Have computer technical problems? Get FREE help from Raymond.CC FORUM

212 Responses for "Download and Use Older Version of Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger"

1. LunarWolf March 27th, 2009 at 3:39 pm 1

   First vista and then now WLM. When will MS team learnt?

   Wow, you got 2252 messages! Lol.

2. Raymond March 27th, 2009 at 3:44 pm 2

   Thanks to spammers, I have 2252 messages and counting. LOL!

3. Yu Meng March 27th, 2009 at 4:20 pm 3

   I didn’t like the old version and i like to stick with WLM 9.0 though i didn’t have any problem on WLM 9

4. razor March 27th, 2009 at 4:33 pm 4

   Why you are not deleting them?

5. Yu Meng March 27th, 2009 at 6:09 pm 5

   Deleting them is wasting of time instead keep it in inbox. L0L

6. Blackrose March 27th, 2009 at 6:39 pm 6

   Thanks Ray, I have to download the latest version to use WLM, with Resource Hacker I will always use this.

7. tux March 27th, 2009 at 7:50 pm 7

   Now this is why I’ve subscribed to Raymond’s posts by email. See the features WLM2009 removes here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Live_Messenger#Windows_Live_Messenger_2009

8. Sin Citadel March 27th, 2009 at 8:20 pm 8

   u can also just uninstall windows live messenger 2009 and then install the version 8.5 or less.

   simply download the windows live messenger 2009 redistributable file from softpedia or any other site and save it somewhere ( e.g, Desktop )

   now open command prompt and navigate to desktop and type

   msiexec /x .msi and this will uninstall it

   Now, u can install the old msn version.

9. Sin Citadel March 27th, 2009 at 8:21 pm 9

   msiexec /x windowslivemessenger2009.msi

10. Umair Raza March 27th, 2009 at 8:24 pm 10

    another way is to go thru the registry and delete the files for the new version and then u can just install 8.1.0178 which is quite good too..the guide you can find it on google.. ..anyways thanx raymond for this tip..it shall be helpful..

11. Somebody March 27th, 2009 at 9:37 pm 11

    I have MSN Messenger 2009 installed on my Vista Home Premium computer and it works fine. I also installed it on two XP machines and it works fine on both of them. The webcam also works on all three installations. I have to say that I am happy with the product.

12. Mark March 28th, 2009 at 12:39 am 12

    Thank you Raymond!!

    I needed this!

    *High Fives Raymond*

13. Raitokun March 28th, 2009 at 4:12 am 13

    Thanks man. But i hope Microsoft releases a fixed version of wlm 2009 soon …

14. Merlin_Magii March 28th, 2009 at 7:21 am 14

    Great bit of work Raymond – thanks.

15. juhani March 28th, 2009 at 2:11 pm 15

    Well, I’ve never had any ‘upgrade’-popups when using an older version. And, in case that happens, I can always use Pidgin or Trillian or whatever…

16. SomeAngryUser April 1st, 2009 at 7:24 pm 16

    Thanks a lot Raymond. This piece of sh!t called WLM2009 should be banned for life from all pc of this planet. Big thanks again you saved the day!!!

17. helena April 5th, 2009 at 5:32 am 17

    Thanks Raymond. I installed old version without problems,so happy can keep connection with my family oversea.

    Thanks

18. ben April 6th, 2009 at 5:18 pm 18

    raymond! as we hate the new msn version, we love you for your solution

    GREAT WORK!

19. Mel April 7th, 2009 at 4:18 am 19

    I’ve tried everything and still can’t get old version back. I used zapmessenger and DeepCleaner and I tried to change using Resourse Hacker but it won’t let me save it. Im running Vista, any ideas please as I hate this new msn. Thanks Mel

20. mykul April 12th, 2009 at 3:10 pm 20

    i love you man, i got msn 7.5 to work with the same trick, badass

21. sdgksdjkjsdg April 13th, 2009 at 7:37 am 21

    same problem as Mel…

22. Koray April 16th, 2009 at 10:35 pm 22

    everything is ok but at last step it does not let me to “save” it. everytime it tried i was met an error like this “Cannot rename original file. Saving cancelled”.

    after that i tried to save as msnmsg2.exe and replace it the original file. after cleaning original file, i deleted it and tried to run msn with new file. but it did not

    what must i do. please help. coz i want to use xp n hate vista…

23. miki May 7th, 2009 at 1:47 pm 23

    Hiii! I was wondering… for some reason I couldn’t save the reshack file when i altered the number. Do I have to use 8.5 or is it okay for 8.0.012? I was able to do it for 8.5, but every time i tried to save the reshack file for 8.0.012, and it told me i couldn’t save it.

