step to remove Windows Messenger from Windows XP is to make sure you have the latest version of Windows installed. In Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or later, removing Windows Messenger from the Start Menu is easy.
Click Start, Control Panel, then Add or Remove Programs. Click Add / Remove Windows Components. Uncheck the box next to Windows Messenger and click Next. Click Finish and restart your computer if prompted to do so.
In Windows XP Home Edition, you can disable Messenger from the program interface. Launch Windows Messenger, then select Tools & Options. Select the “Settings” tab and uncheck “Start Windows Messenger when Windows starts”. If Windows Messenger is already disabled, this option may not appear on the Settings tab.
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In Windows XP Professional, uninstall Messenger using the Group Policy Editor. Click Start, Run, then type gpedit.msc in the appropriate field. Expand the list of local computer policies.
In the list, find Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, and then Windows Components. Select Windows Messenger, right-click the Do not allow Windows Messenger to start option, and select Properties. Select “Enabled” and click “OK”.
For both Windows XP Home Edition and Professional, you can disable Messenger in Administrative Tools. Click Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, then click Administrative Tools. Click Services. Then find Messenger in the list of programs. Right-click it and choose Properties. Make sure the Startup Type is set to Disabled, then click OK.
Windows Vista and 7
To start uninstalling Windows Live Messenger in Windows Vista and 7, you must first make sure that Windows Live Essentials is up to date. In the Start Search box, type Windows Update. Select Windows Update from the list of programs.
If updates are available to install, select Install Updates. You can also click the Check Important Updates or Important Updates Available link to view available updates, and click View Update History to see which updates you have already installed. If not, select Check for Updates. Make sure you have installed the latest version of Windows Live Essentials before proceeding.
In both Windows Vista and 7, click the Start button and select Control Panel. In the “Programs” section, select “Uninstall a program”. Select Windows Live Essentials and click Uninstall / Change. Select Uninstall one or more Windows Live programs, then select Messenger. Click “Remove” to completely remove Windows Live Messenger from your computer.
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