Hi guys, i'm new here and hope someone can help me out. First of all, i'm a long term MSGPlus user and never had this problem before, and also i read the stickied topic already, i.e this one here:

http://shoutbox.menthix.net/showthread.php?tid=69388


the solution shown in that topic says to use a new SmileyCentral.dll or something like that, but i never installed SmileyCentral and don't plan to since it's not trusthworthy and has tons of popup ads and i consider it as a spyware.


I never had to install it to get my MSGPlus working anyway, i'm running Windows 7 Ultimate x86 and never had this problem before, and i think the reason i have this problem is because i installed some new antivirus programs like Comodo Internet Security & Avira Antivirus, but i did add them to the firewall exception list so it should work, but it doesn't.


Also, by MSGPlus not showing up i mean that it's installed and the first time configuration window shows up, but i don't see the Plus option on the tabs or anywhere else, i see nothing related to MSGPlus on my messenger.


I know it's installed properly because if i tried to import scripts or skins, they get imported, but they don't show up or anything. But this proves that i did install MSGPlus properly, because you can't even import skins or scripts without having it installed in the first place.



And yes in case someone asks, i'm using a clean version of WLM 9.0, and i reinstalled everything twice, i.e removed MSG Plus and WLM 9, and installed them again.


I'm not using Mess or Apatch, and i'm not using Messenger Discovery Live either, well i do use those but i haven't installed them yet. Everything is basically clean and un-altered.


I never have this problem though, i install MSGPlus tons of times on my Windows 7, i installed it on my laptop and my other PCs and never had a problem, so i'm thinking it's the new antivirus apps i have, but i need those badly so don't wanna switch to a different one either.......any suggestions?

quote:

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Originally posted by chaoscreater
the solution shown in that topic says to use a new SmileyCentral.dll or something like that, but i never installed SmileyCentral and don't plan to since it's not trusthworthy and has tons of popup ads and i consider it as a spyware.

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oh ok my bad, but i never installed it in the first place anyway, and i'm 100% sure about this, it doesn't show up under Add/Remove programs and i don't get those annoying ads etc, i know this because i installed it before, like ages ago when i was a kid, so i know the symptoms or signs of that program, but anyway i haven't installed it at all.

I did try to disable my antivirus programs but it still doesn't work.

Are you using MSGPlus or Messenger Plus! Live?

There has recently been a member who install the incorrect program.

(The forum you're on is for Messenger Plus! Live.)

I'm using Messenger Plus! Live v4.83.376, i dowloaded from www.msgplus.net

I thought MSGPlus means Messenger Plus! Live? Well anyway, i've always been using Messenger Plus! Live, and always downloaded it from this site.

Have you read the following thread?

Messenger Plus! Live Disappears after restart

There are many programs besides SmileyCentral which can cause the issue you are describing

@djdannp, from the list of the apps in the link you posted, i have these 2 installed:

ThreatFire
PC Tools Spyware Doctor

which should be the ones causing the conflict i guess, i can disable spyware doctor but i need to keep Threatfire on, my computer has been hacked twice and i've had a lot of information stolen from me, and all this happened within a month, so i need to use some what decent antivirus programs and the suggested free antivirus programs suggested from the link you posted just aren't good enough........is there a way to solve this conflict other than uninstalling them?


edit:

I know i can add programs to whitelist or add them as exception so they can still run, just like adding a program to a Firewall exception list, but out of all the files in the Messenger Plus! Live folder, only 'Mptools' is a .exe file, the rest are .dll files, so how can i make this work?? Because i've already tried adding Mptools.exe to the exception and fix the problem, i would assume so since i think the .dll files are the ones that launch MSGPlus Live when you launch WLM.......but they aren't .exe files so i can't add them, and i tried re-registering them by right clicking and register component, i also tried to open MPtools and it doesn't work, it just shows it's part of the MSGPlus Live and i should refer to the documentation message....