24. ang May 15th, 2009 at 5:08 pm 24

    J like to install windows live messenger but j have problem.Please help me !

25. rocketeerx June 21st, 2009 at 11:48 am 25

    I was one of the many people who lost their Contact List after installing wlm 9 at home, so thanks for the advice, now I’m using wlm 9 at my office but wlm 8 at home

26. louise July 7th, 2009 at 4:16 am 26

    I hate the new version of MSN, and managed to uninstall it and install an older version but my problem is when I open Resource Hacker, I can’t save the file. “Cannot rename original file. Saving cancelled”
    Do you know how to save then?

27. Erika July 13th, 2009 at 11:33 am 27

    I did all these steps and it worked.
    EXCEPT for the fact that my contact list is now GONE
    can someone help me with this?
    When I login using jurassic msn messenger that comes with windows xp I can see my contacts fine. but when I login with msn messenger 8… my contacts list is missing! please help me!

28. Ricky July 18th, 2009 at 5:57 pm 28

    wow man…..u solvd ma prblm…thnx alot!!!

29. Mell July 20th, 2009 at 2:03 am 29

    Hey! I’ve followed your every step, but step 10 give me a little problem! I couldn’t save it for some reason. It says “Cannot rename original file. Saving cancelled.” What do I do? Anybody help?

30. Exalandra July 25th, 2009 at 4:18 pm 30

    I have followed the steps and successfully signed in with WLM 8.0.0812. But the problem is all my contacts are gone! What should I dooo??? Help please!

31. Yasmin August 7th, 2009 at 7:58 pm 31

    Everyy time i try and get anyonee to view my webcamm it dosent work and it just disconnects andd its really annoying me. so i read on sites to download the older versions but would this help or not as i ahve tried all sorts and nothing has worked ?

32. Nick August 8th, 2009 at 3:12 pm 32

    The resource hacker won’t work. I get to the compile script part then it won’t let me save it.

33. jsza August 8th, 2009 at 3:32 pm 33

    thanks a zillion. the new messenger didnt work and too much complicated to fix, so i reverted to the old version. i found the solution here..and now can use my messenger again..

34. Roo August 11th, 2009 at 1:09 pm 34

    Thanks you SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!
    Ray, I would give you a big, giant hug if I could!

35. Help August 12th, 2009 at 8:17 am 35

    Zapmessenger dont work:S i get (0xc000007b) error message when i open it… i am norwegian so i dont know how to translate the error message:P sorry.. plz help

36. luca August 19th, 2009 at 10:53 am 36

    to me do not work… always fixed the message .

37. Daniel August 22nd, 2009 at 8:10 pm 37

    i love you!!!! you saved my life! you are a freaking genius!

38. EAMN August 25th, 2009 at 5:01 am 38

    hiiiii every one i neeeeeeeeeed help i did all the steps but when i saved this msg appear

    the original file cannot rename??!!!!

39. jack August 26th, 2009 at 4:43 pm 39

    hi,i try ur method but still cant,it keep call me update…i using xp 64bit ..help pls

40. joe August 26th, 2009 at 8:28 pm 40

    it didnt work.. im still gettin the message i must install a newer version………..

41. Seana September 5th, 2009 at 1:43 pm 41

    hey, i’ve read through the list of things above for me to do in order to have my messenger work however… nothing is working for me…
    i run windows xp the only version i have been able to download of the messenger is ur link above and it continues to ask for an update even tho i have tried all you tricks… please help me..

