If you don't use it, throw it away

Windows Messenger and Windows Live Messenger are useful instant messaging programs. However, if you don't use instant messaging, Messenger can quickly become a resource-hogging annoyance that can pop up at the worst possible time. Fortunately, you can remove or uninstall Messenger in all versions of Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

Since Windows Messenger is part of the Windows XP operating system, it is impossible to completely remove the program from the graphical user interface. However, it is possible to remove and disable Messenger so that it no longer interferes with the use of your computer.

The first step to removing Windows Messenger in Windows XP is to make sure that your version of Windows is up to date. With Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later, removing Windows Messenger from the Start menu is easy.