I use MSN Messenger on my laptop, and it's a real pain when you keep having to change proxy settings in MSN Messenger depending on where you are. Would it be possible to impliment a feature that let's you set up and manage different proxies, then select them from a drop down menu in the main Messenger window, perhaps?

For referance, there is a Firefox plugin called SwitchProxy that does this.

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, or is available at the moment in other MSN plugins. I've looked for something like this and haven't found it. It would be nice to have this implimented in MsgPlus though.

Let me know what you all think.

I don't think Messenger Plus! is the correct software to put it in.


This is more like something which needs to be put directly into MSN Messenger itself (suggest it to MS: http://messenger.msn.com/help/contactus.aspx).

At best, a Messenger Plus! Plugin could make this possible. But I doubt that though, as changing proxies in MSN Messenger requires you to log out (and even restart messenger(?)). And plugins don't work quite well (if not) like that...


What you could make (or request for) is a small standalone application which:
1) closes/quits messenger
2) changes the proxy settings in registry, as proxy info is saved in the registry anyways
3) starts messenger again

This would be very simple to make and will work...

Do you happen to know if the proxy settings for MSN Messenger are saved in the registry seperately from browser proxies, or is it all just saved as one global proxy setting?

Those are settings like everything else in an individual program are settings. Every kind of program can connect how it likes. So yes, they are saved for MSN Messenger only. There is no relation between MSN Messenger's settings and the settings in another program...

You'll find the settings in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MSNMessenger

General keys:
ProxyType, ProxyState

for HTTP Proxy:
HTTPProxy
HTTPPort
HTTPProxyUsername
HTTPProxyPassword
HTTPProxyRealm

for SOCKS v4:
SOCKS4Server
SOCKS4Port

for SOCKS v5:
SOCKS5Server
SOCKS5Port
SOCKS5Username
SOCKS5Password

Note: these are for MSN Messenger 6.2.0202 (In MSN Messenger 7, or other versions, this might be different, or more settings)

After you change these (make 100% sure you fully understand the values that these keys can have!!!!!) you only need to sign back in into MSN Messenger; you don't need to close MSN Messenger as I said previously.

I've had a look at the registry editor and this all looks straight forward enough. I'll think have a go at making a program that keeps proxy setting profiles for mutliple programs, and changes them all depending on the profile you select. I'll have a fish around to see where the most commonly used programs proxy settings are held.

But yes. Thanks for your reply. I'll look into it, and hopefully report back soon with news of an undertaken project.