remove OE in favor of WLM

OK, despite the bug, flaw, whatever you call it when replying to an account
that is also installed on your system and having to manually change which
account it comes from..... I've made the switch to WLM over Outlook Express.

My Question is - what step by steps do I need to do to remove Outlook
Express from my XP system? I would like to be sure there are no traces
left, especially anything that runs in the background. I do not find an
un-install or even as an item in add/remove programs or windows components.

Thanks!
James

Outlook Express is a part of Internet Explorer. There is no uninstall
feature, per se. You can uninstall it manually, but it entails many steps
and renaming files.

If I were you, I'd simply remove the .exe file for it (msimn.exe) and simply
let sleeping dogs lie. That's a lot safer and a lot easier.

J.W.

"James G" <JamesG@xxxxxx> wrote in message
newsAA24D59-CC99-46E2-AAAB-52BDF49951C4@xxxxxx

Hi, James.
Can't be done. At least, not by us mere mortals. Remember the big DOJ
lawsuit against Microsoft a few years ago, where MS said that IE/OE is so
thoroughly integrated into WinXP that it can't be removed?

When WLM is installed, it removes the icon and shortcuts that start OE, but
good ole C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe is still there and can
be run just by clicking on it. It won't be run unless you insist; it just
sits there, waiting, just like Word or any other dormant application.
(Vista handles the default Windows Mail the same way when WLM is installed.)
We can, if we like, run OE (or WM) side-by-side with WLM; each maintains its
own message store and does not share with the other.

Microsoft must have some sort of exit strategy to eventually retire OE and
WM for good, but they haven't told me what that is. ;^}

The only suggestion I can think of is to find OE's Store Folder (Tools |
Options | Advanced | Maintenance | Store Folder, as I recall), then exit OE
and delete that folder (after making sure you've saved Sent Items and any
other messages that you don't want to lose). If you run OE again, it will
recreate that folder, but with minimal contents, so you'll save a few MB of
disk space.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)

"James G" <JamesG@xxxxxx> wrote in message
newsAA24D59-CC99-46E2-AAAB-52BDF49951C4@xxxxxx

Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, Add/Remove Windows Components,
clear the check box next to Outlook Express. See the other messages where
they claim that this doesn't remove all traces, but it's the best you can
do.

Cheers,

Earle

"James G" <JamesG@xxxxxx> wrote in message
newsAA24D59-CC99-46E2-AAAB-52BDF49951C4@xxxxxx

"Gordon" <gbplinux@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fuo6ed$8lb$1@xxxxxx Like I said, it's the best you can do. At least then you don't have your
cat tromping on the keyboard and starting up Outlook Express by mistake.

Earle