During one of my many computer spring-cleaning sessions, I discovered you can uninstall Windows components you may consider unnecessary using the "Add or Remove Programs" option from the Windows XP Control Panel.
Launch it and click the "Add/Remove Windows Components" button at the left of the box and choose what you want to remove. However some Microsoft programs installed on your computer (such as MSN Messenger) are deliberately hidden from this list. Here's how you tell Windows not to hide those components and how to make them appear in the list when you click on "Add/Remove Windows Components".
In Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Windows\Inf and make a copy of the file Sysoc.inf. When you double-click on Sysoc.inf, it will launch in MS Notepad. Press Ctrl-H and replace the string ,hide, with ,, and save the file.
Now you'll find that all the hidden Microsoft components appear in "Add/Remove Windows Components" and you can delete what you don't want or need.Labels: microsoft, uninstalling |
