WTH, why can't I quit Windows Messenger?

[Yossarian]

Win XP sp1, Messenger version 4.7.2009. This is a fresh, fully patched install, next to nothing on my machine. I launch Messenger, it works fine. When I close it, it minimizes to task bar. I right click, select exit, I get a popup window saying that other programs are using features provided by windows messenger. In fact no other programs are open. Task manager will kill it normally. What's going on??

 

[clicknext]

Do you have outlook express or hotmail open?

 

[Yossarian]

no

 

[Nohr]

That's one reason I uninstalled it and use Trillian. Try looking in the Task Manager for msimn.exe, if it's there that means Outlook Express is still running. Only mention that because it's happened to me a few times.

 

[TechnoGuRu]

Windows Messenger wont close unless IE is closed also. Do yourself a favor and install MSN Messenger 6. It's less picky about closing than Windows Messenger.

 

[Hadsus]

This is a pain in the butt that I figured out with some digging the past couple of days........I have a new rig also. Do this:

Open "Windows Messenger" and from the Toolbar select
Tools > Options > Preferences and uncheck:

"Run this program when Windows starts" and
"Allow this program to run in the background", then
click OK.

Next, open Outlook Express and from the Toolbar select
Tools > Options and under the General tab uncheck
"Automatically log on to Windows Messenger" and click
APPLY.

Reboot and bingo......

 

[Shagga]

Originally posted by: Nohr
That's one reason I uninstalled it and use Trillian. Try looking in the Task Manager for msimn.exe, if it's there that means Outlook Express is still running. Only mention that because it's happened to me a few times.

Same here.

This is a pain in the butt that I figured out with some digging the past couple of days........I have a new rig also. Do this:

[edit]

Open "Windows Messenger" and from the Toolbar select
Tools > Options > Preferences and uncheck:

"Run this program when Windows starts" and
"Allow this program to run in the background", then
click OK.

Next, open Outlook Express and from the Toolbar select
Tools > Options and under the General tab uncheck
"Automatically log on to Windows Messenger" and click
APPLY.

Reboot and bingo......

Good first post and welcome to AT By the way I believe the tick box only appears in Outlook Express when you install the latest MS Messenger...

 

[Slugbait]

By the way I believe the tick box only appears in Outlook Express when you install the latest MS Messenger

OE only integrates with MSN Messenger on downlevel...it doesn't integrate with OE on XP, that's exclusive to Windows Messenger.

An unusual problem that I haven't heard of before...do you have any services configured and running, like Terminal Server?

 

[Yossarian]

aha! I found the culprit through a little googling. I have NAV2003 installed, it was defaulted to monitor MSN Messenger. Turning that off now allows me to exit Messenger and has the extra benefit of not running the msmsgs.exe process at startup (even though no tray icon appeared!).

btw what is the difference between Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger? They look the same to me.

 

[BennyD]

taskkill /F /IM msmsgs.exe /T

 

[Slugbait]

btw what is the difference between Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger? They look the same to me

Visually, they barely resemble each other anymore with the release of v6.0 of MSN Messenger. The main UI of v6.0 got a facelift, while the conversation UI was drastically overhauled. You can now have background images in the convo UI, which you can automatically share with buddies. There's also a display pic (avatar) that transmits your current 96x96 pic to whomever you're conversing with. A bunch of new static emoticons were added, and it introduces a handful of animated emoticons as well. You can play some server-based games with buddies directly within v6.0. There's a webcam feature (by Logitech) that finally allows downlevel operating systems to do video within Messenger instead of relying on NetMeeting. You can automatically save your conversations. If you're playing a game or doing a PowerPoint presentation, your status will auto-change to Busy and you won't get annoying alerts popping up on your screen (XP-only). And the menus were also redone to make certain menu items easier to find, and more intuitive and consolidated.

Other than that, they're exactly the same...

 

[Yossarian]

well that's pretty snazzy. sounds like you work for MS