Windows XP: removing components via Control Panel

10 years ago

As usual, Microsoft makes things so backwards from the way I think that I screwed up something but I am not sure how to undo things now.

I was removing old unused software using the Add/Remove Feature in the Control Panel of Windows XP.

The left hand side of that window displays these four items: Change or Remove Programs (this is selected as a default), Add New Programs, Add/Remove Windows Components, Set Program Access/Defaults.

After cleaning old software that I was not using (using Change or Remove Programs), I decided to click on the other buttons to see what they were for.

I tried the one titled Add/Remove Windows Components, as I had seen something useless (to me) called Windows Messenger that I have tried to get rid of before... unsuccessfully.

The window had a bunch of components listed; Accessories and Utilities; Fax Services; Indexing Serice; Internet Explorer; etc. Some were check marked and others were not. Of interest, I saw Windows Messenger and MSN Explorer listed (not sure what MSN Explorer is but it sounds like something preloaded when I got the PC so I decided to also wipe it off). So "my list of items to delete" consisted of just those two programs, Messenger and MSN Explorer.

So, I made sure that both items were check marked and removed the check marks on everything else. Then I clicked Next and followed the prompts.

As far as I can tell, Windows Messenger is still there. Cannot tell about MSN Explorer since I do not even know how to use it or start it.

Question 1: why did Messenger not go away?

Later on, I also noticed that my Solitaire Game disappeared. When I click on Start>Programs>Accessories>Games (empty list... no games listed).

Question 2. Obviously I did that somehow. What in the world did I do that resulted in that??? It does not even seem related. Can I get them back and how? Since that was so totally unexpected, I am now concerned of other gremlins. Did I mess up something else (that I have not discovered yet) when using the Control Panel for Windows Components?

I obviously did not expect to need to know how the checkmarks were set before I messed things up so I have left things as is. Feels like I am sinking in quicksand if I try to fix more things on my own...

TIA, Luis

Comments (4)

mikie_gw
10 years ago
Messenger & MSN browser have check marks .. so they are installed. You sort of did things backwards.

Just browse and expand that list and put a check mark next to your Games & they'll come back.

As you notice more things that don't work.. browse that again and add checkmarks. Usually nothing in there is required - all sort of optional stuff that is enabled when it does have a check mark to the item wanted.

So uncheck your messenger and MSN browser & they'll go away & use a few less memory and cpu resources and save a few drive bytes.
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
My suggestion:

Leave
Windows
Alone

The odds are hugely in favor of your doing more harm than good. No clean up, adjustment, or straightening is ever needed. Especially not by someone without an advanced understanding of what's what, how things work, and what's being done. Even people like that screw up and my thinking is that the risks of doing so far outweigh any benefits of freeing a few megs of disk space or active memory.

This post was edited by snidely on Sun, May 26, 13 at 16:10
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john_wc
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Luis, you may have deselected Games inadvertently. Just open add/remove programs, click "Turn Windows Features On or Off" and ensure Games has a checkmark beside it.

.
luis_pr
Original Author
10 years ago
I tried that but it asked me to put a Windows XP CD so I guess I will do without. Not sure if I have a CD somewhere; I do not remember getting one with the Dell PC.

Windows XP: removing components via Control Panel

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Windows XP: removing components via Control Panel

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