Shoutbox

I use firefox and i have a hotmail account, so i like to click on the email button in Messenger and it open my Hotmail account via FireFox.

Now, with Messenger 8.5, i could install stuffplug and it would then auto-log me into my Hotmail account via FireFox - all was great.

In Messenger 9, it will try to open Hotmail in FIreFox, but will request my password all the time. As far as i know, this is Microsoft's doing, they blocked out Firefox having auto log in due to "security concerns" (yeah, right).

So my request, since stuffplug is pretty much dead, is can the Plus team implement a feature so that auto login to Hotmail doesn't just happen in IE, but in FF as well?

I think there is a large number of people that would love this feature.

It must be a setting you have on your messenger account, my WLM works fine with firefox as default. I might have done something, though I don't remember what. I'm sure it was an easy fix.

hmmmm, i've checked around on the net and i wasn't the only one to have this problem.

In messenger 9, i click on the email icon and it does open in FireFox, only it will not auto log me in to hotmail, i have to enter my password.

On checking around the net, i recall seeing some info suggesting that MS made it only auto login with IE.

Can anyone confirm 100% that it's just on my end.

Also probably worth me mentining i'm on Windows 7

There's an option under settings that makes it always ask for your password. It's under privacy.. You sure that isn't checked?

nope, this option in unchecked.

I thought this was a well known issue, i don't know how you guys have got this working...

Note that you can also set serveral things up in FireFox itself. eg: you can let it remember and automatically fill stuff in on form (such as a login form) and/or automatically submit it.
You can also tell Firefox not to automatically fill stuff in, even if it exists. And/or tell Firefox not to redirect certain sites, block others, etc. Then there are also cookie settings which could influence many things. Moreover, you can also set it in MSIE compatibility mode for certain sites...

Bottom line, there is a lot of stuff in FireFox which could all influence the behaviour.

So I would first check all those kind of settings in FireFox.

The problem i see with that is, wouldn't anyone then be able to access my email if they open up firefox in my account and go to hotmail?

I like it to be secure, so it auto logs me on from messenger, but i shut messenger down, no one can get access.

Such a shae stuffplug died, i've had to revert back to messenger 8.5 until someone makes firefox work

quote:

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Originally posted by neologan
The problem i see with that is, wouldn't anyone then be able to access my email if they open up firefox in my account and go to hotmail?

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1) No, that highly depends on how you set it up and/or how Messenger exactly logs in to hotmail. For example, it could well be that you have set FireFox to block certain attempts to go directly to secured sites without manually logging in. So, even if Messenger tries to auto log on, FireFox prevents it and thus you are reverted back to the log in page of hotmail. Another scenario would be that FireFox simply can't run the ActiveX that Messenger uses to log you in. etc...

2) What do you mean by 'your account'? If you mean your Windows account, then yes, that is what the login dialog and password is for when you start Windows.

No offense to neologan, but I'm actually surprised at how little people use that, yet complaining about security or others accessing their data. If you want to be secure: create an account in Windows with a password.

quote:

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Originally posted by neologan
i've had to revert back to messenger 8.5 until someone makes firefox work

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Reverting back is actually far more insecure than anything else. Usually, you are (forced) updated to newer versions just because of security fixes (among other fixes).

quote:

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No, that highly depends on how you set it up and/or how Messenger exactly logs in to hotmail. For example, it could well be that you have set FireFox to block certain attempts to go directly to secured sites without manually logging in.

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Where in firefox could you even do this?

And t doesn't change the fact that Microsoft has blocked FF, but it still works perfect in IE, isn't that the spirit of PLUS? At least it was when it first came out - to take away and add features that MS couldn't be bothered to give users.

And if do use user/pass, but that doesn't change the fact that if i leave my PC on and walk away for half an hour, someone could jump on and get to my email instead of theirs if i use your method.

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hopefully this will show you exactly what my problems is: http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/06/23/au...ve-messenger-2009/

i may just end up using this solution so i can move to 9.0. But my request still stands, i'd love the plus team to work on this issue so FF works.

quote:

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Originally posted by neologan
And if do use user/pass, but that doesn't change the fact that if i leave my PC on and walk away for half an hour, someone could jump on and get to my email instead of theirs if i use your method.

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The same will happen when you leave Messenger open and you walk away.... Hence I said you should use a Windows account with password, and also enable the password on the screensaver, and use the Windows user log out when you go away for a minute....

It is no use complaining about security if you don't do the basic steps. A PC running normally and left alone is _always_ insecure.

It is almost the same as wanting to use Messenger Plus!'s encrypted logs, while on the same time leaving the logging feature in Messenger enabled.

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PS: After reading some stuff...


I agree that it is annoying at first sight. But it is not that Microsoft didn't bother. They have their good reasons, eventhough it seems annoying to people. It is true that they have a secure way to auto-sign you in only in MSIE.

This isn't being lazy or not being bothered. It also is not a way for MS to force people use MSIE either. The secure way of auto-logging in is simply not possible with FF since it does not use the same APIs and methods provided by MSIE which are use by Messenger. It simply is not possible.

It is a misconception to think that Messenger simply loads the Windows Live log in page (the page you normally would go to manually) and auto-fills everything in and auto-submits it when it uses MSIE. If it did that, then yes, it would be possible to use any other browser to load the same page and do the same thing. But it apparently does not do that as it uses a different, more secure, method only available with MSIE.

And even if you would manage to integrate it using FF, it will not be completely secure anyways, eventhough it might seem it is.

Also, in my experience, not everything works exactly as it should, unfortunatly, when you use FF on Windows Live (not talking about hotmail specifically, but also the other services). So, in the end you end up using MSIE anyways.