42. Tschwen September 5th, 2009 at 7:40 pm 42

    Hai, I need help here, I got the same problem as EAMN, can anyone help???

43. Alice September 6th, 2009 at 2:24 am 43

    Thankyou so much! I hated the new version and now I am freeeee

44.   September 16th, 2009 at 12:33 am 44

    thanks!

45. martha September 16th, 2009 at 4:50 am 45

    This totally solve my can’t install msn 2009 problem. Thanks so much!

46. shel September 16th, 2009 at 6:28 am 46

    got the same problem, message error(cant save) in resource hacker..

47. Roderick September 16th, 2009 at 9:59 am 47

    The resource hacker won’t work. I get to the compile script part then it won’t let me save it.

48. ju-ee September 16th, 2009 at 3:58 pm 48

    *TO ALL WHO HAD PROBLEM SAVING THE SCRIPT*
    simple solution: make sure you had ur msn messenger program closed, right click and exit it from your tray icon. that should do it.

49. KH September 16th, 2009 at 6:38 pm 49

    thank you so much , for this help …..

50. Klabh September 16th, 2009 at 7:32 pm 50

    It worked like a charm! I would hate to upgrade to the newer version of MSN which I’ve tried once.. Never again. Thanks!

51. debbie September 16th, 2009 at 8:55 pm 51

    ive lost all my contacts on new version help

52. khatija September 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pm 52

    I have the same problem as seana.. please help

53. jack September 16th, 2009 at 11:32 pm 53

    I can’t see my contact list, how do I get it back? Someone please tell me. I’ll be very thankful.

54. lalala September 17th, 2009 at 12:52 am 54

    my contact list is also gone!!

    it still works for example @ meebo but not on my pc with msn 8.0

    help pls !! !!!!!!!!!!

55. Ferhat September 17th, 2009 at 2:19 am 55

    Thank you soo much for this info mate

56. Stephanie September 17th, 2009 at 2:32 am 56

    Hey there. I followed your excellent instructions down to the last word, but I have a slight problem! When I try to save after changing the product version to 14.0.8064.0206, an error box crops up saying “Cannot rename original file. Saving Cancelled.”

    What do I do?! AHHHHH! Please email me! I would be very grateful for your expertise!

57. Daryl September 17th, 2009 at 8:02 am 57

    Thanks Ray.

    I’m using Messenger 8.1 and this hack has done the trick.

    I can’t believe how stupid Microsoft is to try to force people to upgrade to the latest piece of sh*t that doesn’t work.

58. Razor September 18th, 2009 at 4:42 am 58

    Thanks man i needed this the new messenger doesnt let u view ur contact by email :@:@
    I mean who’s the genious that came up with that idea…
    Thanks again man

59. yoona September 18th, 2009 at 2:01 pm 59

    can i ask you a question due to lastest msn version?

    why after i dl the new version all my contact list gone?

    and im trying to dl back the old version.using your way.

60. ash September 18th, 2009 at 9:30 pm 60

    my computer already instal windows live messenger 9 but not open . one error messege. c”\programfiles\windowslive\messenger\messenger.exe”

    messege dnt open only this error messege . please help
    instal messenger9 arabic

61. Annas September 19th, 2009 at 3:28 pm 61

    I’m not been able to see my contact list after performing these steps in windows xp now what should i do to get back my contact list!

62. SuGaR September 21st, 2009 at 1:58 pm 62

    Ah, I can’t thank you enough :*

63. aktieprijs September 21st, 2009 at 3:55 pm 63

    thanks, worked like a charm. Back to 8.1 for me. Does MSN Plus still work???

64. NG September 22nd, 2009 at 5:53 am 64

    Worked with 8.0.0812 on 21 september 2009 on winXP.
    Contactlist and contactgroups intact.

    Many thanx!

