So, when you go 'Away', you can select 'Virtual status' and add something. When I do that to myself, I see it. But when someone else does it, I can't see it in the conversation, nor in the main screen. What's going on? (I do see it on the logs, though.)

a personalized status is just text added to your msn display name, its not an actuall status like the built-in ones of WLM (eg. Available, Busy, Away)   so sometimes your contacts names may just not update for awhile, ive noticed this with my WLM before.

slow internet connections can sometimes be the reason for contacts names not getting updated immediatly- as i found out when i had to tempuarally use my moble as a modem (which ran @ dial-up speeds) but when i used broadband again, contacts names immediatly updated.

I've never experienced not being able to see personalized status's.

All it does is add {status} to your name.

Try repairing Messenger Plus! Live from Add/Remove Programs.

mave, if your contact was to update their display name, is this updated straight away, on your converstation window and WLM main screen?
or does the same happen as the personalized statuses, where it doesnt change @ all?

No, it's certainly not my internet. 20 megabit, no worries there.

That's the problem - I can't see it in their names. I'd have to go to eventlogs (that's what it's called or something, right?) to see who's gone where. Nothing in their names, nothing.

that is really strange 

try uninstalling messenger plus, then uninstall messenger, reboot, then re-install the most resent versons of messenger and messenger plus

Already did, doesn't work.  ):

Problem is, even after formatting, it does that to me.

Could it be a bug in the translated version? I'm using the Dutch one. ;<

do you know anyone else also using the dutch verson, if so do they encounter the same problem?

I'll check my bro's computer tomorrow.

Thank you for your quick replies!

yeah, good idea

and no problem at all

Could it be that you've changed their names in WLM, then you won't see their custom status messages?