Messenger Won't Die

[AK]

I have carefully disabled the Messenger program as instructed (Ctrl
Panel --> Admin. Tools --> Services --> Messenger --> Properties:
Startup disabled and Service stopped) but my firewall (Zone Alarm)
still reports blocking near-continuous attempts by the Messenger
program to connect. I've read that Messenger isn't the same as Windows
Messenger, but all searches for information about how to disable
either one lead to the same instructions. Have I failed to disable the
one that's still trying to connect? If I do have the right program,
why does it refuse to die?

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Greetings AK,

Disabling Messenger in the Services will disable the 'Messenger Service' -- but this is not
nor has anything to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger.

However, if Windows Messenger constantly is asking for asking to connect, do you have Norton
Antivirus 2003 installed? Norton added a new "instant messaging scanning" feature to Norton
Antivirus 2003, which can conflict with Messenger and cause this behavior. To stop it, open
Norton Antivirus (Right-click on the Norton Antivirus icon in the System Tray/Notification
Area (by the clock), choose 'Open Norton Antivirus'), click Options, then Instant Messenger
then uncheck MSN Instant Messenger and click OK
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Windows MVP, Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com



"AK" > wrote in message
om...
> I have carefully disabled the Messenger program as instructed (Ctrl
> Panel --> Admin. Tools --> Services --> Messenger --> Properties:
> Startup disabled and Service stopped) but my firewall (Zone Alarm)
> still reports blocking near-continuous attempts by the Messenger
> program to connect. I've read that Messenger isn't the same as Windows
> Messenger, but all searches for information about how to disable
> either one lead to the same instructions. Have I failed to disable the
> one that's still trying to connect? If I do have the right program,
> why does it refuse to die?

[AK]

Thanks for this. I guess the key question is which program keeps
trying to connect. The firewall lists it simply as "Messenger," but I
don't know if it's Messenger Service (presumably not, since that was
disabled), MSN Messenger, or Windows Messenger. On your advice, I
told NAV to stop scanning instant messenging, although it's a bit
counterintuitive to imagine that merely enabling it to scan any
messages that *might* arrive (but which, in fact, don't) would cause
the program to try to connect to the internet umpteen times a day.
I've also used Windows Explorer to move all the files out of the
c:\program files\Messenger folder. Maybe one of these gambits will
work.

________________________________________

"Jonathan Kay [MVP]" > wrote in message >...
> Greetings AK,
>
> Disabling Messenger in the Services will disable the 'Messenger Service' -- but this is not
> nor has anything to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger.
>
> However, if Windows Messenger constantly is asking for asking to connect, do you have Norton
> Antivirus 2003 installed? Norton added a new "instant messaging scanning" feature to Norton
> Antivirus 2003, which can conflict with Messenger and cause this behavior. To stop it, open
> Norton Antivirus (Right-click on the Norton Antivirus icon in the System Tray/Notification
> Area (by the clock), choose 'Open Norton Antivirus'), click Options, then Instant Messenger
> then uncheck MSN Instant Messenger and click OK
> ____________________________________________
> Jonathan Kay
> Windows MVP, Messenger
> Associate Expert
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
> Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
>
>
>
> "AK" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have carefully disabled the Messenger program as instructed (Ctrl
> > Panel --> Admin. Tools --> Services --> Messenger --> Properties:
> > Startup disabled and Service stopped) but my firewall (Zone Alarm)
> > still reports blocking near-continuous attempts by the Messenger
> > program to connect. I've read that Messenger isn't the same as Windows
> > Messenger, but all searches for information about how to disable
> > either one lead to the same instructions. Have I failed to disable the
> > one that's still trying to connect? If I do have the right program,
> > why does it refuse to die?

