Win XP Rant...

[MattR]

So my new computer at work has Win XP Professional installed. Great. I hate the new Start Menu and the fact that my desktop doesn't have "My Computer" and all that jazz. Thankfully, I can change most of it back to by Win2K setup, which I have. However, every 15 minutes or so I'll see the Windows Messenger icon pop up in the system tray, and every time I right-click and hit 'Exit'. It then hides for another 15 minutes. What the heck is this crap? I looked all over in Add/Remove Programs and even in the 'Services' section in the Administrative tools.

Those familliar with Windows NT/2000 know of a 'Messenger' service. It is used so you can type 'NET SEND bobs_computer YOU ARE A DORK' and a little pop-up will appear on Bob's Computer that says your computer thinks he's a dork. Well, if you look at the Messenger description it says, and I quote:
"Transmits net send and Alerter services messages between clients and servers. This service is not related to Windows Messenger...." (emphasis mine).

The 'Windows Messenger' verbage was NOT in NT/2000 -- they knew people were going to look for blood from this stupid messenger thing and try turning 'Messenger' service off. Isn't that an indication that something is very, very wrong here? If their test users went through the ARCANE Control Panel -> Admin Tools -> Services hierarchy and wantonly stopped the 'Messenger' service then that should tell them there should be a blasted way to remove this stupid 'feature'.

MSDN Help Docs to the rescue! Searching for 'Microsoft Messenger' in the 'Help and Support Center' provides 17 results. The 'Suggested Topics' area has '1 results', which has nothing to do with Messenger or removing it. Microsoft Knowledge Base brings up 15 results -- looking good! However, it is #5: "How to Disable Windows Messenger in Windows XP Professional (Q302089)". Isn't that nice -- they have a whole item in their knowledge base for exorcising this devil program.

The first paragraph reads:

This article describes how to disable Windows Messenger by using group policies. By default, Windows Messenger is installed by Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition, and the user interface does not provide a way to uninstall Windows Messenger. Note that you cannot disable Windows Messenger in Windows XP Home Edition because Windows XP Home Edition does not use group policies.

Sorry Home Users, you're screwed! There is NO WAY to remove this program from your operating system, and yet Microsoft does include a way to remove the best program in the world: IE6.0. I guess if users are constantly pestered with registering Messenger they don't have any time for the web at all, so they can remove IE to save disk space or something evil.

In any rate, for those of you out there with XP Professional and hate Messenger as much as I do follow these NINE (blech) easy steps to rid yourself of Messenger once and for all:

To disable Windows Messenger in Windows XP Professional Edition:
[list=1][*]Click Start , click Run , type gpedit.msc , and then press ENTER. [*]Double-click the following items to expand them: [*]Local Computer Policy [*]Computer Configuration [*]Administrative Templates [*]Windows Components [*]Windows Messenger [*]Double-click Do not allow Windows Messenger to run , and then click Enabled. [*]Click OK , and then quit the Group Policy snap-in. [/list=1]

Ahhh.. Feel better? I know I do!

[seanf]

Tools > Options > Preferences

Uncheck run when Windows starts and run in background

No more popping up!

BTW, I loved your old avatar

Sean

[Bob]

MattR, dude, why disable when you can remove? I will point you here and here. Enjoy. And it works for Home users aswell, dont make such sweeping statements before knowing what your talking about.


(Here might also be useful to you after you have removed it.)

Enjoy, I hate the blasted thing opening everytime I start Outlook Express, so I removed it.

[seanf]

Originally posted by Pixel26
I hate the blasted thing opening everytime I start Outlook Express

Open OE, then Tools > Options > General and uncheck automatically log on to Windows messenger

That will stop it!

Sean

[Bob]

It still loads though, just doesn't sign on. At least on my comp.

[seanf]

Sounds like you have not done the other one

Sean

[creole]

Originally posted by Pixel26
MattR, dude, why disable when you can remove? I will point you here and here. Enjoy. And it works for Home users aswell, dont make such sweeping statements before knowing what your talking about.

Hey Pixel...

Be careful what you say. Matt knows very well what he's talking about. When you do a search on the MS website and it never lists a way to get rid of it or uninstall it, I would guess that's pretty reliable.

[seanf]

Another of our Matts posted this link:
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/w...352313,00.html

Sean

[Bob]

Creole, normally I wouldn't be so harsh, but, this is a pretty well documented 'hack' on places like ArsTechnica. Also, people who rely on the Knowledge Base and MSDN only, in my opinion deserve to get responses like that. I agree, the KB and MSDN are [b]great[/b[ resources, but they aren't the only ones.

Sean, I had done them both, but, I find removal is a lot better than disabling.

