When installing Windows Messenger 5, I somehow managed to keep it from updating Windows Messenger 4.7, meaning I have both functioning on my system just fine. The Plus menu and several of the options are disabled in 5, but I found several that still work. And since I still have 4.7, you can still edit Plus options.
THis stuff still works:
-chat logging (it appears to work anyways)
-the emoticons popup box when typing a '(' stil lappears
-chat windows still have transparency; main MSN window does not
A lot of stuff I haven't tested yet or found workarounds for 'em. The auto-away messages DOES NOT work. Thats about the only other feature I've tested yet. I think Quick Text works, but that was never a feature I used much.
By the way, for those who wan to keep Windows Messenger 4 when isntalling 5, do this (note: I dont know if 5 always installs seperately, of if I just managed ot do it myself).
When Messenger asks you to update to Messenger 5, go to More Info. page so yo ucan get to where Messenger 5 is (when I did this, there was a page for both the old Messenger and the new one!). After yo uget ot the Messenger 5 site, go to the Downlaod page, download Messenger 5 installer (I saved it to the harddrive...running it from the Net didnt work). After you saved it ot the harddrive, completely close Outlook, Outlook Express, IE, and everything else yo uhave to so you can COMPLETELY close Messenger (right-click the icon in the task menu and go to Exit). After Messenger is completely closed, run the installer. When its finished, Messenger 5 will load...but you still have Messenger 4! Dont believe me? Make a shortcut to Messenger before you do all this...my old shortcut runs Messenger 4, the icon in IE runs Messenger 5. You might want to go into Messenger 4 and turn off "Start when Windows starts" and "Auto-login". SImply turn those options on in Messenger 5. THis will make 5 the default, but you'd still have version 4 availible.