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)
October 11th, 2009 19:32
Thank you, great tip
October 11th, 2009 16:25
I love you.
October 10th, 2009 17:25
This tip saved my day
You rule!
-Markku
October 9th, 2009 19:28
Ty very much men.
I really needed this
October 9th, 2009 16:38
I received and installed my signature edition of windows 7 ultimate yesterday and I was really disappointed of many issues, especially this one, but I am glad to find a way to go around it, I hope this works for Windows live mail, which previously had the option to “Hide window when minimized”
Thanks
October 9th, 2009 11:23
This is really the most useful tip I’ve seen since I installed Windows 7. Now I need to find a way to disabled those taskbar thumbnails and be able to midle-click to close windows from the taskbar.
October 8th, 2009 05:54
Thank you very much.
I actually considered going back to vista coz of this…
October 7th, 2009 21:31
THANKS!
I was also getting the problem that pinning messenger to the start bar was causing multiple instances of messenger.exe to run. Now it’s back in my system tray I can unpin it!
October 7th, 2009 00:00
Micro$oft should be posting this workaround. Thanks for the share! I hated how it was always open, it should live in the tray.
October 5th, 2009 20:39
It’s good to know this tip, thanks.
October 4th, 2009 21:45
Just the info I needed! Thanks!
October 4th, 2009 19:03
THANKS !!!!
October 1st, 2009 23:07
[...] Kudos to Rick @ OW for finding this helpful blog post… "For any of you running Windows 7 and Live Messenger and are annoyed that it stays on the task bar now and not in the system tray, you can run it in Windows Vista Compatibility mode and it will behave like you are used to. Here are the instructions:" ~Rick http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/01/15/workaround-to-hide-and-minimize-windows-live-messenger-icon... [...]
September 29th, 2009 21:36
Wicked
Thanks man!!
September 29th, 2009 18:13
big!!
thanks man!
September 27th, 2009 15:58
I don’t like windows 7 GUI for many things like that but at least MSN will not bother me anymore. thanks for the workaround
September 26th, 2009 19:26
Thank you very much! I just installed Windows 7 yesterday, and this thing with msn was really a killer-factor! happy to know there’s an easy workaround ^^
September 24th, 2009 20:43
Brilliant, thanks!
September 24th, 2009 10:02
Great stuff! i have searched the whole internet for this solution
September 24th, 2009 08:26
Thanks! I was about to uninstall the program because of this issue, but then I read this.
September 23rd, 2009 02:47
WOW, great job! THank you very much!
September 18th, 2009 10:07
Thanks so much!!! You rock!
September 18th, 2009 04:05
Thank you soo much…
September 16th, 2009 20:45
Great, Thanks man!
September 10th, 2009 17:20
Thanks … you are the man !!