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Greetings AK,

The problem is within Norton's code to do this -- it calls the Messenger (Windows Messenger
in this case) control which then loads and tries to connect Windows Messenger. I'm still
evaluating Norton Antivirus 2004 to see if it suffers from the same issue (so far so good).
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Windows MVP, Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com


"AK" > wrote in message
om...
> Thanks for this. I guess the key question is which program keeps
> trying to connect. The firewall lists it simply as "Messenger," but I
> don't know if it's Messenger Service (presumably not, since that was
> disabled), MSN Messenger, or Windows Messenger. On your advice, I
> told NAV to stop scanning instant messenging, although it's a bit
> counterintuitive to imagine that merely enabling it to scan any
> messages that *might* arrive (but which, in fact, don't) would cause
> the program to try to connect to the internet umpteen times a day.
> I've also used Windows Explorer to move all the files out of the
> c:\program files\Messenger folder. Maybe one of these gambits will
> work.
>
> ________________________________________
>
> "Jonathan Kay [MVP]" > wrote in message
>...
> > Greetings AK,
> >
> > Disabling Messenger in the Services will disable the 'Messenger Service' -- but this is
not
> > nor has anything to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger.
> >
> > However, if Windows Messenger constantly is asking for asking to connect, do you have
Norton
> > Antivirus 2003 installed? Norton added a new "instant messaging scanning" feature to
Norton
> > Antivirus 2003, which can conflict with Messenger and cause this behavior. To stop it,
open
> > Norton Antivirus (Right-click on the Norton Antivirus icon in the System
Tray/Notification
> > Area (by the clock), choose 'Open Norton Antivirus'), click Options, then Instant
Messenger
> > then uncheck MSN Instant Messenger and click OK
> > ____________________________________________
> > Jonathan Kay
> > Windows MVP, Messenger
> > Associate Expert
> > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
> > Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
> >
> >
> >
> > "AK" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > I have carefully disabled the Messenger program as instructed (Ctrl
> > > Panel --> Admin. Tools --> Services --> Messenger --> Properties:
> > > Startup disabled and Service stopped) but my firewall (Zone Alarm)
> > > still reports blocking near-continuous attempts by the Messenger
> > > program to connect. I've read that Messenger isn't the same as Windows
> > > Messenger, but all searches for information about how to disable
> > > either one lead to the same instructions. Have I failed to disable the
> > > one that's still trying to connect? If I do have the right program,
> > > why does it refuse to die?

[AK]

Thought you might be interested to hear that disabling Messenger in
Norton AV didn't seem to make any difference. At the same time, you
may remember, I had moved all the Messenger files out of their proper
folder and into a dummy folder -- presumably the same as renaming one
of the key files. To figure out which of these two measures had
solved the problem, I moved the files back and, sure enough, my
firewall reports that Messenger is again trying to connect like crazy
even though the NAV change remains in place.





"Jonathan Kay [MVP]" > wrote in message >...
> Greetings AK,
>
> The problem is within Norton's code to do this -- it calls the Messenger (Windows Messenger
> in this case) control which then loads and tries to connect Windows Messenger. I'm still
> evaluating Norton Antivirus 2004 to see if it suffers from the same issue (so far so good).
> ____________________________________________
> Jonathan Kay
> Windows MVP, Messenger
> Associate Expert
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
> Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
>
>
> "AK" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Thanks for this. I guess the key question is which program keeps
> > trying to connect. The firewall lists it simply as "Messenger," but I
> > don't know if it's Messenger Service (presumably not, since that was
> > disabled), MSN Messenger, or Windows Messenger. On your advice, I
> > told NAV to stop scanning instant messenging, although it's a bit
> > counterintuitive to imagine that merely enabling it to scan any
> > messages that *might* arrive (but which, in fact, don't) would cause
> > the program to try to connect to the internet umpteen times a day.
> > I've also used Windows Explorer to move all the files out of the
> > c:\program files\Messenger folder. Maybe one of these gambits will
> > work.
> >
> > ________________________________________
> >
> > "Jonathan Kay [MVP]" > wrote in message
> >...
> > > Greetings AK,
> > >
> > > Disabling Messenger in the Services will disable the 'Messenger Service' -- but this is
> not
> > > nor has anything to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger.
> > >
> > > However, if Windows Messenger constantly is asking for asking to connect, do you have
> Norton
> > > Antivirus 2003 installed? Norton added a new "instant messaging scanning" feature to
> Norton
> > > Antivirus 2003, which can conflict with Messenger and cause this behavior. To stop it,
> open
> > > Norton Antivirus (Right-click on the Norton Antivirus icon in the System
> Tray/Notification
> > > Area (by the clock), choose 'Open Norton Antivirus'), click Options, then Instant
> Messenger
> > > then uncheck MSN Instant Messenger and click OK
> > > ____________________________________________
> > > Jonathan Kay
> > > Windows MVP, Messenger
> > > Associate Expert
> > > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
> > > Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "AK" > wrote in message
> > > om...
> > > > I have carefully disabled the Messenger program as instructed (Ctrl
> > > > Panel --> Admin. Tools --> Services --> Messenger --> Properties:
> > > > Startup disabled and Service stopped) but my firewall (Zone Alarm)
> > > > still reports blocking near-continuous attempts by the Messenger
> > > > program to connect. I've read that Messenger isn't the same as Windows
> > > > Messenger, but all searches for information about how to disable
> > > > either one lead to the same instructions. Have I failed to disable the
> > > > one that's still trying to connect? If I do have the right program,
> > > > why does it refuse to die?

