Question & Answer


How do I access MSN Web Messenger from another computer?
In one of the web browsers listed above, enter http://webmessenger.msn.com/?mkt=en-in in the address bar. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can add this site to your favorites by pressing CTRL+D.

What is the difference between Web Messenger and Messenger?
MSN Messenger is a fully featured instant messaging program that you install on your own computer or one you have permission to install on. MSN Web Messenger enables you to quickly and easily use basic instant messaging features on a web browser on any computer without installing any software. Tipped by HunterK, Mess.be was very proud to be the first site on the entire world wide web to announce Microsoft's "secret" plans of releasing a web-based version of its popular Instant Messaging service, allowing you to chat with your contacts very similar like you do with MSN Messenger (or Windows Messenger), but using just a web browser on any computer (at school, at work, at a friend's house or anywhere you can't install the MSN Messenger software). Much like -and probably as Microsoft's reaction to- the currently available third party services. After more than three months of beta-testing, the web-based Messenger went "final" halfway November. Here's an overview of the features in MSN Web Messenger: group conversations, customization of your text font, size and color, emoticons (no custom emoticons!), send and receive e-mail messages, add contacts to your contact list, toasts and sound alerts (for every new message received and when someone signs in). NOT included at the time of writing are audio/video conversations, "fun & games" applications, file exchange, display pictures, window backgrounds and custom emoticons. Like the contact list in MSN Messenger, your MSN Web Messenger contact list displays your current and pending contacts and information about their status. Unlike MSN Messenger however, your contacts are shown in fixed categories that cannot be renamed or deleted. You will see some or all of the following groups in your contact list: New e-mail messages, People who want to add you (click a name to accept or reject the invitation), Current conversations (click a name to open the current conversation window), Online (click a name to open a conversation window), Not online (click a name to send an e-mail message to this person)

What is the difference between MSN Messenger and Window's Messenger?
MSN Messenger is an instant messaging client for Windows (and some other platforms), targetted at the home-user. It offers a lot of personalisation options (adding your own emoticons, backgrounds, etc) to customise your chatting experience and express yourself like you want. It's homepage is right here. Windows Messenger is another instant messaging client but runs only on the Windows XP platform and later, Windows 2000. This IM client is targetted at corporations and offers a more clean, pro look. Windows Messenger is more tightly integrated with applications such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, or the Remote Assistance feature of Windows XP. It can connect to the Communications Service and Exchange Instant Messaging. . Either can be used to access the same .NET Messaging Service contacts, so if you're chatting with your friends and family, it doesn't matter which one you use and changing from one to the other is not a problem. You can even combine the use of both -only one will run automatically on startup- but not with the same .NET Passport. Uh-oh, that's not all yet. On Windows 2000 and Windows XP there is a service, called "Messenger Service", often unfortunately referred to as "Windows Messenger", that is used to present what can best be called network messages to a machine's user. This is not an instant messaging application, but rather software that runs in the background, listening for incoming messages and popping up a very simple box containing the message when one arrives. For example, in a corporate environment when you send a document to a network printer. The messenger service handles the pop-up message that the printer sends back when it has finished. Unfortunately the Messenger Service has been exploited by spammers to pop-up unwanted advertising messages on unprotected machines on the internet. Microsoft has decided to remove it from future versions of Windows, but in the meantime you'll have to remove it yourself if you want to get rid of the annoying spam. Read the related article about Messenger Service Spam for more instructions.

How do I remove Window's Messenger from Window's XP?
They do make it hard, don't they? Good for you d0pestar knows just how to remove Windows Messenger from Windows XP once and for all: 1) Go to Start > Run 2) Type this exact commando (you might want to copy paste): RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%INFmsmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove 3) Oh my God, you killed Windows Messenger! ;) If for some reason this doesn't work for you, try this: 1) Open a file named sysoc.inf with Notepad or another text editor. This file can be found in a folder named INF, which is a subfolder of the Windows folder (or in some cases the winnt folder, depending on how your OS was installed).2) Look for the following line:msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7 and remove the word "hide" while leaving the commas on place. Close and save the file.3) Now open the Add/Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel, and you will be able to remove Windows Messenger like any other program.