I also tried disabling Threatfire protection fully, and tried to launch WLM, and MSGPlus Live still doesn't show up. And the weird thing is, whenever i try an uninstall of MSGPlus Live, it just doesn't it fully without asking me to modify or repair it, normally it should show that box, so i'm guessing that MSGPlus Live isn't even fully registered into the system, which is why none of those showed up....


i also found this:
http://www.pctools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57825

Microsoft Security Essentials is widely regarded as one of the best anti-virus prodicuts on the market.  I use it myself on several computers and it has proved so reliable at work that we have cancelled our subscription with McAfee to use it instead, so I can assure you that it is a more than decent replacement for ThreatFire and it will enable you to use Messenger Plus! Live properly too

Please don't take this wrongly, but i'm pretty experienced in the antivirus area, and Microsoft Security Essentials isn't really any good. None of the top review sites listed that as one of the best antivirus programs, i have NEVER seen that on any list. I do researches on this sort of topic, i read chart comparisons and stress tests etc, and that has never been mentioned on any site at all. I never liked any of the Microsoft security programs either, Windows Defender is crap and One Care sucks too. It doesn't offer the amount of protection and custom rules that a user can set, and not only that but i've used it before and still got virus infections.

I've done a lot of research and asked a lot of professional or experienced users in this sort of area, where the sites or forums i go to are dedicated for this type of stuff and none of them has ever mentioned using Microsoft Security Essentials, this is the first time i've had a referral of that program, and the first time i used it i only wanted to try it out coz i came across it, and it really sucked for me.

Take a look at this site for example:

http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-securi...llenge/results.php


anyway maybe anyone who is currently using Microsoft Security Essentials thinks it does fine because it deals with most of the simple viruses, but when it comes to a really serious infection on your PC, it might not be good enough. From experience, it doesn't show you much of any outgoing/incoming activity, whether it's a network connection or a program trying to access a certain file or registry etc, and that's just not very protective in my opinion.

Windows Defender is an anti-malware program, not an anti-virus program and I never experienced any problems with it during the time I used it.  I can't vouch for OneCare as I never use paid products.

Try taking a read of these two articles.

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris4
I would personally recommend Microsoft Security Essentials.

Good articles:
- Stop Paying for Windows Security; Microsoft's Security Tools Are Good Enough
- Microsoft Security Essentials Ranks as Best-Performing Free Antivirus

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Yes I know that Windows Defender is an anti-malware program but i was saying i never liked or trusted any of the Microsoft's product, which is why i used Windows Defender & One Care as examples, because those are the other 2 Microsoft products related to this. Since you said you've never used paid products, maybe that's the reason why. I'm not saying free products have to be crap, Avira & Avast both have free versions and are very very efficient in doing what it does, especially Avira.

Comodo Internet Security is another must have, it comes with a great firewall and i'm sure many people will agree with me on this, an antivirus defense and internet defense, it's free as well.

And I KNOW what i'm talking about. Antiviruses DO display outgoing/incoming activity. Sure it sounds like something a firewall should do but antiviruses now days come with a lot of options, and i did mention that you can control what file or process accesses what part of your system, like your registry, or that if it tries to launch another program or another process, maybe global hooks (keyloggers usually) might try to access a certain file or SEND/RECEIVE (yes, like i said above already) files.

I've worked with keyloggers before and have used it myself on my own computer just to test it out for educational purposes, and i can confirm that keyloggers can secretly send or receive commands and logs from the victim's PC, to the PC of the person who is controlling it. Try Googling Perfect Keylogger for example, that's just one of the many ones out there.

Anyway, if a Firewall simply limits the connection, that's not enough, you want to remove the source as well, and by doing so GOOD antiviurses detect what a certain program is trying to do and find out exactly what it is, therefore it has the feature to detect certain established incoming/outgoing connections that are usually hidden without you noticing, that's what keyloggers do in fact, everything, all its process and connections, are fully hidden, not even the best firewalls can detect them and i know this from experience, that's why there are certain antiviruses that are good and should be used in conjunction with your anti-malware and firewall etc.


