Disable Windows Messenger in Windows XP

Windows XP comes with Windows Messenger which can be used to send and receive messages over a network. But it can become a nuisance if you receive a lot of messages. If you want to disable the Windows Messenger so as to prevent it from running, you can follow these steps :

  1. Press the keyboard shortcut Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. In the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

  3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following :
    Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Messenger
  4. You would find a setting Do not allow Windows Messenger to be Run as shown,

  5. Double click on this setting and select Enabled. Click OK to save the setting.

  6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.