Summary: The location of the uninstaller has changed for Windows Live Messenger. I'll walk you through the steps to find it and uninstall messenger.
I installed Windows Live Messenger 2009 (aka Messenger 9) and it's not working for me so I want to uninstall it. Problem is it's not listed in Control Panel. Like others uninstalling Messenger 9 I've deleted the files from the systems disk but whenever I try reinstalling Messenger 8.5 it says that I'm still using 9.0. Should I give up and just reformat my whole system?
•
I've been getting variations on this question a lot lately because people can't seem to resist installing Beta software. (Hint: don't - no matter what anyone says - unless you really know what you're doing.)
As with all Beta software, there may be problems and you may find yourself wanting to revert to the previous version.
Except in this case Microsoft has done a nice job of hiding the uninstaller. Yes, it's there, it's just not obvious. And no, a reformat isn't required.
•
I have to repeat myself about installing Beta software. To put it bluntly, unless you really know what you're doing, installing Beta software is asking for trouble. So don't be surprised at all when trouble finds you.
The right way to install Beta software is to:
Take a full image backup of your machine.
Install the Beta software.
Play with the Beta software to try it out and see if you like it or not.
Restore your machine completely from that image backup to remove the Beta software.
Beta software shares at least one characteristic with viruses: once it's on your machine you don't really know what it's going to do. It will have bugs, and there's no guarantee that uninstalling just the application, or updating the application to a later version, will actually work. If you read the licensing agreement for Beta software, you'll typically find that they warn you about exactly this.
I know we don't always follow those rules, and that's one way we end up with systems that have problems and software that doesn't work.
Enough said.
Let's uninstall.
I don't normally run Windows Live Messenger, so this was a good opportunity for me to download it and try it out. I was surprised at the size of the installation, and it quickly became clear that Microsoft was attempting to "bundle" a number of applications into a single installation. Yes, you could choose only one, like Messenger, but the download was still significantly larger than in versions past. That was my first clue.
With Windows Live Messenger installed, I went to Control Panel's Add/Remove list, and sure enough, it wasn't there. But something else was:
"Windows Live Essentials" appears to be the umbrella uninstaller for Windows Live Messenger and all the other Windows Live products you may have installed. Click on its Change/Remove. You'll be asked if you want to Uninstall, or Repair a Windows Live program. Select Uninstall and click Continue. Then you'll get the list:
Make sure that Messenger is checked and click Continue.
That's it. Windows Live Messenger has been uninstalled from my machine, and hopefully now from yours as well.
Related:
What's the difference between Windows Live Messenger, Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger Service? Windows Live Messenger, Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger Service are four names for three applications that do two different things, only one of which you really want. Confusing? Yes. But easy to clear up.
How do I stop MSN Messenger from starting automatically and logging me in?
Article C3641 - February 7, 2009
Thanks Claude - messenger was driving me crazy - now it's gone for good! Can't thank you enough!
Posted by: Tracy at October 18, 2009 3:49 PMHello Mr.Leo Notenboom,
Posted by: Melanie at October 21, 2009 8:21 AMThank you for the posting on how to uninstall Windows Live Messenger but unfortunately for me that was not enough the "Windows Live Essentials" was not present in my "Control Panel's Add/Remove list" so instead I used:
http://www.revouninstaller.com/uninstall_delete_remove_programs.html
suggested in another post. Though I got the portable version not to have to install it and I finally got rid of that really annoying "Windows Live Messenger"!
I HAVE DONE IT!
Posted by: Res man at October 23, 2009 5:42 AMTYPING THE COMMAND DOESNT WORK
ZAPMESSENGER DOESNT WORK
INSTALLING MICROSOFT FRAMEWORK DOESNT TOO
ONLY USING WINDOWS CLEANUP WORKS!
HOPE IT HELPS!
when i click on add or remove progams on windows essentials messeger does not uninstall
Posted by: Muhammad Usman Gujjar at October 23, 2009 9:51 AMI have the same problem uninstalling Windows Live Messenger. What I use is Final Uninstaller. It's much easier to operate, and it really work.
Posted by: Curt at October 27, 2009 1:27 AMI used your tip to uninstall Windows Live Essentials 128 meg, but on clicking the Change remove no further options open up, the hourglass thinks about it then nothing! Next best option advice please. I'm wary about downloading other fixes. thanks,
Posted by: J Garner at November 3, 2009 2:12 AMI can't find Windows Live Essentials in the Control Panel -> Add/Remove List. I don't know how to uninstall this program and i can't seem to download another version of messenger either
Posted by: taanya at November 3, 2009 1:26 PMWhen i went to the control panel to do as instructed the windows essential tool was not there what do i do?
Posted by: Jodie L at November 5, 2009 6:25 AMThat would have been very helpful "if" windows live essentials was in the listing but I seem to always have to do things the hard way. So with that in mind what it took for me was to use a program called CCleaner. Look it up, its free and best of all it will list programs that the add/remove programs list fails to. From here you can remove each individual component of the new windows live. For instance if you didn't like the windows live photo album, easy as pie one click and its gone.
Posted by: Andrew DeWalt at November 5, 2009 6:21 PMI use it because Windows mail (which automatically includes me) often falls on my connection so I decided to uninstall. I went to Control Panel ADD Or remove program and Windows Essentials and click uninstal and I thought that uninstall, but not when they actually install the messenger would say that the first I have to uninstall, but I do not know how so please help! So I messenger to find us on ADD programs and remove us anywhere. Please help what to do? I hope the answer.
Posted by: Sabina at November 6, 2009 2:55 AM