And that article was just an example of how I do my research and read reviews or charts from, i don't simply just grab any random antivirus program or any program for that matter just because someone tells me it's good. If a bunch of people tell me it's good and i've heard and read good things about it, then i try it. But anyway, if you go around some dedicated forums for dealing with antiviruses or Google for the top antiviruses of 2010, you can't even find any mentioning of Microsoft Security Essentials. Sure you gave those 2 sites, I read them but they don't sound very convincing and the features it talked about don't seem very promising either, and this is from LifeHacker, not a very good site for professional advice on dealing with antiviurses in my opinion, that's the site where I used to get all sorts of hacks from for certain softwares a few years ago, like Youtube or Gmail hacks etc.


Anyway, just to support what i've said, i actually uninstalled Threatfire, installed Microsoft Security Essentials, did a full update and before i go on, just to prove to you i did install and do the update, here's what my version shows:

Microsoft Security Essentials Version:  1.0.1611.0
Antimalware Client Version: 2.0.6212.0
Engine Version: 1.1.5405.0
Antivirus definitions: 1.73.8.0
Antispyware definitions: 1.73.8.0


it should look the same as yours i hope.


So anyway, after doing all this, MSG Plus! Live still doesn't work.

Not only that, but i also tested out Microsoft Security Essentials, i did a full system scan and it found just one virus, which isn't even a virus, it's a trainer i use for a gamer so it's a false positive.

HOWEVER, i do know i have a few viruses, they're keygens and patches for programs (yes i know, warez, but i'm not specifically talking about it) and i know some of them aren't trustworthy, and i have tons of those that i actually know ARE viruses and kept them specifically for testing out any new antivirus/anti-malware programs just to see whether they're good at detecting them or not, and guess what, Microsoft Security Essentials didn't even find any of them, not one.


This easily proves to me it's weak and not powerful enough. Most antiviruses now days can probably only detect around 30%-40% of the most recent and newest viruses, and that's already bad as it is, so if an antivirus like this one, can't even find cracks/keygens/patches that contain trojans or hookers, they're not safe and good to use.


Anyway aside from all that, i've done everything suggested. So, what now?

Did you uninstall PC Tools Spyware Doctor too?

Also I suggested you may need to re-install Messenger Plus! Live afterwards

ya, i have done both. Also uninstalled WLM and tried it again, for some reason it just doesn't show up. However, whenever i tried an uninstall, it uninstalls fully instead of showing you the option to repair or modify it, so it's probably still not registered to WLM properly, otherwise it should show those options.

But it's weird because if i try to import skins or scripts, it gets imported but doesn't show up, if MSG Plus! Live isn't installed or registered, it shouldn't even be able to import anything....

No more suggestions anyone?? Guess i'll be switching to Pidgin then, that's unfortunate since i have so many scripts and skins i use for MSGPlus! Live......ah well i still have it installed on my other PCs anyway.

Post a screenshot of your Programs & Features as it's possible that there's some other software interfering with Messenger Plus! Live that we are unaware of

hey nvm i've already setup Pidgin, i might try Trillion as well just coz it has an extension of plugins and skins and i can use the pro version.

Thanks for your help anyway, i appreciate it. I think i know what's causing this problem, if Threatfire wasn't the case since i uninstalled it, then it must be Comodo Internet Security, coz those are the only 2 programs that i've replaced with my old antivirus/anti-malware, so they must be it since i haven't installed anything new at all other than restoring all my files from my backups.

I don't plan on uninstall Comodo though since it's one of the best firewall out there so i think it's too much trouble to go through all this just to use MSGPlus! Live when i just wanted to use some scripts and skins.....


oh btw Messenger Discovery Live works well with MSGPlus! Live, i forgot to mention this before. I've never had a problem with both of them running and have installed them together tons of times.