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi AK,

Then some other application is using it -- you may want to open up the main Windows Messenger
window, click the Tools menu, then Options, then Preferences tab, uncheck 'Run this program
when Windows starts' and click OK.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Windows MVP, Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com

"AK" > wrote in message
om...
> Thought you might be interested to hear that disabling Messenger in
> Norton AV didn't seem to make any difference. At the same time, you
> may remember, I had moved all the Messenger files out of their proper
> folder and into a dummy folder -- presumably the same as renaming one
> of the key files. To figure out which of these two measures had
> solved the problem, I moved the files back and, sure enough, my
> firewall reports that Messenger is again trying to connect like crazy
> even though the NAV change remains in place.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Jonathan Kay [MVP]" > wrote in message
>...
> > Greetings AK,
> >
> > The problem is within Norton's code to do this -- it calls the Messenger (Windows
Messenger
> > in this case) control which then loads and tries to connect Windows Messenger. I'm still
> > evaluating Norton Antivirus 2004 to see if it suffers from the same issue (so far so
good).
> > ____________________________________________
> > Jonathan Kay
> > Windows MVP, Messenger
> > Associate Expert
> > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
> > Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
> >
> >
> > "AK" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > Thanks for this. I guess the key question is which program keeps
> > > trying to connect. The firewall lists it simply as "Messenger," but I
> > > don't know if it's Messenger Service (presumably not, since that was
> > > disabled), MSN Messenger, or Windows Messenger. On your advice, I
> > > told NAV to stop scanning instant messenging, although it's a bit
> > > counterintuitive to imagine that merely enabling it to scan any
> > > messages that *might* arrive (but which, in fact, don't) would cause
> > > the program to try to connect to the internet umpteen times a day.
> > > I've also used Windows Explorer to move all the files out of the
> > > c:\program files\Messenger folder. Maybe one of these gambits will
> > > work.
> > >
> > > ________________________________________
> > >
> > > "Jonathan Kay [MVP]" > wrote in message
> > >...
> > > > Greetings AK,
> > > >
> > > > Disabling Messenger in the Services will disable the 'Messenger Service' -- but this
is
> > not
> > > > nor has anything to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger.
> > > >
> > > > However, if Windows Messenger constantly is asking for asking to connect, do you have
> > Norton
> > > > Antivirus 2003 installed? Norton added a new "instant messaging scanning" feature to
> > Norton
> > > > Antivirus 2003, which can conflict with Messenger and cause this behavior. To stop
it,
> > open
> > > > Norton Antivirus (Right-click on the Norton Antivirus icon in the System
> > Tray/Notification
> > > > Area (by the clock), choose 'Open Norton Antivirus'), click Options, then Instant
> > Messenger
> > > > then uncheck MSN Instant Messenger and click OK
> > > > ____________________________________________
> > > > Jonathan Kay
> > > > Windows MVP, Messenger
> > > > Associate Expert
> > > > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
> > > > Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "AK" > wrote in message
> > > > om...
> > > > > I have carefully disabled the Messenger program as instructed (Ctrl
> > > > > Panel --> Admin. Tools --> Services --> Messenger --> Properties:
> > > > > Startup disabled and Service stopped) but my firewall (Zone Alarm)
> > > > > still reports blocking near-continuous attempts by the Messenger
> > > > > program to connect. I've read that Messenger isn't the same as Windows
> > > > > Messenger, but all searches for information about how to disable
> > > > > either one lead to the same instructions. Have I failed to disable the
> > > > > one that's still trying to connect? If I do have the right program,
> > > > > why does it refuse to die?