Search bar with MSN Messenger 6

[lordmordack]

My friend installed MSN Messenger 6, but afterwards, he now has a search bar in his internet explorer under XP. Is there a way to uninstall just the search bar? I have removed all references of it in the system registry.

Thanks,

Lord Mordack

[Brian]

Your friend must have downloaded the optional sponsor program off Messenger Plus! You could try uninstall Messenger Plus! then reinstall but be sure NOT to put a check mark in the box where it says optional sponsor program.

[EvilSeph]

Greetings,

Following are instructions on how to remove the Messenger Plus! OPTIONAL sponsor:

Removing the OPTIONAL sponsor program bundled with Messenger Plus!

quote:*** NOTE: DO NOT USE AD-AWARE OR SPYBOT TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR, DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE BY YOURSELF, AND/OR DO NOT EDIT THE REGISTRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE THIS WILL DAMAGE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE AND MAY PREVENT YOU FROM REMOVING IT CORRECTLY. ***

The only official removal method is by uninstalling Messenger Plus! To do so, go to your Start menu, settings, control panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

*** NOTE: DO NOT USE AD-AWARE OR SPYBOT TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR, DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE BY YOURSELF, AND/OR DO NOT EDIT THE REGISTRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE THIS WILL DAMAGE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE AND MAY PREVENT YOU FROM REMOVING IT CORRECTLY. ***

Method 2: Removing the sponsor if you've attempted to manually remove it

quote:Method 2: Note: ONLY use this method if you have tried to remove the sponsor by using 3rd party applications or editing the registry.

Uninstall Messenger Plus! by going to your Start menu, settings, control panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

Once done install Messenger Plus! WITH THE SPONSOR. Reboot
Next, Uninstall Messenger Plus! by following these instructions:

Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed [u](the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important)[/b]. When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way..

Patchou decided to bundle an EXTREMELY modified lop.com sponsor with Messenger Plus! Note, I said EXTREMELY modified. Patchou vigorously negotiated with lop.com to remove the "explicit" content in their sponsor (although some anti-virus and anti-spyware software may still give FALSE warnings, details below). I would just like to take the time..to make you see that Patchou has no obligation to continue production and/or development of Messenger Plus!...and by including a sponsor, he can continue to distribute Messenger Plus! to the public for free. He's done all this for you..please..just cut him some slack.

When using either custom install or automatic install, Messenger Plus! will always prompt you with the sponsor agreement. Only when you click one of the two options, the install will go to the next step... It is completely at your discretion that the sponsor does what it does. When you've agreed to install the sponsor, no one but yourself is under any obligation. Thus, the sponsor is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL; Patchou has given you the complete choice of installing the sponsor or not, whilst still installing Messenger Plus! without any limitations whats-so-ever.

Furthermore, just to clear things up. The sponsor is in no way a trojan or spyware. Anti-Virus vendors have classified lop as a trojan whilst Anti-Spyware vendors have classified lop as spyware, this is in no way true for the lop package that comes with Messenger Plus!. As I have already informed you Patchou is using a HIGHLY modified sponsor package with Messenger Plus! He has also fought vigorously to have Messenger Plus! re-labeled from trojan and spyware to harmless software..but most vendors have refused (in mock ignorance).

I assure you my instructions above work. As I am an official Messenger Plus! tester (contacting me about it will result in a blatant ignore), I install the sponsor with EVERY build I recieve to insure no one suffers from any possible sponsor-won't-install bug. And contrary to belief, those steps above work flawlessly.

No offense intended, nor do I wish to provoke anyone with this post. If it does provoke anyone or offend anyone, I apologise. However I request that the staff contact me first before removing or editing my post..thanks.

Regards,
EvilSeph
- Concerned Messenger Plus! support channel staff and user(s)..