Windows 7 has one of the major changes in UI in the form of task bar which is called Super taskbar. Windows Live Messenger or any other IM clients generally minimizes to system tray in Windows Vista, but in Windows 7, even when minimized it stays in the task bar. If you feel the task bar gets crowded with icons, you can minimize messengers to system tray using the simple hack.
1. First close any running instances of Windows Live Messenger and then open Program files-> Windows Live-> Messenger folder
2. Here you can find msnmgsr.exe file. Right click on the file and select properties.
3. In the properties window, select 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.
4. Click OK and now sign in back to Windows Live Messenger. Now if you minimize the messenger, it goes to system tray.
This is a nice tip as we “Win 7 beta” testers are getting used to all of the Windows 7 changes. Thanks a lot!
This doesn’t seem to work for me, maybe because I’m in 64 bit, but it just crashes and does an MS error report.
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I tried this tip aswell, it worked for about 2-3 hours. Now when i try to open it, i get an access violation error. If i uncheck Compatbility Mode, it starts fine, but then i can’t minimize it to the System Tray.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
@Nick and Nate,
Thanks for the feedback.
This might not be a permanent hack and its not tested on 64 bit. We have used this on 32 bit machine.
anyone have a working fix for this as changing comp mode doesn’t work and hasn’t work for me since i first tried
must be some registry hack to force to sys tray
please help
I’m running the 64 bit version and it worked great! thanks a lot
thank god… it was so anoying.
works fine in x86.
Thanks for this, saved me some time screwing around =]
Thanks. This works for Windows Live Mail too.
THANK GOD for this!
I was just about to buy a ticket to Redmond and a shotgun to go with it!
Have they been smoking pot when redesigning the taskbar or what??
Yeah lets make thing better, by adding at least two extra windows for ONE instance of Messenger!
Way to go MS!!!
The uselessness leaves me lost for words! ( almost).
[...] Life Rocks 2.0: How to Minimize Windows Live Messenger to System Tray in Windows 7 [...]
Thankx man… that was a life saver…
I’m always struggling to have only a few windows on the task bar… and then out of nothing 2 windows for the same instance of messenger… out of with one we could never close..
Microsoft Never Ceases to Amaze Me, with their lack of product testing…
Best Regards
Thanks. I can’t believe it was set up like that. It took me a few days to realize that it was actually shutting down MSN every time I closed that on my taskbar. Thanks for the fix. Running x64.
I think micro$oft forgot to ask their usability testers opinion in this matter.
Works for me. Put it in Vista SP2 mode. I’m on Windows 7 RC 7100 x64.
Thank you so much for posting this! It worked like a charm for me… running Windows 7 RC 7100 x32.
Worked great for me on x64. Thank you!
I’d suggest compatability mode to Vista (w/o service pack). Minimizing to Systray works great (I’m using W7 RC- 64 bit).
When I choose XP it runs as administrator, and messenger is not a program you want to give administrative permissions to.
Utter silliness to omit such an easy and defacto standard in coding! Why not put a checkbox in the options? Works perfectly fine in x64 build 7200. I did, however do mine a different way.
Find Win Live Messenger in the start button and right mouse click, then go to properties. Next, on the bottom, open file location. after explorer launches and shows you the absolute path back to the file, now right mouse click and go to properties. Set properties for all users, and set Vista Compatibility mode on the actual program instead of the shortcut.
This keeps it strait for all users, and will make sure it launches right if it’s in your startup (I know wasted CPU but what good is a Core 2 Quad, 6GB of RAM, and a 9800GX2 video card otherwise?)
Don’t check run as administrator unless you want UAC popping up every time you launch!
i suppose my method is just an easier way to find anything with a shortcut, because you are also changing the program itself and not the shortcut. Derp… sorry I just saw compatibility mode and that’s all I needed to hear!
thanks very much for that tip i like all the new features in vista but that is definitely not one of them
Works for me on Windows 7 RTM x64. Much thanks!
Thanks,
Simple and helpfull.
Worked fine for me
wow thanks man! windows 7 RTM 64-bit here!
but i guess you have it incomplete. it’s this for the gents in still trouble:
1. follow above instructions by the dude nirmal.
2. after opening the WLM window, right click its icon in the taskbar, then select Hide window when minimized.
3. try minimizing the window and poof! it’s gone!
hehe..hope i’m not double posting. actually this is the WLM 2009 build 14 version (so far the latest version).
It works when I start it, but once I maximize it, it goes back to default when minimized.
So as long as I don’e use it, it is in the systray instead of on the taskbar.
Genius. Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind for other programs too.
[...] Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door FLT Het enige wat mij blijft ergeren is dat MSN 2 vensters heeft op de taakbalk, en nee ik wil mijn vensters niet groeperen Je kan MSN gewoon in de system tray zetten zoals bij de vorige Windows-versies, veel beter imo -> How to Minimize Windows Live Messenger to System Tray in Windows 7 [...]
very helpful thanks!!!
OMG have you tried “exiting” msn messenger? you almost can’t. if you close the window or sign out it goes back to task bar, you can’t exit from tray, and close from client minimizes it to task bar. Close window from taskbar, instead of closing the window, actually exits..
Top 3 annoyances in 2 days on Windows 7:
1) Quicklaunch removal
2) System Tray changes
3) Messenger & System tray behavior
I have Windows 7 Home Premium-64 bit. Just confirming that this DOES work for us as well. Thanks for the tip.
Works fine for me, thank you very much for removing this annoying ‘improvement’!