Shoutbox

We are using Windows Live Messenger, and cannot send an instant message. I am guessing it is something really obvious that we have missed.

In Windows Live Messagner, there  is an option in the menu bar at the top to Send an instant message. If I use this and choose a contact (whether available or not), the message windows opens with the two big icons, one for me and one for the recipient. If the recipient is not available, a text box contains information about the recipeint, saying that they "appear to be unavailable and when you send an instant message they will not get it until they come online" (or words to that effect). When I click on the recipient's icon nothing happens. If I hover over it a menu pops up with options like "send email", etc. but NO option to send an instant message.

Apologies if this is somewhere else on the forum, but I have not been able to google an answer anywhere.

What on earth are we doing wrong? We have re-installed, etc to no avail.

Thanks
greenhart

Why not type the text into the box and press enter?

Is the person you are trying to send the message to online?

You would normally send messages by double clicking on their name in the contact list, then a conversation window would come up.

If they aren't showing as online, or a conversation window does not pop up, it is possible that you have added them with the wrong e-mail address.....double check it and if necessary delete them and re-add them

Thanks for the suggestions.

As far as I can tell, we should be able to send an instant message, whether the contacts are available or not.

We can send and receive email from the contacts, and they can see the broadcast message enter via options, so there email addresses are correct. But there doesn't seem to be a way to send an instant message.

I will try pressing Enter - it would be amazing if it were that simple, but you nenver know...

can you post us a screenshot of exactly what you're seeing when you try to send messages?

Unfortunately I cannot get access to that computer at the moment.

What happens is that, when I click Actions >  Send an Instant Message, and choose a contact (available or not), a new window shows, with the large icons, one for the contact and one for me. There is a textbox on the lower right to enter the message.

If the contact is unavailable, there is a message saying that the contact appeart ot be unavailable, and  will receive the message when they come online.

I can type in a message, but there is no obvious way to send the message (unless is it s simple as pressing Enter as already mentioned)

Checking the Help, it does say press Enter. I am amazed! First, because I almost always use Enter instead of the mouse when possible, but didn't this time, and second that there is actually a Windows application where there is no mouse alternative for the Enter key... But I still can't belive it. I will let you know if its true...

Yes, in Windows Live Messenger 2009 there is no 'send' button as most people just hit enter as a matter of course to send messages

As said before, you don't need to click 'Actions' then 'Send Instant Message'  Just double click on the name of that person in your contact list and it will open a conversation window where you can send them instance messages

Thanks - I am still amazed that there is no alternative!

The official thought behind removing the button (the button was there in all versions before the latest one) is that you already need to use the keyboard to type a message anyways, so the button was rarely used while it did take some real estate away from the typing area if you keep your conversation windows very narrow.

Pressing <Enter> (with your pinky) is thus way faster than lifting your hands from the keyboard after typing the message, taking your mouse, navigating to the button and clicking.