# How do I get rid of Windows Messenger?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 25, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805 "2006-10-25T03:46:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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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:** [October 25, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805/1 "2006-10-25T03:46:08Z")

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This thing loads itself on startup and does me no good that I can determine. And so it annoying as hell that it insists on being there. Yet it is not listed in the uninstall list. I can disable it from starting automatically in msconfig, but how do I just purge it altogether?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805/2 "2006-10-25T03:54:10Z")

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Must be something in the air today: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=393523](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=393523)

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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:** [October 25, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805/3 "2006-10-25T03:58:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]  
Must be something in the air today: [How do I get rid of Windows Messenger? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=393523)  
[/QUOTE]

Y’know, I just found that other thread and was going to post exactly the same thing that you just did. It’s bizarre that the title was identical.

If a mod trips on this you can close it.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805/4 "2006-10-25T03:59:44Z")

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I’ve found the easiest way is to make sure the program isn’t running. (Control Alt Del, and ‘end task’) it. Then navigate to C:\program files\ and find it’s folder. I beleive it’s called Messenger and change it’s name. After you do that it _can’t_ run anymore. It’s by far the best/fastest/easiest fix I’ve found to date.

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**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805/5 "2006-10-25T04:40:22Z")

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[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]  
It’s bizarre that the title was identical.  
[/QUOTE]  
Not only that, but it was posted exactly four hours later, to the very minute! :eek:

…Okay, I got nothin’.

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-windows-messenger/377805/6 "2006-10-25T05:40:27Z")

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\<mod\>

Closed at the request of the OP.

Direct all comments to [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...ad.php?t=393523](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...ad.php?t=393523)

\</mod\>