65. leanne September 23rd, 2009 at 4:10 am 65

    hi please help i used 2 have wlm 9 it worked fine 4 a few months and now it just logs me straight back out i have un installed it followed microsofts advice on solvin the issue and nothin helped i have had 2 down grade 2 messenger 8.5 is there a plus application 2 go wiv this if so could u please send me the link as every1 i have tried hasnt gone on2 my msn thank u x

66. leanne September 23rd, 2009 at 4:19 am 66

    hi again i have just downgraded again 2 8.0 which copy of plus do i need 2 install thanx again x

67. babba September 23rd, 2009 at 9:15 pm 67

    You are simply genius…..thanks a lot….i hate live msn….not being able to log in for ages…..u saved me….cheers…..

68. Eye Rean September 26th, 2009 at 5:37 pm 68

    Oh thanks, at last a solution, this wlm9 was getting on my nerves…!
    If you could also do sth about the iTunes-popping-up-every-30-sec problem when selected “show what i’m listening to” I would be pleased (:
    But you ‘re great whatsoever

69. Ali September 26th, 2009 at 8:52 pm 69

    Thanks Mr Raymond

70. hey October 2nd, 2009 at 2:46 am 70

    Dude thanks….. I was really getting annoyed with an error message :)

71. Donnie October 2nd, 2009 at 12:40 pm 71

    Thank you so much for the advice on that messenger problem. I looked all over for the right answers and yours was the best. Again Thank You.

72. Roger October 8th, 2009 at 11:47 pm 72

    For some reason, I went to install the newest version because it seemed to not let me sign in 50% of the time. And since I could find no specific uninstall program, I just cleared out the folders. Then it continued saying I still had it installed. After using the zapmessenger I found somewhere else, it installed but gave me a different looking version that would say I couldnt connect before it even checked my password. After much aggrivation I tried using Trillian, but lack of custom emoticons suck. (bitches love smiley faces). So I looked more and found this.

    At first the 8.000 hacked version thing let me sign on, but everyone appeared offline

    So I then tried the 8.5 and changed the version and viola! It works. Thanks a ton man and FUUUUUCKKK YOU MICROSOFT.

73. harj kang October 10th, 2009 at 2:25 pm 73

    hey i cant save it like others have replied..and still not able to sign in after following all the steps numerous times…any suggestions? this is so stressful! i thought i had it lol help pls!

74. imad October 11th, 2009 at 7:17 am 74

    when i try your method that you mentioned
    then all my contact gone

    please help

75. ANdy October 13th, 2009 at 12:50 am 75

    THX BRO!

76. grannyslam October 13th, 2009 at 12:56 am 76

    Thank you!-works fantastically!!! Had tried EVERYTHING.

77. raiz October 14th, 2009 at 2:56 am 77

    Hey RAYMOND, Thank you very much for your post bro!! I was looking for this for a long period. Finally found it…

    HAVE FUN!!

78. rachel October 19th, 2009 at 12:34 am 78

    I used the Zap messesnger tool and downloaded the first link you showed us. (so not the hacking thing) It worked. – thankyou very much, i can sign in and no pop up comes forcing me to download the latest version. I hope this carries on, only question I wish to ask is.. now that I have the version 8.0 Can i update it to 8.5?
    My messenger didnt work since i downloaded 9.0 – ive tried EVERYTHING, went on their errors page, looked at every link. I had to click ‘run’ and enter cmd and enter all these long codes, lol but yeah i just wanted to ask will it be safe if i downloaded 8.5 now?
    thanks

79. Justin October 23rd, 2009 at 6:56 am 79

    For those of you having problems saving under resource hacker I found a solution. If your using vista or xp make sure your logged in as an administrator. For vista you will need to right click on the reshacker application and go to “run as administrator”. Change the version number and compile the script and then it should save.

80. Mo November 3rd, 2009 at 9:55 pm 80

    Thanks Raymond.. you explained each step very well and it worked for me! Thanks ju-ee for the tip.. that was the problem for me haha!

81. ozzy November 6th, 2009 at 7:13 am 81

    youre great man thnx i can now use 8.5

82. Sum1 November 6th, 2009 at 8:37 am 82

    If you don’t wish to be MSForced or MSBullied into the upgrade, then at the Messenger executable file (C:\program files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe) Right click > Compatibility > Compatibility with Windows 2000. This avoids the update. Works for me!

