How to turn off Windows Live Messenger pop-up window

This is really a most annoying problem. Makes me want to take this Dell back to BestBuy where I bought it. Mike, sign in to what? Which of the five or so tool bars is this "Show menu" on? I can't find it on any. If I sign into messenger, there is no such tool bar. If I try to uninstall it, Windows Messenger is not listed all alone, it is all bundled with Windows Live. All I want is for it to stop popping up upon login and I've looked at dozens of responses, spent a good hour looking for a solution and none of them work. This is ridiculous. If I wanted Windows Messenger I would sign up for it.

So, what I had to do was open Live messenger. Then, I chose social from the "Social" or "MSN" option it gave. On the upper right of the window that opens, your username is displayed. Next to it is a little arrow. Click that for the drop down menu, and you will see an option for "Always display menu bar". Choose that. Now that you have a menu bar, choose "Tools"--->"Options..." Under options there will be a check box for "Always start Live Messenger when I log on to my computer." Uncheck that, and you should stop having it open when you turn the computer on. 

The thing is, it is like a start-up process, so it slows down whatever else you are doing as it adds to what your computer needs to do to start. Also, it is sort of insidious in that if you click the standard "close this window" red button, it just minimizes it. I always have to right click and choose to close. That is the only program that seems to do it.

I feel for you - am having the same problem if that helps.  Got my computer from Dell online - hate windows live instant messenger - it is "bundled up" with other related programs so cannot uninstall.  That is the first thing I tried to do! I would like to at least permanently disable this what is to me a useless program.  HELP!!!

This is really a most annoying problem. Makes me want to take this Dell back to BestBuy where I bought it. Mike, sign in to what? Which of the five or so tool bars is this "Show menu" on? I can't find it on any. If I sign into messenger, there is no such tool bar. If I try to uninstall it, Windows Messenger is not listed all alone, it is all bundled with Windows Live. All I want is for it to stop popping up upon login and I've looked at dozens of responses, spent a good hour looking for a solution and none of them work. This is ridiculous. If I wanted Windows Messenger I would sign up for it.

Thank you for this Mike. That - the latter of your suggestgions - should do it. Conor