It is possible to uninstall many components in Windows Xp. If you are a Windows power user, you might already be aware of this.
So, here is how you proceed:
1) Using the Windows Explorer, navigate to %SYSTEMROOT%\INF folder. If you performed a default installation, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. However, it may be different depending on how you installed Windows Xp on your computer.
2) In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf. Make a backup copy before making changes to system files, just in case something goes wrong.
3) Look for the line containing "msmmsgs" in it. At the end of the line, you will see the word "hide". The line will look like this:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Just delete the "hide". Leave the commas alone!
4) Save the file and and close it.
5) Now open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click on Add/Remove Windows Components icon and you will see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box and you will be able to uninstall it without any problems at all.
TIP: sysoc.inf contains some hidden system components. Be careful with what you do!
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