For those who don't care for reasoning, I'll get straight to the point.  From there I will explain further.

In order to use skins for WLM 9, you need to add a special key to the registry.
Option 1:
Step 1:  Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft
Step 2:  Create a new key called "DUIDebug". Without the quotes of course.
Step 3:  Inside the DUIDebug key, create a DWORD value called "Binary"
Step 4:  Set Binary to 0
Step 5:  Restart messenger and any changes you make to the XML in msgsres.dll should take effect.

Option 2:
Step 1: Download and import the attached registry file.
Step 2: Restart messenger and any changes you make to the XML in msgsres.dll should take effect.


Ok, for those of you still reading, here's the deal.  Starting with Windows Live Messenger 9 (it's technically WLM 14, but yeah), the user interface XML is no longer loaded by default. Instead messenger is using a binary format to put together the interface.  While we are still examining this binary format (the easy part is done, just the hard part leff ), however until we create an easier way to edit this binary information, I have discovered a hidden UI debugging mode which forces messenger to load the UI directly from the XML rather using this new method.  Because this is a debug feature, it probably will not be included in the final version of messenger.  So expect this to change.  Once we've got all the needed information we intend to share it with everyone. 

Thanks.

lot of thanks dude...

If you guys installed Sopair, this change is already made, and is left on, even after you uninstall for the sake of not conflicting with other patches.

Great work TheSteve. You are amazing!

Thanks TheSteve, I appreciate it. Gave you a shoutout on my website and included your name in A-Patch wo0t

At first glance, the newest build of messenger appears to have removed the DUIDebug. 

In this version UIB has changed from version 4 to version 5 bringing a shuffle of the "machine code" used to generate the UI.  So I don't currently have any documentation that will work for this version.  I will try and find some time to work it out.

Sure Steve. Your work is highly appreciated anyway.

quote:

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Originally posted by TheSteve
At first glance, the newest build of messenger appears to have removed the DUIDebug. 

In this version UIB has changed from version 4 to version 5 bringing a shuffle of the "machine code" used to generate the UI.  So I don't currently have any documentation that will work for this version.  I will try and find some time to work it out.

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In the last build a skin can change a picture. For example the mail button as you can see on the screenshot.

replace resources are not the main goal Guena... the important thing is to modify the whole XML code to add icons (MP!L icon for example), make real modifications of WLM UI, etc...

Yes I know and agree with you, it was just to show that it is possible to replace a picture with Messenger Plus! in the last build.

Yes, we know.  Perhaps I should have been more specific.
You can't change the layout until we finish documenting the new system. (It's not technically XML anymore, but can be converted to and from XML.)

Hi
I've downloaded the attachment but i don't understand what to do with it
But can you help me pleas?
Can I add you on MSN ?
Thanks!

Greetzz

@ DarkGoth: If you are using the Windows Live Messenger 9 RC (a.k.a. version 14.0 - not the Beta), then you can't do anything with the downloaded file.

It's a registry file which adds the DUIDebug value in order to make Messenger Beta load the old layout files. This registry value however no longer has any effect on the Windows Live Messenger 9 RC version. There's no way to make the new version load those old layout files, simply because that registry value was used for debugging and because those old layout files are most likely already removed from the RC.

Since we can no longer use the old style of changing the layouts of Messenger through XML (UIFILE), we have to wait for the new layout format to be reverse-engineered, documented and implemented in Plus! until we can make skins for this new Messenger version. This is also the reason why Plus! is currently only partially compatible with this version: it loads and hooks into Messenger, but it can't modify the windows to add buttons such as  the Plus! button and text formatting tools.

For the time being, either downgrade to version 8.5 or version 9.0 Beta in order to use Plus!, or simply stay with the new version and wait patiently...

quote:

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Originally posted by Matti
@ DarkGoth: If you are using the Windows Live Messenger 9 RC (a.k.a. version 14.0 - not the Beta), then you can't do anything with the downloaded file.

It's a registry file which adds the DUIDebug value in order to make Messenger Beta load the old layout files. This registry value however no longer has any effect on the Windows Live Messenger 9 RC version. There's no way to make the new version load those old layout files, simply because that registry value was used for debugging and because those old layout files are most likely already removed from the RC.

Since we can no longer use the old style of changing the layouts of Messenger through XML (UIFILE), we have to wait for the new layout format to be reverse-engineered, documented and implemented in Plus! until we can make skins for this new Messenger version. This is also the reason why Plus! is currently only partially compatible with this version: it loads and hooks into Messenger, but it can't modify the windows to add buttons such as  the Plus! button and text formatting tools.

For the time being, either downgrade to version 8.5 or version 9.0 Beta in order to use Plus!, or simply stay with the new version and wait patiently...

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thank you so much =)

quote:

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Originally posted by lalalala
thank you so much =)

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