If the huge amount of advertising built into Windows Live Messenger and MSN Messenger is beginning to bother you, especially the new flash animations with sound that enlarge themselves when moused over, it can be disabled without the new for any special patch or additional software. All that is required is administrator access on the computer you are using.
Step 1: Open your “Hosts” file
On both Vista and XP it will be located in “C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc” unless your system drive or Windows install directory is different. The file we need to edit is the “hosts” file with no extension. If you have a “hosts.msn” file, please ignore it.
Step 2 : Get Permissions to Edit
On XP this is relatively simple, just right click on “hosts” and go to Properties. Under the General tab, make sure the Read Only box is unticked. Press OK to make the change and close the dialog box.
On Vista, you will need to gain permission from Windows in order to edit System files, and this file is no different. Right Click on “hosts” and go to Properties. Go to the Security tab and click Advanced. Make your own user account the owner of the file, then close all the Properties dialogs via the OK button. Then go back to Properties > Security and this time click Edit. Add your user account to the list and give yourself “Full Control”.
Long story short, after performing the steps listed above, you will be allowed to edit the file on a local computer that blocks access to site.
Step 3: Adding an Entry
Double click on the hosts file now, and you will be asked what program you want to open with. Pick Notepad and press OK. There should be some comment lines explaining how to add an a new entry, so just underneath the last comment line (indicated wherever a line starts with a # character) add in the following information:
127.0.0.1 rad.msn.com
To keep things tidy, separate the ip address and web address with a tab space(I’ve used several spaces because of the way tabs work in HTML). Save the file and close Notepad.
Step 4: Finishing Touches
For the sake of security you should make the hosts file Read Only again, to help protect against malicious edits. Next, restart your computer, WLM should be unable to download any adverts, and you should find a place holder image at the bottom of your contacts Window, and the small text under the conversation windows gone.
Congratulations, Job Done!
(If you would like pictures, please request in the comments box.)
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