How to Uninstall MSN Messenger

MSN Messenger is a fun way to communicate with coworkers, friends and family. It can be highly addictive and nearly as personable as talking on the phone. Some people, however, prefer to use other instant messaging programs and may wish to remove MSN Messenger from their computers. Or, perhaps you upgraded to a newer version and decided you want to go back to the old version. If you aren't going to use the program, why not uninstall it? Follow these steps to find out how.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access

Instructions

Uninstall MSN Messenger

1. Start at the MSN Web site (see Resources below) and log in to your account.

2. Find the "Add or Remove Programs" icon and double click it with your mouse.

3. Look through the list of installed programs until you find "MSN Messenger."

4. Click on "MSN Messenger" to select it.

5. Click the "Remove" button, which will cause MSN Messenger to begin removing itself.

6. Navigate to the "Start" button, click on it, and then double-click on the "Control Panel."

Locate Hidden Files on Your Computer

1. Open "My Computer" or "My Documents" on your computer.

2. Click on the "Tools" menu and then select "Folder Options."

3. Click on the "View" tab and locate the "Hidden Files and Folders" setting area.

4. Find the "Show Hidden Files and Folders" circle and click it.

5. Un-check the "Hide Protected Operating System Files" box.

6. Click the "OK" button to find the file that you are searching for.

Find the File

1. Open "My Computer."

2. Click the address field.

3. Type "C:\Windows\inf" into the address line and press "Enter" on your keyboard.

4. Locate the "Sysoc" file by scrolling until you find it.

5. Use Notepad or a similar program to open the file.

6. Find the line that reads "msmsgs=msgrocm.dll."

7. Find the word "hide" and delete it from this line. Do not remove anything else--even commas.

8. Save the file in Notepad and then close the program.

Tips & Warnings

• The problem with performing an uninstall of MSN Messenger is that it has a habit of coming back. This is because while you may think you are uninstalling MSN Messenger, you are really just hiding the program. Therefore, following the uninstall instructions works best if you want to remove a new version of the program so that you can resume using the previous version (if you downloaded the new version and don't like it).

• To fully uninstall MSN Messenger, you'll need to locate a filed on your hard drive and then edit that file in Notepad. Do not perform this task without backing up your computer first.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish