Those
"there is a new version available" messages can indeed be confussing.
But the reason why you got a message saying there was a new messenger is because the build version you are using for that specific major version is outdated. It does not mean the major version number is outdated.
What this means is that there are several latest versions for msn messenger. All have there own version history and all are different "flavors" if you like.
If you use the latest build of a specific major version, you will not recieve a
"there is a new version available" message unless there is an update for that specific major version.
eg: at the time of writing:
The latest msn messenger 6 version is 6.2.0208
The latest msn messenger 7 version is 7.0.0816
The latest msn messenger 7.5 version is 7.5.0324
Then there are also other, less used, "flavors", again all with their own latest version, eg:
MSN Messenger 5.0.x for windows 95
MSN Messenger 5.0.x for windows NT4 and windows 2k
Windows Messenger 4.7.x for XP
Windows Messenger 5.1.x for XP
(although in the future, the Windows Messenger branch will dissapear)
So, there is no reason why you can't used a specific major version "flavor" (as long as you have the latest build for that version).
eg: If you want to use Windows Messenger 5.1, you can download the latest version from
here.
If you want to use MSN Messenger 6.2, you can download the latest version from here. 6.2 doesn't have all the bloated stuff (winks, nudges, etc...) that the 7.0 and 7.5 branches have.
Note: Even the current Messenger Plus! can still remove the ads from MSN Messenger 6.2.x. It is only when you use MSN Messenger 7.0 or higher that the ad-hiding has been removed.
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quote:
Originally posted by realrobley
A long time ago I was recommended to MessengerPlus because I have a daughter that has epilipcy, the ad at the bottom of msn messenger flashed and could trigger an attack.
It wasnt long ago that this all changed, and since messenger she has had 2 attacks so we had no choice but to remove it.
I first like to make it clear to I don't minimize the situation or danger that such ads can cause. And also want to say that, as a child, I also had epilepcy (luckally not in such a severe form) so I know exactly what it is to have it and what it invloves or what to look out for and which stuff can trigger attacks. But there are 1001 other things which could trigger an attack if you use a computer (eg: simply reading text in a chat program involves eye movement which could trigger an attack) and I find it strange that it was only caused by the ads shown in Messenger which I never have withnessed to be flashing that rapidly or show patterns which could cause such an attack. So maybe it weren't the ads themselfs, but the actuall use of a chat program. Nevertheless, if you encounter such ads I strongly recommend to report them to Microsoft:
http://messenger.msn.com/help/contactus.aspx
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