I've MSN Messenger at a friend's house, and now he's logging in as me and IMing all my friends, because Messenger was set to remember me. How do I stop that, and how do I prevent it from happening again?
You're not alone, I see this a lot. If you're not careful, it's very easy to accidentally give someone else access to your account if you use MSN Messenger a public computer or someone else's computer.
It require's a little diligence on your part, or you're going to get into trouble.
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First, if it's already happened, change your password now. That will prevent any "Remember Me" functionality on other computer from working any longer, because of course they'll have remembered the old, now wrong, password.
Now, each time you use someone else's computer for MSN Messenger, you need to make sure the features are off.
To keep Messenger from automatically starting at login, and from allowing automatic login. Click on Tools, Options, General. Now UNcheck "Automatically run messenger when I log on to Windows", and "Allow automatic sign in when connected to the Internet".
We also need to force Messenger to forget who we are.
The next step that everyone seems to overlook is simple: Sign Out -> Hit the File Menu, and select Sign Out.
Now at this point you'll see that Messenger may still remembers who you are, AND remembers your password. So UNcheck: Remember Me, Remember my Password and Sign me in automatically.
At this point you should also click on "Forget me".
If you ever use Messenger on someone else's computer, you must check these settings each time you are done, or you risk leaving your information on their computer.
I've put together a short, less than two minute video walking through the steps to disable the automatic login and remember me features of MSN Messenger that you'll need to take each time you finish using it on someone else's computer.
Watch the video:
Preventing MSN
Messenger from Starting and Signing in Automatically.
Related:
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Ask Leo! - How do I change my MSN Messenger or Hotmail password?
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Ask Leo! - How do I get Messenger to stop logging in automatically?
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Ask Leo! - How can I keep Windows Instant Messenger from signing on automatically?
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Ask Leo! - How do I disable the "remember me" feature of Instant Messaging clients?
Article C2508 - January 2, 2006
i have a problem "i want to deactivate ma messenger alerts on to ma phone " i have once activated on to ma mobile n now iam fed of gettin unneccessary messaged on to ma mobile " plz help how to deactivate the service"
Posted by: mehak sultana at October 5, 2008 11:11 AMI told MSN.com to stop asking me "do you want msn to remember your login info" on a site that i log into often. How do i turn it back on?
Posted by: gary w parker at November 6, 2008 9:56 PMi tried logging my freind out but it didnt work nd all her friends keep talking to me nd i can get it to stop + wen i went in to Tools then Options there was no general i no how to use the new msn versions it's just my freind loggeged into the old one the standard one that comes with the windows program one more thing i cant seem to get to her msn home page so it's logged on but it sais it's not....anything to help would be good
Posted by: jean at February 13, 2009 8:19 PMI've done this and it still pops up (not logs me in) when i check my e-mail.
Posted by: Josh at February 18, 2009 1:49 PMArghh!
Posted by: Kayleighh at February 19, 2009 12:35 PMAs soon as i sign in my msn.. it will sign me in for about 10 seconds and then it signs straight back out!!!
I've tried un installing msn and Re-installing it but its still not worked!
Its soo annoying!
i installed Windows Live Messenger. It was giving me problems so attempted to unistall all from the Add/Remove (Windows Live). Now I have come to the add/remove Windows Live Essentials and this will not unistall. I am a newbie at this and finding this so upsetting. Is there assistance that I can apply to correct and delete all of Windows live Messenger? thank you
Posted by: sheila at March 23, 2009 3:48 PMi have re-downloaded the new windows live messenger 3 times and everytime i sign into it, it keeps signing me out after 10 or so seconds. help!
Posted by: tayla at April 8, 2009 12:50 AMI have Windows Live Messenger installed on my computer, and no longer need it. It pops up every time I turn my computer on, so why deal with that when I can deactivate it? The problem is this: How do you deactivate it all? I am struggling to find the solution.
Posted by: Kelly at April 11, 2009 1:43 PMI also have an old version of windows and i cant stop it from signing me in automatically.
Posted by: Margaret at May 25, 2009 10:02 PMI went to Options and general and it doesnt say automatically run messenger when i log on to windows?
I have Win XP SP3. I tried the above suggestion but it did'nt work becoz there is no box to un-check.
Posted by: Dan at September 17, 2009 11:58 PMHowever, I was able to remove the setting (automatic Windows Messenger sign in) by doing the following:
Open Control panel > click User Account > click your Account > In Related Tasks, click Manage my network passwords > highlight the email address you want to delete then click Remove.(don't worry this will NOT delete your Passport Net). Then Close.