I have a question/suggestion for something. I have a webcam of my desktop on my internet site, I have a program that takes a screenshot and then uploads it to my FTP. When I'm on MSN I usually pause the program but I'm pretty much on MSN all the time so there isn't much of my "webcam" on my camera site (wich is http://koti.mbnet.fi/vilkku88/camera.html btw).
Then I got a idea. You might know that when you take a screenshot of WMP it will not show the video even if you were watching something, it just shows black. Could the same be done with MSN? The screenshot capturer would take screens but the MSN convos would not be visible. Is this doable at all or is it just something that will never happen? Did anyone understand?

so actually you mean that the program taking the screenshots has to pretend MSN Messenger doesn't exists?

Screenshots of WMP are black because the way WMP uses to display the video frames. It uses a (let's say) direct access to the hardware (graphics card) and so you can't capture it (and it's shown black). It you disable the hardware acceleration (I suggest you'd better don't do), you'll be able to take screenshots of WMP where you can see it no-black.

As long as Messenger doesn't use those techniques to display its windows, you can't do that the same way as you'd do with WMP. So the only way there is would be a program that analizes the screenshot and removes the zones where convos are. That kind of program would be quite complex and there isn't any.

Another solution would be that the program you use to take screenshots would hide or minimize IM windows before taking the SS and then restore them. That program is less complex than the previous one, however it doesn't exist neither.


Sumarizing: No, there's no way you can do that.

Okey, thanks. Now I also know the reason of black WMP screenshots.