Shoutbox

Is it possible to have two msn messenger on your cmpu for example msn 6.2 and msn 7.0 at the same time???

In that case how...

Indeed, it is

1) Install MSNM 6.2
2) Copy the MSN Messenger folder to somewhere else & rename it (for example, 'MSN Messenger 6.2')
3) Install MSNM 7.0
4) Move the MSNM 6.2 folder back into the Program Files folder, create a shortcut to msnmsgr.exe & put it somewhere handy.

If you want to run them both at a time, you need to enable Polygamy. StuffPlug-NG or A-Patch can do that.

Note that it doesn't matter if you install 7.0 first then 6.2; you can do it either way.

I recommend StuffPlug over A-Patch unless you want the extras in A-Patch. Patching infringes the EULA, but StuffPlug uses a different method which is fully legal.

And just to show how simple a trick it is, I have three different MSN Messengers: Wave11, 7.0.0813 in French, and 6.2.0208

hmm, i can't installed 6.2

on my pC is 7.0 installed, and i have renamed the folder, but the message, that i must deinstalled the new version, pops up anyway.

what can i do

you have to start from lower versions first for it to work.

quote:

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Originally posted by krakos
hmm, i can't installed 6.2

on my pC is 7.0 installed, and i have renamed the folder, but the message, that i must deinstalled the new version, pops up anyway.

what can i do

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You need to uninstall MSN Messenger 7 first.

Then:

quote:

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Originally posted by Caboose
1) Install MSNM 6.2
2) Copy the MSN Messenger folder to somewhere else & rename it (for example, 'MSN Messenger 6.2')
3) Install MSNM 7.0
4) Move the MSNM 6.2 folder back into the Program Files folder, create a shortcut to msnmsgr.exe & put it somewhere handy.

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Apologies for reopening this older thread but I have a quick clarification question to ask as regards having 2 msn messenger versions.

The instructions say:

1) Install MSNM 6.2
2) Copy the MSN Messenger folder to somewhere else & rename it (for example, 'MSN Messenger 6.2')
3) Install MSNM 7.0
4) Move the MSNM 6.2 folder back into the Program Files folder, create a shortcut to msnmsgr.exe & put it somewhere handy.

As regards point 2) it says Copy. So I leave the original 'MSN Messenger' folder in the Programs Folder. It is not a cut and paste but copy and paste.

And presumably after install I will see two entries for MSN Messenger in add/remove.

Apologies for asking a silly question

Many thanks for your help

quote:

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Originally posted by risk_reversal
As regards point 2) it says Copy. So I leave the original 'MSN Messenger' folder in the Programs Folder. It is not a cut and paste but copy and paste.

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That doesn't matter. You can copy it or rename it, it would be the same result in the end.

quote:

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Originally posted by risk_reversal
And presumably after install I will see two entries for MSN Messenger in add/remove.

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No, you will see only 1...

There is some wrong info given in this thread though:

quote:

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Originally posted by Caboose
Note that it doesn't matter if you install 7.0 first then 6.2; you can do it either way.

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It sure does matter... You need to install the older versions first!

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The reason why you need to copy, rename or move the original MSN Messenger folder is to keep the old files.

After this, you install a newer version. This will overwrite the existing files, if they still exist. That's why it doesn't matter if you copy, rename or move the original folder.

But!!!! dispite popular believe, there are always things to be considered when doing this. MSN Messenger does not only depend on the files you'll find in the MSN Messenger folder.

When you install a version, files of that version will be installed in the MSN Messenger folder, but also many libraries are installed/updated in your Windows System folder, and many stuff is updated in your registry.

This makes that, after you installed a newer version, it is quite possible that the older version might not work 100% anymore because the libraries and stuff are not from that old version anymore! So, in fact, if you use the old version, you are actually always using the newer version's libraries and registry settings (because the old ones do not exist anymore as they are always overwritten)! And there is no garantuee that these new libraries and registry settings are downwards compatible at all.

This is also the reason why you must install the old version first and only afterwards install the newer version. If you do it the other way around, compatibily problems will occur for sure since the new version is then using old libraries which quite often do not support the new functions.

In fact, there are many errors which can occur by using two versions like that at the same time. And many connection problems or other "strange" stuff occurs because people have messed with such things and/or using two different versions at the same time (even if they installed the old version first).

This is also one of the reasons why MSN Messenger does not have polygamy enabled by default: To prevent people from messing around with different versions and thus having compatibily problems.

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Now, some might say it works fine with them. That is possible, but that doesn't mean there could be problems in the future, or that they never had a problem with connecting or some feature from time to time or other stuff. And it also doesn't bring down the fact that they are using program files mixed up with libraries from other versions, etc...

Many thanks for your reply CookieRevised and your explanation.

In reply, yes I did have problems opening the older version of MSN Messenger which I had v6.2. The newer version 7.0 worked fine.

Everytime I tried to open 6.2, I was getting an error message. That is why I posted as regards copy/paste or cut/paste.

Appreciate the time and effort in providing me with your explanation.

I did manage to eventually get both versions to works but more by way of chance. I am also not sure whether this will be a stable outcome in the long run.

This is what I did. After installing version 7.0.0186 (v6.2.0205 already installed), I used system restore (took a snapshot immediately prior to install of MSNM 7). I deleted the remnant of the MSN Messenger 6.2 folder from the Program Folder and recopied it back again (into program folder).

This subsequently allowed v6.2 and v7.0 to open albeit one at a time. Potential downside is that I have 2 MSN Messengers listed in add/remove version 6.2 & version 7.0

Many thanks again for your kind help.....

Cheers

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
There is some wrong info given in this thread though:

quote:

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Originally posted by Caboose
Note that it doesn't matter if you install 7.0 first then 6.2; you can do it either way.

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It sure does matter... You need to install the older versions first!

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Baha, thanks for correcting me. I was completely wrong on that one