Messenger - Useful or not?

In going through the XP cleanup instructions from MG I notice that removal of Messenger Plus is strongly recommended. I have Googled on Messenger Plus and it appears to be an add-on to Windows Live Messenger.

On my system I see a folder in Program Files titled "Messenger". Within it is an executable named "msmsgs.exe" that is version 4.7.0.3001.

I don't have a pressing need for a .Net Passport and the associated capabilities, so if the "Messenger" I see on my system falls into the same category as Messenger Plus I would rather get rid of it.

So is there any particular recommendation as to whether this should be uninstalled or not? Will removing it have any other adverse side effects?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

A second question is in regards to "My Way Search Assistant". The MG instructions indicate this is recommended for removal. When I go into the Control Panel/Add/Remove programs it is listed but there is no option available to remove it. Does this indicate it has already been removed? Is there a way to have it eliminated from the list of programs shown in the Add/Remove Programs window if it has already been removed? Is there some other way to get it removed if it is still present in the system?

 

Leave it be. Its not the same thing. Thats a program built into the OS, and is for things like Remote Assistance, and can be used as Instant Messenging. Its also tied closely into Outlook Express.

It is not a spyware riddled addon like Messenger Plus.

 

Please note that Windows Messenger application (msmsgs.exe) and Messenger service in services.msc are mutually exclusive and completely unelated.

 

My Way Search Assistant and unidentified file extensions

Thanks for the rapid response to my question regarding Messenger. You were both faster than my edit to the previous thread so I'll incorporate my edit and add a second question here.

A second question is in regards to "My Way Search Assistant". The MG instructions indicate this is recommended for removal. When I go into the Control Panel/Add/Remove programs it is listed but there is no option available to remove it. Does this indicate it has already been removed? Is there a way to have it eliminated from the list of programs shown in the Add/Remove Programs window if it has already been removed? Is there some other way to get it removed if it is still present in the system?

Further on in the MG instructions there is indication that "showing all hidden files and system files" may not actually show everything due to some gliche. Is there anything that can be done to identify such files and eliminate them? I tried to do searches using *.lnk, *.shs and *.pif, and also *.*.lnk, *.*.shs, and *.*.pif. In the process I had the system set to show all hidden files and system files.

The *.lnk search produced almost 490 items (I suppose they were all shortcuts). The *.*.lnk search produced 84 items (suspicious to me).

The *.shs and *.*.shs searches produced nothing.

The *.pif seach produced 8 items. The *.*.pif search produced nothing.

Does it all mean anything?