83. cswloo November 6th, 2009 at 10:34 am 83

    Thanks for this! I hate the new messenger after I accidentally installed it at work. Then my home pc today told me I ‘must update’ so I went in search of a solution and found this! The ResourceHacker worked perfectly for version 8.5 on XP.

84. Adrian November 6th, 2009 at 12:39 pm 84

    Thanks mate! I hated it when upgraded to Windows Live Messenger 2009… quite lousy… I think mine (8.5) is better…

    Anyway Thanks again!

85. Donnalyn November 6th, 2009 at 1:08 pm 85

    Hi, I’ve followed your instructions, using Messenger Deep clean but I keep getting prompted to upgrade to the latest Messenger! The ResourceHacker did work and saved properly, yet I’m still being promted to upgrade. Can anyone help me?

86. Keirnoth November 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm 86

    I’d like to add to the chorus of people who says THANK YOU for this nifty little trick. It worked beautifully on my version of Windows Live 8.5. As a couple users have stated, Microsoft had made it mandatory to upgrade to Windows Live 9 as of yesterday (November 4) and it drove me absolutely friggin insane. Thank you so much!

87. Brett November 6th, 2009 at 1:26 pm 87

    I had tried the first option about a month ago and it worked fine up until today…for some reason it forced me to upgrade to windows live again.

    I zapped everything and tried the hack (option 2)…I installed version 8, went through all the necessary steps and it worked fine. I was able to login but the only thing is my contacts/setting are all missing.

    Am I missing something?

88. Brett November 6th, 2009 at 2:14 pm 88

    I had the first option suggested above installed and working fine for about a month…than today it forced me to upgrade to WLM.

    I tried the hack option suggested above and everything installed and worked fine but for some reason all my contacts are missing.

    What did I do wrong?

89. dslchome November 6th, 2009 at 4:49 pm 89

    Thank you so so much.. I hate the new LIVE messenger.

    the older one is much more easy and is better. The new one is like YUCK.. thank you so much!

90. Apache November 6th, 2009 at 6:34 pm 90

    Hey, for those who can’t save, try manually renaming the original msnmsgr.exe to something else (eg. msnmsgr_original.exe) then saving the modified script as msnmsgr.exe using Save As…
    It worked for me

91. Apache November 6th, 2009 at 6:43 pm 91

    Oh yea, by the way, I tried the above for both versions 8.0.0.0812 and 8.5. They both work.

92. martin November 6th, 2009 at 8:08 pm 92

    Thanks for the tip! Searched half of my day the way to sneak pass that shit…mainly because installing WLM 9 to my pc had an error and tried to fix it all the ways….nothing worked. And now this little hack gave me a chance to sneak pass the download at all! Good!

93. Bob November 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pm 93

    Thanks SO much! I’ve been looking on how to do this for ages.

    Just a heads up, this also works for windows live messenger 2008 build 8.5 , not just 8.0. At least it did here.

94. Your mum. November 6th, 2009 at 10:32 pm 94

    Ughhh.
    I had this working in September, and today it suddenly stopped and started telling me I need to update again.
    I’ve tried both methods, neither have worked. I’ve also tried saving as and changing the compatibility etc and still no success.

95. Mohqmed November 7th, 2009 at 1:46 am 95

    Thqnx man for the hack, I m using 8.5 and yesterday it poped up to me that i have to upgrade, but ur trick worked jst fine, and am so gratful to u… thanx again…

96. heftycat November 7th, 2009 at 2:42 am 96

    You are the man… worked like a charm!! Now sharing folders can still exist with me and m’friends! Thanks, Dan.

97. Soviet!!!!!! November 7th, 2009 at 3:41 am 97

    Thanks You!!!!

    You Saved My Business!!!!!!!!

98. kool4kat November 7th, 2009 at 4:11 am 98

    Thanks it worked perfect,i was forced to update to version 9 and found webcams were running real slow or not at all,have gone back to 8.5 now thanks to your excellent instructions.