[creole]

Well, if you read some of Matt's other posts, you'll him extremely intelligent and generally smart with computers. He did mention that XP was installed on his computer without his knowledge, so can you really expect him to learn about something as annoying as this in a day?

[Bob]

Creole, I have seen his posts, and he is very knowledgeable, and I love his Sybase forums, but .. the point is, he only (told us) went to MSDN and the Knowledge Base, there is Google, the Ars OpenForum and a million and one other places. Anyway, sorry if I came over too harsh.

[TWTCommish]

Matt's knowledge in other matters is irrelevant here: all that matters is whether or not this particular gripe is valid. Personally, I did not read his entire post, partially because, concerning what I did read, I didn't find it to consist of any truly valid complaints. I don't have Messenger bothering me, and it took me all of 5 minutes to change the GUI to something more pre-WinXP, the way I wanted it to look.

I'm loving WinXP Professional.

[Bob]

TWTC, Doesn't XP Pro just rule?!?

[Technosailor]

I've had XP Home installed several ways with and without Messenger. I think it'll always be installed, but it's not activated. It shouldn't be a problem if it's not running. Of course there's always MSCONFIG from the command line....thank God Micorsoft brought that back after they exiled it for Windows NT and 2000. You can always prevent it from loading there too.

Sketch

[Bob]

Are me and TWTCommish the only SitePointers who are fully satisfied with Windows XP Proffesional?

[DR_LaRRY_PEpPeR]

Originally posted by Sketch
thank God Micorsoft brought that back after they exiled it for Windows NT and 2000.

they didn't "exile" it in NT/2000. it just wasn't an NT family thing. MS would say it's for the "consumer" OSes. now since XP is the consumer OS, it's in there, just like it's been since, what, Win98.

i'm using Startup Control Panel in 2000, and i think i might like it more than msconfig.

[MattR]

Originally posted by Pixel26
And it works for Home users aswell, dont make such sweeping statements before knowing what your talking about.

Thanks. And hey, I was just repeating what Microsoft said -- the tweak stuff isn't Microsoft sponsored, is it?

[MattR]

Originally posted by TWTCommish
Matt's knowledge in other matters is irrelevant here: all that matters is whether or not this particular gripe is valid. Personally, I did not read his entire post, partially because, concerning what I did read, I didn't find it to consist of any truly valid complaints. I don't have Messenger bothering me, and it took me all of 5 minutes to change the GUI to something more pre-WinXP, the way I wanted it to look.

I'm loving WinXP Professional.

That's it -- you're off my Christmas list!!

[MattR]

What a day to get little sleep and not enough coffee, eh? I don't know why but it never crossed my mind to search google

P.S. if anyone knows how to make ICQ stop creating a Favorite's folder that would be cool as well.

[MattR]

Originally posted by Pixel26
[B]Creole, normally I wouldn't be so harsh, but, this is a pretty well documented 'hack' on places like ArsTechnica. Also, people who rely on the Knowledge Base and MSDN only, in my opinion deserve to get responses like that. I agree, the KB and MSDN are great[/b[ resources, but they aren't the only ones.

I've heard ArsTechnica in passing but never visted there (or if I have I didn't add it to my fav's). ArsTechnica.com I assume?

[DR_LaRRY_PEpPeR]

Originally posted by MattR
P.S. if anyone knows how to make ICQ stop creating a Favorite's folder that would be cool as well.

you mean that "From ICQ" folder, right? i HATE that! i could never figure out how to remove it. but you can hide it, and then it won't show up in the Favorites in IE. of course, it's visible in Explorer (if you have show hidden on like me), but not IE. that's good enough for me.

[pinki]

Originally posted by Pixel26
Are me and TWTCommish the only SitePointers who are fully satisfied with Windows XP Proffesional?

Nope, me luvs it too

[Bob]

Matt, ArsTechnica is the site for techies on the net, especially their Ars OpenForum (linked from the menu on the left hand side of their home page). I am Pixel26 on the OpenForum, hopefully I'll see ya around there!

[MattR]

If any good comes out of my XP thread, let it be this

There's a newly discovered hole in XP, ME (depending on if you use internet connection sharing), and 98. It is very serious and should be patched immediately. The fix, as of an hour ago, didn't appear on Windows Update (for me).

http://microsoft.com/technet/treevie...n/MS01-059.asp

[MattR]

Originally posted by Pixel26
Matt, ArsTechnica is the site for techies on the net, especially their Ars OpenForum (linked from the menu on the left hand side of their home page). I am Pixel26 on the OpenForum, hopefully I'll see ya around there!

I just registered as MattR. Hopefully I have enough time to hang around another forum!!