Ajua has updated the iTunes switchless installer which will install iTunes without this unnecessary software. The user needs to install Quicktime Alternative (or Apple Quicktime) separately before this modified version of iTunes can be installed. The functionality remains the same for most users. Only those that require the Bonjour service (is there any Windows user who does?) or MobileMe support obviously need to install the official version provided by Apple.

The latest iTunes switchless installer can be downloaded from the developer’s website. It is available in English and a multi-language version. The switchless installer was tested with Apple Quicktime installed. Some users reported that Quicktime Alternative 2.9.2. caused problems during installation which might mean that the software needs to be updated to be compatible with iTunes 9.

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There is however a way to install iTunes without Apple Quicktime, Bonjour, MobileMe support and iTuneshelper process running at startup. This can be achieved with a custom installer that can be downloaded from the Custom Installers page which contains installers for the English and multi-language versions of iTunes 8.0.2.20 and 8.1.0.52. The only requirement other than running the installer to install iTunes is an installation of Quicktime Alternative and the Quicktime Alternative iTunes add-on which makes the program compatible with iTunes 8.

The correct sequence for installing iTunes without Quicktime and Bonjour would be therefore to install Quicktime Alternative, then the Quicktime Alternative plugin and finally iTunes using the custom installer. The custom installer will skip the installation of aforementioned programs and services. This is great news for users who do not want to have those programs running in the background or those who prefer to run the Quicktime Alternative program instead of the original.

The iTunes customer installer is only available for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It comes as a msi file that allows a silent installation with the switches /qb /norestart.

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Some IM networks can easily be adapted to run on a LAN. One example is Jabber, where numerous clients and servers exist. This article provides simple instructions on how to set a Jabber server – for LAN use – under Linux.

Using Bonjour, Apple’s auto-discovering networking tool, is another option. The beauty of using Bonjour is that no server is required and, to my knowledge, all communication is peer-to-peer. Bonjour is available on OS X, Linux and Windows (nb Windows users will have to install it). Pidgin provides for instant messaging via Bonjour. iChat can work in a similar fashion on OS X, and Miranda supports Bonjour if a plug-in is installed.

netsend is another method of sending messages between machines with Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP and 2003 installed on them. To use netsend, go into command prompt and simply enter net send recepient_name text_of_the_message. Recepient name is the user’s account on the network or the computer’s name. netsend is not polished and requires a little more effort to actually communicate, as a recepient must be specified every time (making it slightly slower to use than other IM solutions).

Another option is BORGChat, although that looks increasingly aged and is not really developed, not having left beta since it started being developed in 2002.

It is worth noting the above options are all free and will not cost $1000s like some enterprise internal IM tools available!

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Bonjour enables automatic discovery of network devices and services on IP networks. The service is usually not needed on most Windows installations and remains installed even if the application that installed it gets uninstalled on the system. Other means of identifying the service is the Bonjour folder in the program files folder of the Windows installation.

Bonjour can be uninstalled manually which is explained in the link above or by running Au Revoir, Bonjour.
The small application for Windows stops and uninstalls the Bonjour service and removes the winsock namespace layer provider as well.

The program can be executed directly. It scans the system for traces of the Bonjour service and uninstalls them if found. The software program is compatible to Windows XP, Windows 2003 and Windows Vista.

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Digging a bit deeper revealed that mDNSResponder.exe was associated with the Bonjour Service which was located in E:\Program Files\Bonjour. I was not aware that I did install this program which either meant another program did install it or that it was maliciously installed on my system.

According to the search engines mDNSResponder.exe, or the Bonjour Service, is installed with Apple’s iTunes software and Adobe Creative Suite 3 and Creative Suite 3 components. A Knowledge Base article for Adobe Creative Suite 3 explains what Bonjour is all about.

Bonjour is Apple’s open source implementation of zero-configuration networking software. It is used by Adobe Version Cue CS3 client applications to dynamically discover Version Cue Servers on the local network.

And Apple adds:

Bonjour, also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. Bonjour uses industry standard IP protocols to allow devices to automatically discover each other without the need to enter IP addresses or configure DNS servers.

Users have two choices. If they want to disable the service and ensure that mDNSResponder.exe is not running anymore when they work with Windows then they should simply disable the Bonjour Service in Windows. The services configuration can be reached by pressing Windows R, typing services.msc and hitting enter. Right-click the Bonjour Service and select to disable the service.

If you want to get completely rid of mDNSResponder.exe and the Bonjour Services do the following: Press Windows R, type cmd and hit enter. Now navigate to the Bonjour directory by issuing the command cd c:\program files\bonjour. Now type mDNSResponder.exe -remove and rename mdsnNSP.dll mdsnNSP.bak. Restart the computer and delete the Bonjour directory afterwards.

If you find out that you do need Bonjour you can install it again by downloading Bonjour from the Apple website.

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