How can I get rid of the pop-up scam from the Window's Messenger Service?
People are often complaining of being spammed with popups from Windows Messenger Service. While this has nothing to do with the Windows Messenger this site is all about, a lot of confusion remains thanks to Microsoft's bad naming and we will help you out with this off-topic question. 1) Start > Programs > Accessories > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Services & Applications > Services. 2) Double click Messenger, and set the Startup Type to Disabled. 3) You can also Stop the service at that same dialog.

How many servers does the MSN Messenger Service runs on?
The MSN Messenger server farm handles over 70 million concurrent sessions every single day. When they switched to Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition running on x64 hardware, they reduced the size of the farm from 250 32-bit servers to just 25 servers. The company had seen a 10-times performance gain from the MSN Messenger servers since they went 64-bit.

I'm unable to sign into MSN Messenger and I get error 0x81000301
Ah, you're a victim of the dreadful: "We were unable to sign you in to .NET Messenger Service, possibly because of a problem with the service or with your Internet connection. Please make sure that you are connected to the Internet. 0x81000301" #1 Changing your password I encountered this error myself last night and I must admit it was a bit scary as if Alzheimer kicked in already and I completely forgot my password. So what I did was change the password at Passport's Member Services. I had been signed out of my Passport account and the same, correct password was also being denied! So after answering my Secret Question I was finally allowed to change your password. That "passport password" combo did the trick for me, but I can imagine there's more to this error than just that, so feel free to comment. #2 Quick Delete and Fix Attempt (by Jonathan Kay) Even just trying this solution you will lose all your custom emoticons and display pictures. We recommend backing up your personalized images using the CE/DP Manager before advancing. Important: Close MSN Messenger completely until the tray icon is gone. - Windows 98 or Millenium users 1) Click Start > Run2) Type: %windir% and press enter.3) Open Application Data and then the Microsoft folder.4) Right-click the MSN Messenger folder and delete it.Note: if you're using Profiles with Windows 98/ME, you'll need to go to the Profiles folder, choose your username and then go to the Application Data folder (then continue with the sameprocess). If you don't know if you have Profiles setup, most likely you do not (if you don't have Profiles folder in the Windows folder, then you aren't).- Windows 2000 or Windows XP users1) Click Start > Run2) Type: %appdata%\Microsoft and press enter.3) Right-click the MSN Messenger folder and delete it.Now restart MSN Messenger and try to sign in again...

Why does MSN Messenger sometimes suddenly sign me off and tell me that I'm signed in at another computer?
Logically, you can't be logged in with one and the same MSN Messenger account simultaneously. So .NET Messenger Service automatically signs off the connected account when it's trying to log in again, be it from the same computer or somewhere else. So if you get disconnected because "you're signed in at another computer" it could mean two things: 1) Somebody logged in with the same account somewhere else. Chances are high this person knows your password and is abusing it. Change your password immediately and try use something only YOU would know. 2) Windows Messenger (or MSN Messenger) automatically signed you in, in the background. Or for example, if MSN Messenger beats Windows Messenger in signing in on startup, Windows Messenger will disconnect you. Go to Windows Messenger, select Tools > Options and click on the Preferences tab. Next uncheck both "Run this Program when Windows starts up" and "Run this Program in the Background" to disable Windows Messenger from interfering.

How come I get signed/kicked off without being aware of it?
Sometimes you get signed off from MSN Messenger and you only realise it when you change your display name, status or message someone. Here are some possible causes and solutions: 1) If you're using a third-party firewall (Sygate, ZoneAlarm, Norton, etc.) try uninstallingthem or set Messenger to "Permit All" or "Allow" type options in the firewall configuration.2) If you're using a router, make sure you have the latest firmware from your routermanufacturer. As well, you might try setting your computers local IP into the routers DMZsetting (see documentation on how to do this).3) If you see the disconnection problem on a corporate network, the network may be timing outyour settings -- in this case, you might want to ask your system administrator to adjust thecorporate internet sharing solution/firewall (if possible).4) Finally, this can also happen due to a lack of bandwidth. If you have Kazaa, WinMX, GNUtellaor some other file sharing-type application or something else that takes considerable amountsof bandwidth, you may want to shut it down and see if that helps the situation (even ifyou're using a high speed connection, these applications can use most of the resources ofyour connection).