OK, I' just re-installed windows XP. I installed SP1, and uninstalled windows messenger, BUT it keeps opening whenever I open outlook express (Even though it's already uninstalled supposedly) Any ideas on how to completely eradicate it from my system?

disable "messenger"in services, and if your really paranoid like me paste this in your run box RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\inf\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Windows Messenger is installed with XP. Are you sure you're not referring to MSN Messenger, which is the Instant Messaging program? See this Help site: http://messenger.msn.com/Help/#LQ3

Windows Messenger IS an online messenger... it is a scaled down version of MSN Messenger that Microsoft integrated into XP. It opens automatically with Outlook Express. You cannot uninstall it through add/remove programs. This only removes it from the start menu. By the way, the Messenger 'Service' that Martin spoke about above has nothing to do with Windows Messenger, but it isn't a bad idea to disable that one as well to avoid annoying popups and a potential security risk. Jim

Windows Messenger can be removed via the Add Remove utility in Control Panel, but since it is hidden by default, you first have to unhide it. In your (hidden) INF folder that is a subfolder of the Windows or Winnt folder, is the file SYSOC.INF. Edit it with Notepad and locate the line that starts "msmsgs". Remove the word "hide" but make sure you don't remove any of the commas. Save the file, and now Windows messenger is visible in the Add Remove utility and can easily be removed. For more info on files hidden from Add Remove see: http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,103796,00.asp Good luck Nigel

That's great info Nigel... hadn't seen that article before. Thanks.

Go to GRC.COM and get SHOOTTHEMESSENGER.