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How do I stop MSN Messenger from starting automatically and logging me in?

Question: 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.

Do this

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41 comments on “How do I stop MSN Messenger from starting automatically and logging me in?”

  1. OK, so what do you do if when you go to Tools, Options, General and those boxes are not checked? The only option that is checked is “open messenger when windows main opens” Cant find any other options.

    Reply
  2. 1. I couldn’t tell you.

    2. In the U.S. at least, anyone can sue anyone for anything any time. The real question is would you win? THAT seems unlikely.

    3. Seems unlikely.

    Best of luck.

    Reply
  3. Thanks for his article, but I have this problem on a shared computer at work, it has an older version of MSN msgr, no three check boxes, or “forget me” at logon screen (I have disabled automatic sign in). Any advice?
    thx

    Reply
  4. Ok, so how do I stop MSN Messenger (ver 7.5) from loading when I go to hotmail.com?

    Please don’t give me the HKLM/Software/BlahBlah… it’s not there. MSN Messenger ONLY runs when I go to hotmail.com.

    Reply
  5. I wonder if there is a possible way to break into an email account. Really i dont think it can be done. Noone on the internet seems to be capable of doing that. All the hackers on the net are lamers. I want someone to try to break into my account. If you want mess everything up, do whatever you want to do, but i know that its not possible, if you do, i might even give 10 bucks through paypal, and then i’ll want to know if you could do it again on another account, this is just to see if there is someone who can do it. Im not gonna be mad, really i want you to mess everything up, i want to see how well you do to try to make me mad, if you do, then ill want you to do it again for 50 bucks through paypal.

    Good Luck and Thanks You. . .
    Skaternader_Skyler@hotmail.com

    Reply
  6. Hi. I was surfing the net looking for advice on how to totally remove MSN / Messenger from my laptop. My wife left my 15 year old son on my laptop one night and somehow he created an msn account? I thought I got rid of it from my change/remove programs key from the control panel. However, I had the treat of seeing his internet history on my laptop from another computer source! How do I get rid of any internet access to my laptop from this source? Did my son use my computer to create this, then he can use other people’s computers and it shows on my laptop? Thanks, Trevor.

    Reply
  7. When you click sign in with a different emaild address on msn 7.0 and you sign in with a different email it remembers the email, and other ones you have used. How do I clear these emails so it no longer says them. I’ve done this once before, I think in control panel but it was by mistake and I don’t remember how I did it, despite several attempts. Thankyou for your time.

    Reply
  8. my msn is not working it keeps saying it is unavaible but the internet is working fine i have been going on websites and i have been doing what it says on there and every thing is fine so i dont understand why it is not working ! please help ! thank you x

    Reply
  9. Hi Leo,
    Do you have any advice on how to get MSN to stop logging me off when I am using my computer. I have automic sign on ticked, but it logs me off continually. I have to log back on when I want to message one of my contacts.
    Many thanks
    D

    Reply
  10. hi leo 1 of my friends went on my compter a week ago and logged in there msn messenger account, and now i every time i log in to my user it says i have 60 unred mail messages which are actually my friend’s. Please if any1 nos how i can stop that coming up wen i log inj i’d be much appreciated. THANKS!

    Reply
  11. hello

    In your instructions it says: “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.”
    But where do I uncheck this – I cannot find the option to opt out of the automatic sign in, the only thing I could do is stop it from automatically open when I run windows but somehow it still signs me in.

    Thanks

    Anja

    Reply
  12. hi leo i took your advice on the msn messenger signing me in automatically but it is still doing it, im worried cause its my work computer..

    Reply
  13. I have a question.

    I share a computer and want to ask about the sign in alerts appearing. It I am not online on messenger, will the person I share the computer with be able to see if someone of my contacts are signing in ??? This is really bothering me, so please I need an answer.

    Thank you

    Reply
  14. I’m trying to follow your instructions to stop ninemsn from automatically logging in when I turn my computer on, but not being a terribly computer literate I am having trouble following your prompts – the only ‘tools’ I can find gives ‘internet options’ not options and if I choose that and go to ‘general’ I do not get UNcheck “Automatically run messenger when I log on to Windows”, and “Allow automatic sign in when connected to the Internet”.
    I have Windows XP, does that make a difference to the instructions?

    Reply
  15. Okay, so I was tired of my msn messenger signing me in automatically. So, I accidently deleted the shortcut to get to msn. I was trying to find a way to make it stop signing in. But then, I found out how to change the sign in settings or whatever. So, now my msn won’t sign in, but I don’t know how to get to it because I deleted the shortcut. What do I do???

    Reply
  16. 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”

    Reply
  17. I 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?

    Reply
  18. i 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

    Reply
  19. Arghh!
    As 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!

    Reply
  20. 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

    Reply
  21. i 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!

    Reply
  22. I 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.

    Reply
  23. I also have an old version of windows and i cant stop it from signing me in automatically.
    I went to Options and general and it doesnt say automatically run messenger when i log on to windows?

    Reply
  24. I have Win XP SP3. I tried the above suggestion but it did’nt work becoz there is no box to un-check.
    However, 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.

    Reply
  25. i hve installed msn messenger 2009& using xp sp3. when i signin on msn if automatically signout after few second………plz any suggestion how to solve it

    Reply
  26. i have windoes vista on a toshiba laptop and i instaled the latest edision of windows live mesendger(msn) and when i turn on my laptop that and a toshiba help ceter thing pops up like 15 mins after i turn it on so it takes 30 mins just to open the first program so i went to the control panle cliked programs in the side bar then under default programs you can stop them from opening hope this helps if you have any questions mesedge me @

    Reply
  27. Using IE8…. Tools/Internet Options/Programs/Manage Add Ons then disable Windows Live and Windows Live Sign in Helper

    Good luck. It annoyed me too!

    Reply
  28. In the pats when a friend was posting a link and i clicked on the link i was ask to confirm that i was sure i want to visit the link. No if i click on the link it automatically takes me there. How can i put the warning back on ?

    Reply
  29. Okay, so you all want to know how to stop MSN Messenger from starting Automatically when you turn on your computer or use Internet Explorer? You’re tired of all of the foolishness and constant cosmetic non functional changes that Bill makes to the MSN products? You want to stop wasting your time learning program and function one after the other always with the promise of better features only to find out that the “new” change is just “window dressing” on a program or function that already works fine? You’re tired of wasting your time? Then stop supporting Bill Gates and Microsoft and purchase an Apple. It’s just that simple people. If you are tried of Bill and the Tinker Boys wasting your time “Windows 7 was their lame idea” then stop supporting Microsoft. Trust me, your life will be a lot less complicated with Apple, they do not unnecessarily waste your time learning marginally changed “window dressed” programs and features. It’s just that simple. Say “NO” to Billy and the Boys and let them know that “Windows 7, and XP, and ME, and…. well you get it… seems that they can’t make anything that lasts… that’s their Idea. Just saying… APPLE.

    Reply
  30. everytime someone signs in than out of yahoo messenger i see it in bottom right hand corner. how do I stop it from doing that? It’s people not even on my list.

    Check the options in Yahoo messenger – look for “notifications”. (I don’t have it or run it, otherwise I’d tell you more specifically.) Those people are somehow associated with you, probably on a list of some sort. Thousands of people are signing in and out every minute – if you were getting notices for all of them your computer couldn’t keep up.

    Leo
    14-May-2011

    Reply
  31. I Am thinking of suing msn ..cause of this..problem..I mean..it results in privacy issues..when you remember the password..what if we forget to signout
    every one can use our msn id…See your friends..Other problem is it affects my privacy..
    Really need to sue them for this flaw

    Reply

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