# How do I get rid of Windows Messenger?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 24, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778 "2006-10-24T23:46:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Walter\_Windchill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Walter\_Windchill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walter_Windchill)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/21 "2006-10-28T19:47:54Z")

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Get rid of your PC and buy a Mac. 😉

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**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/22 "2006-10-28T20:52:22Z")

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In your C:\Program Files folder if you simply rename the “Messenger” folder to anything but “Messenger” I think that should do the trick.

On my system I simply renamed it “Messengeroff”.

It wont delete the files, but it will stop popping up and giving other pieces of ‘toast’ from the bottom left hand side of the screen.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/23 "2006-11-26T19:16:23Z")

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I have tried just about everything but still, it won’t go away. In c:\program files\messenger, the binary is named msmsgsin.exe rather than msmsgs.exe. Further, a search using Windows Explorer failed to find msmsgs.exe, even including hidden and system files and folders.

One web site suggests it might be a virus, but Symantec AntiVirus hasn’t flagged it.

Anybody know anything about the virus/worm angle?

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/24 "2006-11-27T13:46:40Z")

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[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]  
I have tried just about everything but still, it won’t go away. In c:\program files\messenger, the binary is named msmsgsin.exe rather than msmsgs.exe. Further, a search using Windows Explorer failed to find msmsgs.exe, even including hidden and system files and folders.

One web site suggests it might be a virus, but Symantec AntiVirus hasn’t flagged it.

Anybody know anything about the virus/worm angle?  
[/QUOTE]  
OK, it gets weirder. When I kill it from Task Manager, it restarts within a few minutes.

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**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/25 "2006-11-27T14:11:22Z")

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If you want to completely and “officially” remove it, copy and paste the following in Start Menu-\>Run:

```auto

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

```

(Instructions stolen from [here](http://www.techiwarehouse.com/cms/engine.php?page_id=db97f8e8).)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/26 "2006-11-27T14:13:32Z")

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Also, if you aren’t running with a firewall (why aren’t you running with a firewall?), you should disable the Messenger Service per QED’s instructions. That was program that let NT-users send pop-up messages to other users or to entire domains. It is now only used for spam.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377778/27 "2006-11-27T14:17:18Z")

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[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]  
OK, it gets weirder. When I kill it from Task Manager, it restarts within a few minutes.  
[/QUOTE]  
I can’t check on my machine (since I removed it), but it might be a protected system file. If you delete, rename, or change it, then Windows will periodically check it and restore the original. The archived version might have a funky extension (not .exe).

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