People, please read the complete threads before posting. Many questions asked lately in this thread are already answered at the beginning...
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What are skins:
Skins are exactly what the word says: 'skins' (aka 'altered looks'). They 'wrap around' a normal program to make it look different. If you wanna know how MSN Messenger skins can look, then take a look at the previews in the first post of this thread (if the bandwidth allows it)
How to make skins:
You must be very experienced in hex editing and resource editing. If you don't know what that means, then don't even bother thinking about skinning MSN Messenger, it isn't easy.
For more info visit:
http://www.messenger-skins.net/
How to install a skin:
First make
absolutely sure you have the
correct version of the skin. Skins are version dependent. A skin made for 7.0.425 will NOT work on 7.0.605, etc...
Second, make sure you have a clean install of MSN Messenger, thus without any patches (this isn't always needed, but it often is)...
Then follow exactly the instructions given in the installer of the skin or in the 'readme' file that comes with it...
What's the bussiness with those .RAR and .ZIP files:
Those are archives which contain the actual needed files, and you need an archive extractor like
WinZip or
WinRar to extract the files from it. Also see the first post in this thread.
But tbh, if you don't know what archives are and how to deal with them, then you maybe aren't ready to start fiddling with skins...
I get a "Could not find offset to match!" error
Do as suggested: uninstall any skin or patch you already have installed. Make absolutely sure you are installing the skin on an
original unmodified version of MSN Messenger and that you have the
correct version of the skin for your MSN Messenger version.
To have a clean unmodified version of MSN Messenger to install your skin on, simply reinstall/repair the original MSN Messenger.
I can't download the skins from the first post in this thread:
JaymachRalTir, the creator of this thread, has already clearly stated several times that his bandwidth on his site, which hosts the skins, is limited and runs out quickly.
You can still try to click on the preview link to see if it will take you to another site. Some listed skins in the first post have screenshots on their own official site and thus are linked to there. In that way you can browse the official site for that skin and find an installer for the skin if available...
Other sources for skins are:
*
http://www.msnthemes.com/?act=skinmgr
*
http://www.rolandunderg.net/skins.php
*
http://www.messenger-skins.net/
Threads on this forum:
* "
Want Skins? MSN Messenger Build 6.2.0137 Skins"
* "
Want Skins? MSN Messenger Build 7.0.0425 Skins"
* "
Want Skins? MSN Messenger Build 7.0.0813 Skins"
Always keep an eye on the version numbers of the skins; each skin is made for a particular msn messenger version!
Also note that the skins listed in this thread are outdated and not for the latest MSN Messenger.