Windows Messenger - aargh!
 

Please, please, please can somebody help me.

I have Win XP SP2 and Microsoft Office SBE installed.

When I go into Microsoft Outlook it starts Windows Messenger. Except that I cannot see it in my app tray or as a running application.

It is very annoying when I am at work and get messages popping up at the least opportune moments.

I have followed the instructions on microsoft.com and this has had no effect. I have also tried using the 'Add/Remove Windows Components'. This removed all the useful ones like Accessories and IE and Windows 'Bluddy' Messenger was still there running.

How can I kill this application - forever?

TIA

Yours desperately (or stupidly - I don't mind if I am being thick if I can get a solution),

Rannoch :D

Have you got Messenger automatically opening when you log onto windows??

Go to Tools then options on the messenger page, go to general and unclick it, see if that solves the problem

stubarru

It doesn't - however I think I have found a solution in the bowels of microsoft.com.

The key is that even with WinMessenger turned off, when I logged into Outlook 2003 it was starting it automatically.

In this situation you need to manually edit the registry and create a new software policy for Windows Messenger. A lot of searching and farting around to make it work - but it seems to be working.

I have used the support database in the past for Outlook 2003 however the instructions provided there did not work - hence my frustration. I found this route by searching in a different place.

Ahhh - relief :D

Dont you just goto tools/options in outlook and tell it not to use messenger?

Not an option on 2003 I am afraid - that is why it has been so frustrating. On 2002 there was an option just to turn it off.

There was an option to tick on install of Outlook that I stupidly ticked. According to Microsoft there is an option that you can tick in Options/Contacts but it does not work.

I have now solved this by changing the Registry.

The real bugger of it was I could not see it running at all and was not aware I was 'live'.

Dont you turn off the use smart name tags or something in 2003, ah well at least you've sorted it :thumb: