Shoutbox

To get to the Connections tab, you have to go into Messenger's options. On the left column, there should be a tab labeled "Connections." That's how it works in Messenger 2009, at least. Don't know about the 2011 or 2012 versions.

Anyway, yeah, I also noticed the Skype update pop-up when you log into an account for the first time. I hadn't thought about the text advertisements, though, since I've always had them blocked with A-Patch...

In regards to hacking the registry and changing the version number, I don't know what good that would do to keep Messenger alive, since Microsoft is actually terminating the MSNP protocol everywhere but in China. If it's true that the Chinese Messenger client still connects to American servers, changing the version number would prove pointless.

The only viable option I see (assuming the Chinese client doesn't magically work after April 8) is somehow configuring Messenger to run under a Chinese SOCKS proxy. Unfortunately, I've already tried attempting to fiddle with Messenger's proxy options to no avail.

I'm hoping someone more tech-savy will come along and shed some light on the subject of preserving Messenger in some way, somehow. Otherwise, all we can do in the meantime is sit tight and wait until April to see what happens.

Oh okay. Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. Ya I also hope someone comes around with a brilliant idea.

I can't understand why they can't just let us have MSN as well as their skype.

Not everyone loves skype like they obviously think. Skype STINKS!
MSN is a much more pleasant chat program to hang out on.
I made the move over to skype last week on my laptop and I honestly don't even bother to sign in there cause I hate the program. I continue to use MSN on my iPad and have gone back to Yahoo on my computer.

Good one microsoft. There's a lot of people out there who hate stinky skype and all you're doing is pushing them back to Yahoo if they want somewhere half decent to chat or trying anything behind the scenes fiddling with programming to keep something that's great.
I'm thinking of deleting skype and getting MSN back - at least for as long as possible. If someone comes up with a way of being able to keep it, I'm all in.

Another thing that peeved me (like the list in a previous post) is that you can't set different sign in sounds for different friends like you can on MSN.
There are times that my screen is turned off and I liked knowing if one of my favourites happened to sign in, rather than having to turn the monitor on each time I heard a sign in. Is that asking too much???

Just keep MSN and keep a lot of people very happy!
When I feel a company has done the dirty on me, it usually turns me off anything they have to offer or sell.

I agree with you entirely.

It's unfortunate, though, that Microsoft probably won't listen to consumers about this. They bought the rights to Skype some time ago, and are now likely to shift forth all of their effort into it. From a business perspective, it makes sense, but it comes at the expense of their customers.

If I find ANY solution to keeping Messenger going after the cutoff date, I'll immediately post it here. I hope anyone else (that is, the thousand plus people who have read this thread but not posted in it) will do the same.

My friend has msn and skype, but has an old version of msn(2011 I think)
And assumes it may trick microsoft. Because since he already has both...I don't see how they can TAKE msn from him. Any thoughts on this? Like just keeping Skype installed but not using it in hopes of keeping msn?

quote:

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Originally posted by 1Rax
My friend has msn and skype, but has an old version of msn(2011 I think)
And assumes it may trick microsoft. Because since he already has both...I don't see how they can TAKE msn from him. Any thoughts on this? Like just keeping Skype installed but not using it in hopes of keeping msn?

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I have the latest version of SKYPE when I updated WLM to the latest version, WLM disappeared. So I uninstalled WLM form Programs and Features in Windows 7 then went to my downloads folder and re installed live essentials (2011) which brought back messenger and the saved sound alerts I had. But after April 8th probably what will happen is, there will be a windows update that will permanently remove essentials. ugh! 

quote:

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Originally posted by 1Rax
My friend has msn and skype, but has an old version of msn(2011 I think)
And assumes it may trick microsoft. Because since he already has both...I don't see how they can TAKE msn from him. Any thoughts on this? Like just keeping Skype installed but not using it in hopes of keeping msn?

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Did your friend merge his Messenger account with Skype? Anyone can run Messenger and Skype alongside each other if the accounts aren't linked, so I don't really know what, exactly, he thinks is going to "trick" Microsoft. Moreover, the fact that he's using an older version of Messenger is irrelevant, since, as I said, the entire MSNP (the service that all Messenger versions connect to and operate on) is ultimately going to be shut down globally, save China, which is why theoretically, the only feasible option would seem to be accessing those Chinese servers where the MSNP is still running. Otherwise, it'll be like trying to connect a computer to the Internet without a modem/router. That's why the MSNP is so imperative.

Either way, though, I recommend anyone interested in the continued use of Messenger to avert from linking their account with Skype. I haven't tested this myself, but I don't know if it's still possible to detach one's Messenger account after it's been linked (and in turn, I don't know if doing this makes it impossible to sign in with that account again to Messenger). I know there was (and still may be) a way to opt out from the merge, but I predict the option of doing so will very soon be gone, if it isn't already. Keep your accounts separate, and tell any of your friends to do the same, at least until we know what happens after April 8.

I just made a discovery, and it may not even be worth mentioning, but it's interesting regardless. Apparently, even after April 8, users will still be able to connect to and use the web Messenger in the Hotmail/Outlook interface.

At this point, I'm just throwing out ideas that may or may not be valid. I have VERY little knowledge on the subjects of software writing and development, but perhaps it's possible to get under the desktop Messenger's hood with some sort of editing program and change its network ports to match the web Messenger's? It's my supposition that the web Messenger's network ports are different to the desktop Messenger's, perhaps using an entirely different protocol, so maybe you could splice the two together somehow and sign in to the web Messenger via the desktop Messenger?

You can't just "change" a program like this. The web messenger will more than likely be running as an Javascript interface to a server that relays standard messages to and from other WLM accounts. As far as I know it has no features of WLM and is no better than using an alternative client.

If WLM and Skype protocols are running side by side in the Skype client, some server has still got to be hosting it (to an extent; it more than likely relies on establishing a direct IP connection). That is the route I would go down personally, although I know first hand how complicated the protocol gets (I'm talking about MSNP8; we're on at least MSNP15 now).

IIRC WLM let you set proxy settings? A chinese proxy should do the trick without needing a chinese client. (Server thinks you are in china, could be travelling... therefore need access to the service)

AFAIK, all clients, versions, protocols etc use the same server and port (messenger.hotmail.com:1863). I think they will somehow restrict traffic through the gateway server; meaning the service will still be there, but inaccessible. This would be easiest to do by blocking IP ranges (why a proxy might work). I think MS would expect people to try this though and take other factors into consideration (In this situation I would personally look in to ping times; if ping>x ms then you are not really from China; I'm sure they'd be more refined than this though)

quote:

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Originally posted by Spunky
IIRC WLM let you set proxy settings? A chinese proxy should do the trick without needing a chinese client. (Server thinks you are in china, could be travelling... therefore need access to the service)

AFAIK, all clients, versions, protocols etc use the same server and port (messenger.hotmail.com:1863). I think they will somehow restrict traffic through the gateway server; meaning the service will still be there, but inaccessible. This would be easiest to do by blocking IP ranges (why a proxy might work). I think MS would expect people to try this though and take other factors into consideration (In this situation I would personally look in to ping times; if ping>x ms then you are not really from China; I'm sure they'd be more refined than this though)

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(Thank you for contributing to this thread.)

I described unresolved issues with forcing Messenger to use foreign SOCKS proxies on the first page. There's a blog post that explains you need to edit your hosts file and redirect all the network ports/URLs to your local host (cancelling them out in the process and forcing use of the proxy), since as long as there is a functioning TCP Internet connection present, Messenger will actually ignore custom-set proxies. However, in following these steps, I was still faced with problems, and I could not sign in with any SOCKS proxy. Maybe you'd wish to view that blog post and try your own hand at it?

Also, what is your opinion of those Chinese Messenger clients? Do you suppose they do, in fact, connect to Chinese servers? Are those clients any more likely to work than the regular English ones in any possible regards?