Messenger 4.1 and 6.1

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dom Haseltine
  • Start date Start date
D

Dom Haseltine

I have now have messenger 6.1 installed but can't
uninstall 4.1. I have tried removing 4.1 using the
windows add/remove windows components, but it still stays
there. i keep getting signed out on my own computer.
Please someone help.
 
Greetings Dom,

Just removing Windows Messenger 4.x (not that it matters, but there is no 4.1) from
Add/Remove Windows Components simply removes the shortcut to the application.

Instead ,you can completely remove Windows Messenger but if you do, you will be preventing
Remote Assistance, Whiteboard, and Application Sharing from working. Instead you might want
to simply disable Windows Messenger by opening it up (click Start, then Run, type "msmsgs"
and click OK), click Tools, Options, Preferences tab and uncheck 'Run this Program when
Windows starts' or 'Run Windows Messenger when Windows starts' (depending on version) as well
as 'Allow this program to run in the background' or 'Allow Windows Messenger to run in the
background' (depending on version). This won't remove Windows Messenger, so features like
Remote Assistance, Whiteboard and Application Sharing will continue to work, but it will let
it stay out of your way.

Also, do you have Norton Antivirus installed? Recent versions of Norton Antivirus added a
new "instant messaging scanning" feature, which can conflict with Messenger and cause it to
also keep starting. To stop it, open Norton Antivirus (Right-click on the Norton Antivirus
icon in the System Tray/Notification Area (by the clock), choose 'Open Norton Antivirus'),
click Options, then Instant Messenger then uncheck MSN Instant Messenger and click OK.

However, if you don't use this functionality that would be disabled by removing Messenger,
you can simply remove it by closing down Messenger if it's running (right click the messenger
icon in the notification area/system tray and click close). Then click the start button,
then click Run and type in (copy-paste if you like):
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Then click OK.
Messenger will then be uninstalled. For more detailed instructions and screenshots, go to,
http://messenger.jonathankay.com/problem.aspx?ID=7
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
 
-----Original Message-----
I have now have messenger 6.1 installed but can't
uninstall 4.1. I have tried removing 4.1 using the
windows add/remove windows components, but it still stays
there. i keep getting signed out on my own computer.
Please someone help.
.
Click to expand...
Basically, you can't. Windows Messenger is tied in with
the XP operating system and its ability to communicate
with Exchange and some other new features. Also, as I
understand it, MSN Messenger relies on some shared code
with XP's Windows Messenger so you'd basically be trying
to pull the rug out from underneath MSN Messenger if you
COULD remove Windows Messenger. Bottom line is, just
don't run the Windows Messenger and only use MSN
Messenger if you're happier with the interface, etc. of
MSN Messenger.
 
Running this command worked for me when uninstalling MSN
4.7... go to "start" then "run" and type...

RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection
%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

when restarting my MSN 6.2, it looked to reinstall a couple
things but everything started normal with no problems.
 
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