[L1k3t]

Eventhough I do NOT start msn messenger or outlook express, I appear online to all my contacts, and they are able to mess me, everytime I turn on my computer. I've unchecked the boxes in messenger options and outlook express, and there is no messenger icon in the systray, or any evidence of messenger running. I still get messages from my contacts, who say I appear online to them. WTF!??!?

[Aaron]

Have a look in Task Manager (CTRL +SHIFT + ESC) and look for a process called msnmsgr.exe, is it there? Closing this should stop your contacts messaging you.

[L1k3t]

for sure, but how is this possible at all?
And more important, how do I stop it from launching?

[Unwonted]

You could rename the C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger folder to something else, like "MSN GO AWAY" or something.

[L1k3t]

hehe, nice one, HandyBuddy.
But I frequently use messenger and wish to continue doing so. But at the time of MY choosing, not as soon the computer starts.

[Tinker]

Messenger 6 go to Tools>Options>General. Now you have the Sign In settings you can chose from.........

[L1k3t]

Well, Tinker. As I wrote in my first post, that I have already done ;-)

[Tinker]

O.K........

Do you have both 6 and the original messenger installed? I at first had both coming up. I went to Program Files>Messenger and renamed Messenger to Messenger1 and this stopped the original messenger from loading....

[Doggie]

this is actually to do with windows messenger when msn6 installed.. windows messenger hides in the background so goto start > run > msconfig
Goto Startup tab and look for msmsgs.. well i hope its the scenario as it happened to me

[L1k3t]

more problems....same as yours Tinker
I decided to uninstall my 4.7 version, and install the new. 6.0. Hmmm, seems like 4.7 did NOT uninstall very well, couse now I have 2 freakin' messenger running..................
First of all i went in the add/remove programs and uninstalled some add-on for messenger. Then add/remove win-components to remove messenger. OK, so far so good, no messenger in start menu... I installed 6.0 and launched it. All seemed fine, until I opened OutlookExpress, and discovers that it starts up the old 4.7 version, paralell to the 6.0 vers.....I go into explorer and sees that the old messenger folder is still there. So, how do I uninstall my old messenger.....???? Cant rename the folder, cant remove "read-only".
Havn't had the chance to check the "online-without-signing-in" yet, but this is really getting to annoy me.......

[Unwonted]

Are you sure you're making the distinction between Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger? That could cause two to run.

C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger = MSN Messenger
C:\Program Files\Messenger = Windows Messenger

You could rename/remove the Windows messenger and never see it again, not affecting MSN Messenger at all.

If it's "read-only", then right click the folder, go to "Properties", then uncheck the "read-only" box.

There is an issue when you remove Windows Messenger, when you load Outlook Express and use the Contacts pane. This causes OE to try to load Messenger, it can't and this causes a long delay. The registry entry that corrects this is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Hide Messenger
A DWord value of 2 prevents OE from trying to load it.

[L1k3t]

hmm, seems like the difference between Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger isn't too obvious.
Both use, as I understand, my .NET passport, look almost exactly the same(icon, gui, etc.), and have the same purpose and functionality.
Anyway, it seems like I have them both installed (eventhough I really tried to uninstall one of them, right or wrong, I don't know, I just need one of them ;-)), just as HandyBuddy says.



I'll look into this further tomorrow, it's 01:00 AM here now, and I'm off to work in the morning so......

thanks for all th replies, I will return ;-)