According to BlackViper: Go to the "Add Remove Programs" and click the "Windows components." Here, take out all the crap you do not need. Such as "MSN EXPLORER" and such.

I am by no means an expert and that is why I just assumed it was necessary for proper function. By the above comment, I gather it is not. Will IE still function and will all be ok in XP land if I disable it?

Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.

yes it will still function..i myself removed MSN here in my pc

I did the same a year ago. Bye-bye Butterfly. What a pain in the neck that MSN crap was.
If you miss the butterfly, you can always bring it back.
davey

The problem is that Microsoft uses Messenger a lot with its applications and services.

There is the un-necessary Messenger Service that

Then there is Windows Messenger that is the old Instant Messaging client that is installed by default and is un-necessary.

Then there is the new Windows Live Messenger Build 8.5.1302.1018 that I use occasionally.

I don't use MSN Explorer neither and IE7 works just fine with IE7Pro and IE8 beta2 with IE7Pro that I am typing this post with right now.

Windows Messenger and MSN Explorer can be un-installed through Add/Remove Programs then Add/Remove Windows Components.

Thank you guys. I will get rid of MSN Explorer now as well as Windows Messenger. XP land just got a little less populated.

I can't make heads or tails of these too simple instructions. I mean, really, read them.
"To add or remove a component, click the checkbox." WTF? Notice that some are already checked when I started this app. Does this mean they're installed and I should "uncheck" them to uninstall them? It certainly doesn't tell me that.

I guess that is where experience comes in so un-check the item to un-install it because they usually get installed in a default Windows install unless you do a Custom install that I choose to do so that I do not get AOL, Indexing Service nor MSN nor the other default fluff that I don't need.

Thanks Kenny.

No indexing? You use a third party app?

I don't know what he uses, however you can really customize your Windows install CD with this little GEM:
nLite, and you can even add default software to the setup disc if you use a DVD to allow for extra space.

I made an nLite customized XP install DVD slipstreamed with XP SP3, however I haven't had the chance to use it yet and won't try it out until the OS is really messed up and non-usable anymore.

I don't care for Indexing, messenger service, msn explorer or any other of the things M$ tries to push. I search with Total Commander instead of Explorer. It works well enough for my needs.

I never really ever have to 'search' for files. Is that what Indexing is about or is it much deeper?

I choose not to have the Indexing service active as I find that the normal Search works well for me on this 40GB hard drive with about 50,000 files.

Okay, do I need Indexing? Or will it affect me in adverse ways if I uninstalled it?

I have it un-installed and it should be set to Manual or Disabled in Services.



Please read:
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/Services/I...ing_Service.htm

I have not had a problem with the Indexing Service not being installed on my systems.

Also see:
http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=17085

An interesting topic:
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=162095&am...2043de2c0e597a5