99. Ben November 7th, 2009 at 8:23 am 99

    First of all I wanna say Big ¨THANKS¨ to Raymond for taking his time to share his knowledge.For those people who tried the process and still didn´t get through just restart ur pc. then try using the ZapMessenger again and download MSN Messenger Live 8.5.1235 it should work

100. Brett November 7th, 2009 at 4:18 pm 100

     No one has an ideas as to why my contact list would be missing or how to retrieve it?

101. Johnnyk November 7th, 2009 at 5:10 pm 101

     Nothing Pisses me off more than someone forcing there will on me DAME You Microsoft

102. Edward November 7th, 2009 at 10:59 pm 102

     That’s good, I can use it finally. Thanks so much.

103. stephen November 8th, 2009 at 12:40 am 103

     there is a way of getting msn 8.5 to work without having that stupid message telling you to upgrade to the newer version

104. stephen November 8th, 2009 at 12:41 am 104

     There is a work around for users that want to use 8.1
     1. Right click on the shortcut of MSN
     2. Select “Properties”
     3. Select “Compatibility” tab
     4. Check the Run “this program in compatibility mode for”
     5. Select “Windows 2000″
     6. Press “Apply” or “Ok”
     7. Done

105. army_deployed_CJJ November 8th, 2009 at 2:38 pm 105

     <<<>>> RAY YOU ROCK!!!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it when the 8.5 actually logged me in! First time in Months!!! you are SO the man!@ The ZAP Messengr and 8.5 (no upgrade fix) are pure genius

106. Kaihwai November 8th, 2009 at 11:06 pm 106

     Raymond’s instructions are clear !!
     However, it takes me half an hour to figure everything out..
     THANKS RAYMOND !!
     Upon this matter,i’ve registered myself as part of Raymond CC forum member. !

107. sweetJ November 9th, 2009 at 4:29 am 107

     hi Raymond! thanks for the help. I tried it and everything works perfectly well except one thing. After signed in, WLM always closes itself. And when i point my mouse in task bar msgr icon it closes as well. I dont know why this is not behaving. I tried everything like uninstalling then reinstall but still the same. Started the problem this week. This really pain in the ass. Hope you can help me.

     P.S. I send an email to microsoft support team but their ideas didn’t work

108. Jason November 9th, 2009 at 5:05 pm 108

     Hi, i downloaded messenger 8.0 and installed it, i tryed to connect but it asked me to update, then i downloaded reshac and i did what u said to do but then when i tryed to connect it just popped me out don’t send message and closed my msn, any help for that ?

     Thank You

109. sander November 10th, 2009 at 2:58 am 109

     orrrrrrrrrr you could just set compatibility mode to windows 2000. LATER

110. joe November 10th, 2009 at 3:01 am 110

     Hi
     i was made to upgrade on friday an now i cant use webcam to see my friend..i hate this version …i ve done everything listed above an still doesnt work..im on xp like most….can u help?

111. Justin November 10th, 2009 at 6:36 am 111

     Instead of putting in the version number 14.0.8064.0206……use the newest release version number of 14.0.8089.0726

     It told me today that I needed to upgrade. I had a friend download resource hacker cuz he has the recent messenger and he told me his version number. Put the new number in and it works great.

112. Mike November 10th, 2009 at 6:37 am 112

     I used Reshack to change the product version to 14.0.8064.0206 but when i start WLM 8.5 and try to log in it still prompts me to upgrade…help!

113. user November 10th, 2009 at 6:42 am 113

     i tried and worked for first time but when I opened MSN it was the same and trick from the artickle didnt work + i lost all of my contacts. But thank you for helping other folks.

114. Mike November 10th, 2009 at 6:45 am 114

     Nevermind! For those of you who may be getting this problem…use RESHACKER to change the product version to the LATEST version which is..

     14.0.8089.726

     Cheers!

115. Moedot7 November 10th, 2009 at 7:07 am 115

     If you are using 8.5 replace the original msnmsgr.exe with this one:

     http://kongshare.com/?d=IdXfFItpuW-msnmsgr.rar

     Or use the updated version which is now:
     14.0.8089.726

116. user November 10th, 2009 at 7:18 am 116

     founded way to retreive lost contacts, just install offering version and all of your contacts should be back.

