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If you're anything like me you probably hate Windows Messenger with a passion. It got even worse when XP was released. It seemed Microsoft integrated the stupid thing into everything! It loads when you log in, every time you use Internet Explorer, even Outlook Express. Here's the simplest way to disable it so it never runs again.

1) First run "gpedit.msc" by going to start menu and selecting Run...

2) Find the Windows Messenger policies at "Local Computer Policy/Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Messenger".

3) Set both "Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run" and "Do not automatically start Windows Messenger initially" to the Enabled state.

4) Restart your machine.

If you use Outlook Express you will find that it now takes a very long time for Outlook Express to load. Here's how to fix that:

1) First run "regedit.exe" by going to start menu and selecting Run...

2) Find the Outlook Express key at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Outlook Express"

3) create a new DWORD value by right clicking in the right pane and selecting New.

4) Set this new DWORD name to "Hide Messenger" and the value to 2.

5) Exit all programs and restart the computer.

Outlook should now load quickly again and there's no Windows Messenger! Note that this will also stop the new versions of AIM from integrating into Outlook Express as well.