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Windows Live Messenger

Mute All Sounds

SUMMARY: Tired of Windows Live Messenger sounds interfering with music or others in the office? Mute the sounds.

By default, Windows Live Messenger plays sounds for a variety of reasons - when someone signs on, when you receive an instant message, and when you receive new e-mail, for example. These let you step away from the computer and still be notified when someone responds to a chat, is attempting a video call, etc.

While some find these sounds useful (and they can be customized), others find them annoying, for example if one is listening to music. Also, if you need to have speakers turned on in the office for other reasons, repeated sounds from instant messages may annoy your coworkers. Thus sounds can be muted:

1. From a Windows Live Messenger window, click the "Show Menu" button, selecting "Tools" - "Options" (see the below screenshot).


Accessing Windows Live Messenger options



2. When the "Options" dialog box appears, click "Sounds" in the left pane.

3. In the right pane, check "Mute all sounds".


Muting all sounds from Windows Live Messenger



4. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

If you have selected custom sounds for a particular contact, muting and later in the same session un-muting sounds may keep the contact's sounds muted. Accessing custom sounds for the particular contact again should cause sounds to start playing again.



This tip was written for Windows Live Messenger Version 2009 running on a netbook running Windows XP Home. Features, instructions, and screenshots for other versions / operating systems may vary.

Return to the Windows Live Messenger page.

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The MalekTips website was created in 1998 by Andrew Malek of Envision Programming. The page's goal is to freely disperse computer-related tips, hints, and informative articles. Tips are organized to be easy to find, and are presented clearly, in easy-to-understand language. MalekTips also provides information and links to public-domain, open source, freeware, shareware, and commercial software available for download. < more >