117. ozzy November 10th, 2009 at 7:24 am 117

     an other problem occured it makes an other exe file called msnmsngr_original and when you compile it it makes one more cant log in now

118. Apache November 10th, 2009 at 7:53 am 118

     If it prompts you to update again after you got it working, try changing the version number again to the LATEST version

119. Aaron November 10th, 2009 at 10:21 am 119

     This worked for me a couple days ago, but version seems to have changed. Tried the version number in comment 115 also, unsuccessfully.

120. sebast November 10th, 2009 at 12:00 pm 120

     awesome! thanks

121. dc November 10th, 2009 at 12:01 pm 121

     It didn’t work for me. I tried everything like it said above and even the older version asks to upgrade.

     IT SUCKS!!!!

     I hate this f**ing Microsoft. When will they learn their lesson? Why forcing their f*cking sh*t on people. Have no choice but to upgrade to a new version…

122. Raymond November 10th, 2009 at 12:14 pm 122

     I’ve updated the article’s build number so you can modify your old MSN Messenger to make the Live servers think that you are using the latest build.

123. Keirnoth November 10th, 2009 at 3:43 pm 123

     What the heck.

     Microsoft upped the version requirement AGAIN. Good sir Raymond updated the article to fix it everyone. His article previously said 14.0.8064.0206, but now instead of using that number you have to use version number for the latest version of MSN Messenger: 14.0.8089.0726

124. Your mum. November 10th, 2009 at 3:45 pm 124

     Thanks, Raymond.
     I’ll give this a shot, and hope it works.

125. Andy November 10th, 2009 at 3:58 pm 125

     hi, even if I did as eplained I still have trouble to sign in.
     the message is asking me to upgrade to newest version……….

     con you please help me?
     thanks

126. Andy November 10th, 2009 at 4:01 pm 126

     well I delete and recompiled the file and now it works

127. dc November 10th, 2009 at 4:10 pm 127

     Wow, thanks man, it worked! This is definitely a link to put into my bookmarks… Only if people like you worked at Microsoft

128. Pete November 10th, 2009 at 5:37 pm 128

     This did work great for a while but yesterday it stopped working and I get the old ‘a nwer version is available’ window.

     any ideas?

129. Andy Lo November 10th, 2009 at 7:24 pm 129

     Pete, it happened to me also.
     What I did was:

     1. Repeat the steps n revert the value back to 8.xxxx.
     Compile n save.

     2. Run MSN, and of course it won’t load because of th update.

     3. Close MSN.

     4. Edit the value 8.xxx u used earlier to 14.xxx.

     Works.

130. Aziz November 10th, 2009 at 8:26 pm 130

     Hey guys, Hey Pete

     If it worked for some time with you and stopped working again, go to comment NO. 111 which says:

     All you have to do is:
     1- Open ResHack as Administrator again.
     2- Change the number again to 14.0.8089.0726 instead of 14.0.8064.0206
     and that’s it!

     Good Luck everyone!

131. Zsoltisan November 10th, 2009 at 10:06 pm 131

     Hey Everyone!

     I did again the version number hacking, because with this version ‘14.0.8064.0206′ worked only 1 day. Now with the new version number working the wlm, but I hope not for a day again. If so, then what should I doing? Change every day the version number?? It’s not so good solution…

132. Cedric November 11th, 2009 at 12:20 am 132

     Thanks for everything. But i can still not save after compiling the script. And where do i need to right-click if i want to open it as an administrator. Thanks.

133. Nikki November 11th, 2009 at 1:36 am 133

     Hi ive installed wlm 8.5
     and i had to use ResHacker to be able to log in
     and it worked for like 2-3 days
     now that prompt is back..that i “need the latest version etc”
     what do i do?
     i tried installing 8.0 and use ResHack it worked before but not anymore
     plz help

134. Aziz November 11th, 2009 at 3:32 am 134

     hey guys,

     Zsoltisan, don’t worry, you won’t have to change it until they release a new version and it can’t be tomorrow.

