Workaround to Hide and Minimize Windows Live Messenger Icon/Button to Notification Area (System Tray) in Windows 7
When running Windows Live Messenger, aka MSN Messenger of latest version (as installed Windows Live Essentials 2009) in Windows 7, the main Messenger Contact window, display picture, and all chat or conversation windows now have full fledged button or icon on Windows Taskbar, even when minimized, instead of placing main WLM Contacts window icon in system tray or notification area.
In previous Windows Vista, XP or Server operating system, Windows Live Messenger (MSN) Messenger will load itself into notification area, also known as system tray, which located at the far right end of Taskbar beside the clock, while the rest of the windows such as IM chat dialog box have their own Taskbar button when the windows are opened.
Windows 7 has removed the notification area icon for Windows Live Messenger though, thus the main button for Messenger window now appears in Taskbar, along side with all its conversation or chat windows. The Taskbar button icon won’t go away even when Messenger window is minimized. When mouse over the WL Messenger icon on Taskbar, the thumbnail preview may show two confusing Messenger’s windows, where one is actual WLM Contacts main window, and another is display picture (DP, which does not show if user clicks on ‘X’ button to close the main window).
It’s possible to instruct Windows Live Messenger to revert back to classic style, where its main window is represented by notification tray area icon. The hack is to run Windows Live Messenger in Windows Vista compatibility mode in Windows 7 in order to move WLM icon back to system tray.
- Exit Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger completely (Right click on WLM button/icon on Taskbar and select Exit).
- Go to Start Menu, locate the Windows Live Messenger shortcut.
Tip: It’s also possible to deal directly with the actual WLM program, msnmgsr.exe located in %ProgramFiles%\Windows Live\Messenger\ folder.
- Right click on the Windows Live Messenger shortcut or executable, and select Properties.
- Go to Compatibility tab.
- Tick the check box for Run this program in compatibility mode for under “Compatibility Mode”, and then select Windows Vista from the drop down list.
- Click OK.
- Run Windows Live Messenger.
With the hack, Windows Live Messenger will minimize to system tray (notification area).
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Entries (RSS)
July 5th, 2009 00:17
Thanks. BTW, the same goes with Windows Live mail too. It hides when you run it in compatibility mode.
July 1st, 2009 12:53
THANK U SOOO MUCH>. OMG>. THANK U SOOOOOO MUCH WOW
July 1st, 2009 05:45
Does anyone has a problem with compatipility mode and http links in chat window? Icons are in right place but when i send or recieve links with http, then they are not links but just text. When compatipility mode is turned off then links work but with any compatibility mode it will suck.. Please help.
June 22nd, 2009 00:39
I can’t thank you enough. This was positively annoying as hell. Can’t thank you enough for this!
June 21st, 2009 05:34
A lot of stupid people here, this works flawlessly. If you can’t manage to change the option then do the world a favor and don’t have any children. As a bonus you could also jump under the train or something.
June 14th, 2009 08:19
Thank a lot… been looking for this solution for a while.
June 10th, 2009 15:16
Thank you SO MUCH. I actually sent angry emails about this to msn, because I was so pissed.
Does anyone know if there’s a workaround so that opening your hotmail can open in a browser other than IE? (I fucking hate IE, love firefox)
June 9th, 2009 19:12
Simple and great post!
thanks a lot…
May 29th, 2009 19:22
GARH! Thanks buddy for sharing this tip….
May 27th, 2009 17:53
Thank you very much… this thing was anoying me, every time I would minimize my programs the dang thing would maximize…
May 25th, 2009 15:39
Great tip
I have windows7 (build 7000) and the original tip above workes fine with me.
Thanks very much.
May 21st, 2009 04:08
well done )
May 20th, 2009 06:19
This kind of craps annoys the hell out of me!
Is this what MS are spending their valuable time on fiddling around with?
“Hey! let’s see how much we can annoy our users! lets make this crappy window fatter than a BigMac, Yeah that’s great!”
Fucking morons I’d like to kick your nerdy asses!
May 17th, 2009 20:44
Ah thankyou!! That was my only one of contention.
May 17th, 2009 13:44
THANKYOUUUUUUUUU
thats like the only problem ived had with windows 7 XD
May 17th, 2009 00:41
iiiiiiiiiiiii loooooooooooove you
that made me angrey but now
im enjoying my win 7
yoooooooobiii
May 14th, 2009 23:46
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FINALY I CAN START USING WINDOWS 7 NORMALY
i hope microsoft will make a button or fix when the final version of windows 7 arrives
May 13th, 2009 16:35
Thank you so much.
I appriciate it.
May 12th, 2009 23:55
haha it worked
thanx for this! its been annoying the hell out of me for days!!!!
May 12th, 2009 06:16
Thanks a ton, that was really pissing me off, I almost didn’t want to use it anymore. A appreciate it!
May 9th, 2009 23:55
Thanks a bunch.
I would have never though compativility mode would fix this problem.
May 3rd, 2009 00:47
[...] Windows 7 RC Installed I updated my primary machine to Windows 7 RC yesterday. One thing I had to search for and update was Messenger settings so it would minimize to the tool tray instead of the task bar. Here’s the tip. [...]
April 19th, 2009 17:29
same problem like you matt…:(
April 7th, 2009 03:18
Thank you sooooo much!
Was really pissing me off, popping up everytime I minimized everything. In the end decided to google it and you answered my summons!