When you install Windows XP on your computer (– and people still do install or reinstall Windows XP on their computers at time of writing -), the installation routine leaves you with 2 particular things that you could do without: –

* The first of these is Internet Explorer 6: A buggy browser full of security holes, some still unpatched, that Microsoft developed early this century and which ships as the default browser in Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional. Trust me here, you really don’t want that browser. If you want a second opinion ask any geek or web developer. There are, at time of writing, two newer versions of Internet Explorer that you can upgrade to. I recommend that you upgrade to Internet Explorer 8.

Now if you’re a diehard Microsoft fan and are determined to use Internet Explorer as your main browser no matter what then use IE8 as your main browser, and at your own peril. If, however, you’d prefer something better, then I recommend FireFox or Google Chrome as your default browser.

(FireFox is getting a bit bulky and uses up quite a lot of system resources lately in some of its recent builds; however it does have many useful add-ons written for it. Google Chrome is Linux-based, light and fast, but not as capable as FireFox; however it does the job but doesn’t have any add-ons as such.)

* The next problem bit of the install is the default Windows Messenger app: –

This app, which seems to be caused to activate by using almost anything to do with the operating system itself, is another old, defunct, and buggy, device that you could do without. (Upload the latest version of Windows Live Messenger in its place once you’re rid of it.) Here are ways to banish it from the operating system’s operation: –

Some websites advise you to do it by making an alteration to the local group policy with the Group Policy Editor using the following procedure:

1. Access the Run dialog box by pressing [Windows]R.
2. In the Open text box type Gpedit.msc and click OK to launch the Group Policy Editor.
3. Go to Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Messenger.
4. Double-click the Do Not Allow Windows Messenger To Be Run setting.
5. In the resulting dialog box, select the Enabled option and click OK.
6. Close the Group Policy Editor.

*That’s all very well if you’re running Windows XP Professional; but useless if you have XP Home as it can’t be done in XP Home.*

The following is a way to switch off the default Windows Messenger in both XP Professional and XP Home; and it has nothing to do with the Group Policy Editor: -

- Windows Messenger is a Windows Component; so let’s remove it as such: -

Click Start>Control Panel, (Ensure that the Classic View is applied to the Control Panel.) and click the Add/Remove Programs icon.

In the sidebar on the left; click the Add/Remove Windows Components icon.

Near to the bottom of the list that appears you’ll see Windows Messenger. (You’ll have to scroll down to find it.) Next to the entry on the left you’ll see a checkbox with a tick in it. Click the tick so that it vanishes and click on Next.

Windows will remove the Windows Messenger component.

(Please note: Doing this removes the default Windows Messenger that ships with the operating system ONLY. It doesn’t uninstall Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger if you should have either installed.)

Click Finish and close.

You’ve just accomplished your objective: Target neutralized – the default Windows Messenger runs no more. If you updated Internet Explorer too then you’ve just removed a whole host of potential security holes from your XP installation.