# MSN Messenger & Outlook address book **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071 "2002-12-20T18:41:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/1 "2002-12-20T18:41:55Z")
The address book in Outlook Express 6 keeps adding my MSN Messenger contacts. But I don’t WANT them added. I delete them from the address book, but they keep reappearing when those contacts come online in Messenger. Does anyone know of any way to stop this from happening? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/2 "2003-01-08T13:43:56Z")
I know I’m just a newbie/lurker here, but does anyone have any ideas? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![rampisad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/858c86/32.png) [@rampisad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rampisad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/3 "2003-01-08T14:36:05Z")
Nosferatu Welcome to SD (and remember, we thrive on new blood here :D) I’m not using Outlook (thank G-d), but looking in MSN Help, you’ll find the following > [@](#): > > The Address Book is available from within Outlook Express or by clicking Start, pointing to Programs and then to Accessories, and then clicking Address Book. Perhaps the addresses are not actually being added to Outlook, they are simply being found there because the MSN book is automatically available? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/4 "2003-01-08T14:44:29Z")
I can’t say I know for sure, but I strongly suspect it cannot be stopped. I’ve been looking through the Messenger settings and cannot find anything about it there, and since I’d rather shave with a cheesegrater than use Outlook Express I can’t check there. If I were you I’d either try to e-mail Microsoft support about it or go into the Tools - Options menu (or whatever it’s called in Outlook Express) and go through every tab and every button and see if I find something. This is just one of those things that Microsoft loves to do for some reason. They call it “integrating” their programs. Everyone else calls it “writing programs that do things you didn’t ask them to and don’t want them to do”. ---
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/5 "2003-01-08T15:11:07Z")
Thanks for the ideas (and MS “clarifications”). Naturally, there’s nothing in any of the tabs or buttons, and no reference to it in any FAQs or other existing online support. I’m checking with some newgroups too, and will write MS support for the hell of it. Hi ho. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/6 "2003-01-08T16:23:57Z")
There must be a way! My 15 year old uses MSN Messenger all of the time, and we used to get all of her contacts in our e-mail address books. Someone must have fixed it, because they’ve been gone for a while now. ---
**Author:** ![Maryellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@Maryellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maryellen)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/7 "2003-01-08T19:28:11Z")
MSN is probably set as your default instant messaging program and OE 6 gloms onto whatever your default is. Stop MSN from being your default by opening it (MSN) up and poking around in Options. UNCHECK anything that says “Make MSN my default instant messaging program.” You might have to reboot. Also see this thread for more info: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=147444](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=147444) ---
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/8 "2003-01-08T19:32:44Z")
I just got this response from a newgroup. > [@](#): > > “Under the options tab, go to privacy. Here you will see a list of allowed contacts and a list of blocked contacts etc. Under these lists are some checkboxes, the bottom checkbox reads “This is a shared computer so don’t store my address book on it.” Check this, restart MSN and Outlook, and voila…no more contacts in Outlook (or OE) address book.” Makes sense to me. Thanks for all your help, hope it works! ---
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/9 "2003-01-10T13:21:35Z")
_heavy sigh_ Well, it seemed like it should have worked, but darn if some of the names didn’t pop up in the Outlook address book again. I rechecked the settings, and the correct box is checked. Shouldn’t it have worked, is there a glitch in the program, or is there something else going on? ---
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/10 "2003-01-10T13:22:54Z")
. ---
**Author:** ![Maryellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@Maryellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maryellen)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/11 "2003-01-10T16:50:01Z")
Here’s what’s going on. OE6 is configured to automatically open whatever is set as the default instant messaging program whenever OE6 opens. Then Microsoft set Messenger to BE the default IM program! Actually, whatever is set as your default IM program will open with OE6. So what you want is NO DEFAULT. I learned that when I upgraded my AIM and all of a sudden, AIM was showing up in my OE6 and Messenger was out of there. AIM had become my default instant messaging program. But, unlike MSN, AIM Preferences allow you to stop it from being the default. When I stopped AIM, all tie-ins with my instant messaging programs and OE6 stopped for good. (If you are comfortable with editing the Registry, go directly to the bottom of my post for the Registry tweak.) So, try this: I’m assuming that you’ve already tried everything to stop Messenger from at running at startup (unchecked it in msconfig, unchecked MSN preference to run at Windows startup. Post back if you need help on this.) This is not at all complicated! Okay!!..You will first make AIM your default: In AIM go to My AIM-\>Edit Options-\>Edit Preferences. Click on “Sign On/Sign Off”. At the bottom of that screen, find the box that says “Make AIM my default Instant Messaging program” and place a check in that box. Close AIM, reboot. Now open AIM again and return to the same Sign On/Sign Off screen. This time, UNcheck that box. Close AIM, reboot. Open OE6 and see if it worked. Finally, if that doesn’t work, here is the Registry tweak. I left this for last because trips to the Registry can be nerve-racking: [http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/989](http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/989) ---
**Author:** ![Nosferatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Nosferatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nosferatu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/12 "2003-01-10T18:20:28Z")
Thanks again, Riblet. I’ve opened and closed MSN messenger (not AIM) several times today and seen other contacts sign in and out, with no more of them being added to the OE address book. Maybe it was just a one-time glitch (rolleyes). MSM does not start when Windows starts. The tray icon appears when I open IE, but it still won’t actually start until I physicaly click on it. But I’ll keep the Registry tweak at hand, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/13 "2003-01-10T18:24:59Z")
Shh, stop stopping Microsoft from being convenient by opening all of their products every time any other product is opened, like their genius idea to use Word to edit e-mails for Outlook. Whew. ---
**Author:** ![Maryellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@Maryellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maryellen)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msn-messenger-outlook-address-book/144071/14 "2003-01-10T20:10:20Z")
“Opening” maybe isn’t what I wanted to say. What I mean is more like “associated with OE6”. You will never see an instant message screen starting when you open OE, regardless of what IM program you have, including MSN. You said you get the icon when you open “IE” (did you mean “OE”)? If you get the MSN icon when you open OE, it’s still “associated.”