The easiest way is to run WM and clear the option to "run this program
in the background." Of course you have to clear the option to run when
Windows starts if you haven't already done so. When you say Outlook
does not have it, you are stating that you have turned off the option to
"Enable Instant Messaging in Microsoft Outlook," right? If you are
using Outlook Express (not the same program), you must also keep the
Contacts pane closed. OE tries to log in to Messenger when you keep the
Contacts pane open.
Speaking of Outlook Express, consider using it for newgroups. OE
provides a much more flexible and usable interface for news. For
instance, you can read long messages in a separate window (less
scrolling), and you can set OE to read in HTML, which the Windows based
CDO interface cannot do. To get started, point your browser to
< A
newsreader program will open, most likely Outlook Newsreader. It will
download messages (you might be asked to set up an account), and you can
start right away.