Windows 7: How to Uninstall Windows Live Messenger
Contributed by Rob Rogers 
Tagged: Microsoft Windows 7 If you have moved away from using the Windows Live Messenger application and want to uninstall it, you will notice that there is no standalone listed to uninstall the app. Here are the steps to follow to rid your computer of Windows Live Messenger.
1. Click the Orb (Start button) and select Control Panel.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. Scroll down the list of applications. Locate and select Windows Live Essentials.
4. Go to the bar at the top of the list and select Uninstall/Change.
5. When the new window appears, select the Uninstall radio button and click Continue.
6. Check the Messenger checkbox and click Continue.
7. The application will be uninstalled.
Once completed, click the Close button on the confirmation page.
Anonymous said on April 15, 2010
I have been waiting for this since the first time I booted a computer! Pretty obvious, but I never figured it out. Thanks a bunch!
Anonymous said on May 7, 2010
Thanks, this Window Live Messenger that slows down all the process of restart is such a pest!
Bisalukiran said on August 13, 2010
thank you very much its done bluewavenepal
kathmandu nepal
M N Jeganmohan said on October 10, 2010
thank u for guiding me
Nancy_angel said on October 29, 2010
i only have windows live sync and windows live upload tool… but windows live messanger is DEFINITELY installed onto my computer!
Astro149 said on November 13, 2010
Thank you! I could not figure out how to get rid of this annoying feature that I never use.
Alltherage1 said on November 19, 2010
Life saver
Burnwithlife said on December 1, 2010
thanks just what i needed.
Mike Madden said on December 9, 2010
Thanks! This is a lifesaver….not really a lifesaver but at least a memory saver!
Issa456 said on December 11, 2010
I did the same but still the messenger is there!!
Asrar Ahmed said on December 16, 2010
OK, my problem is I had an older version of Live Messenger installed on my computer. With the new update of Live Essentials, the new messenger came out. I tried to update, everything was updated and new programs like Mesh was installed, except the Messenger was not updated. SO, instead I tried to uninstall the entire Live Essentials, and reinstall everything, including the Messenger (I use Windows Live Messenger with pride :D), but the Messenger was not uninstalled. It keeps giving an error, and now I cannot install any other program provided by Live Essentials.
Anudeepsd said on December 25, 2010
Got out of my headache…thanks a lot for the solution buddy…!
DenDen said on January 2, 2011
same problem for me. I’ve installed 2011 version and uninstalled. Than installed 2009 version of MSN Live Messenger, now I could’nt uninstall this version even I did all the instructions.
Guest said on January 7, 2011
I TRIED BUT IT DIDN’T WORK I’VE TRIED MANY TIMES BUT IT STILL WON’T UNINSTALL.
MY REASON IS THAT WHEN I DOWNLOADED IT THE FIRST TIME IT DIDN’T DOWNLOAD MOVIE MAKER AND I WANTED THAT SO TRIED TO DOWNLOAD THAT SEPERATELY BUT IT SAYS I NEED TO UNINSTALL THE VERSION I HAVE .
I UNINSTALLED HEAPS OF THINGS I:E PHOTO GALLERY AND MORE BUT NOW I’M SCREWED PLEASE HELP!
Rigorichris said on January 13, 2011
worked perfect…thanks
Ordulu_ramazan_52 said on January 13, 2011
das ist so ein scheiß ich find das nirgendswo…:@
ich rasste aus hab schon alles versucht zu machen man kann das garnicht ganz deinstallieren…
genau so wie es das beschrieben hat sobald ich da wo die ganzen programme ausgelistet sind drauf bin ist windows live essa… nicht zu finden…
ich hab schon überall durchgesucht und wenn ich versuche ein älteres zu installieren kommt di emeldung sie haben bereits eine neuere version -.-
bitte bitte hilft mir ich benutze auch windows7….
fallst jemand ein lösung hat bitte bitt emeldet euch bei mir…
ordulu_ramazan_52@hotmail.de
Antaressf said on February 8, 2011
Thank you! I’ve been trying to figure out how to get rid of this useless Live Messenger since I got the new computer — Windows sure doesn’t make it easy.
It’s been really annoying, b/c it interferes with my Skype calls.
Thanks for the step-by-step :-D
Generalmv said on March 13, 2011
When I click on “Uninstall” in Control Panel, Windows opens a box asking me to “Select the programs [I] want to uninstall”, but that box never fills up. It’s not frozen – when I mouse over the “cancel” button, the button lights up, and I can X out of the box normally. But it doesn’t give me any options to remove any of the Windows Live Essential programs, let alone Live Messenger.
Barbara Hammond62 said on March 15, 2011
Great at last I am free of Windows live thanks for you website, now I can enjoy my computer without having to sit and wait for that to come on. Thank you for the easy step by step guide. B.J
foxtrot said on March 17, 2011
i have the same problem, does anyone know how to fix this?
Guest said on April 2, 2011
Thanks for the helpful guide! I’ve been trying to figure out how to remove messenger. This was so simple!
Okgo said on April 17, 2011
Thanks for a helpful guidance.
jaba said on April 29, 2011
Hails and cheers. Even though this was quite obvious :D
Tryer said on August 3, 2011
who has still a messenger problem or can’t uninstall: need to use a program to uninstall messenger. This program can be eg:Zap messenger
Tracy said on September 1, 2011
I followed the steps above but when I click on Windows Live Essentials and then click unistall/change at the top…nothing happens. I don’t ever get the pop ups that are show in the screenshots above. I’m soo frustrated. I just want to unistall this thing..it’s slowing my computer down like crazy! HELP!! PLEASE!!!
Firehorse said on October 6, 2011
I have win 7 and have searched the net for hours looking for a way to get rid of this thing. I tried the command line method, regedit method, taking permissions from the folders and exe method and various other ways. I have eventually found this to work. It is so simple it’s not funny.
With the Windows Live Messenger box open, make sure that you have ’show menu/toolbar’ option selected.
Select ‘tools’ then ‘options’ then ’sign in’
Unselect all options
then select ‘apply’ then ‘ok’.
Crazy huh?
SY said on October 22, 2011
It works. Thanks!