     Cedric, you have to right-click on the file “ResHacker.exe” and choose “Run as administrator” then click “Allow” when asked. That’s it and you’ll be able to save after compiling. Good luck!

     Nikki, read my previous comment or read comment number 111. you’ll have to use ResHacker again to because there is a new version number.

135. dc November 11th, 2009 at 4:02 am 135

     I don’t know. The fix with a new version number (comment #122 & the updated article) worked for me. What I’ve done is this:

     1. Remove old messenger with the ZapMessenger (the link above didn’t work for me so I had to Google it)

     ZapMessenger also kept all my contacts in despite of some comments above.

     2. Download the old version of MSN messenger (8.0.0.0812) from the link in the article above & install it.

     3. Then use the ResHacker to change the version number to whatever it says in the article above (I believe Raymond updates it regularly — thanks for doing that, btw)

     If running ResHacker on Vista/Win7 right-click it’s icon (instead of double-clicking) and select run as administrator, then confirm it. In this case you won’t have a problem while compiling and saving.

     4. I would also disable Windows updates, since that’s how you get your current messenger “updated” back to the version that Microsoft wants you to have. (Or at least set it to “Check updates and notify me before installing”, don’t leave it on automatic.

     Many people criticize me for disabling Windows updates, but I ask them this question. How many times did Windows updates fix things for you? And, also, how many times did Windows updates mess things up? That should tell you what to do

136. Josh P November 11th, 2009 at 7:26 am 136

     How do I get a copy of the old windows live mail? New Windows Live just kills my computer whenever I install it (Windows XP).

     Thanks for the great workaround by the way.

137. Billy November 11th, 2009 at 11:57 am 137

     It Works! It wOrKsSSsss!! hahaha, thank u so much bro!

138. spark November 11th, 2009 at 2:46 pm 138

     hi i followed raymond advice n installed again widows live older version 8.5 from above given link n it was working till yesterday when i again started getting message to upgrade 2 newer version now wat should i do?? please help……….is msn new version working finely or still those bugs there please helpppp

139. spark November 11th, 2009 at 3:12 pm 139

     hey i just changed the msn version from 8.5 to the latest 1 through reshack n its working thanx Raymond……….

140. raindrop0 November 11th, 2009 at 5:28 pm 140

     hi there guyss i did it after 3 hours, for those who couldnt save it delete the dots for example it says “.14.0.8089.0726.” delete the first dot and the last dot so its
     “14.08989,076″ only and it will save it for u
     use msn 8.0 it works well, ive just dont it and it worked yuppppyyyyyyyy am soo happy cuz i did not give you ive been trying for almost 3 hours cuz i hated the new msn soo much i wanted this to work and it did, anyone who needs anyhelp just drop me a line
     good luck guys, cuz i now can see my love on cam better than that new msn version i hated soo much

141. morphiouse November 11th, 2009 at 7:12 pm 141

     Thanks Dude,that pop up box dogged me for weeks, i wrote to five different advisors on live.They all acted as if they didn’t understand my problem. on the new 2009 version there is no link to the shareing folders. so i lost 15 GB of files shared between my friends addresses and they can offer no explanation or fix. live shareing folders in messenger have nothing to do with your shared folders in mycomputer before anyone jumps on that question.after about 9 replies i gave up asking for help. Live simply are not that stupid that they were unaware. However install the old and Ureka they are still there as long as you havent defragged or restored etc.

142. morphiouse November 11th, 2009 at 7:21 pm 142

     For those that were unaware, Shareing folders was a single folder shared between your adress and one other , such as your best buddy. Either of you could put anything in it whilst signed in on your PC or take it out. No one else could see or touch anything in it. I had over twenty such folders with over twenty different buddies.They were the best and easiest way of giving a file to someone you know, even small film clips. the folders were not online they were in your Pc and the same folder was in your buddies. Everybody got that. Thankx live for destroying all my files without even a warning.

143. Heather November 11th, 2009 at 8:02 pm 143

     OMG!!…Thank you very much!…I know nothing about computers and although it took me a while, I was able to follow your instructions and got MSN back and didn’t lose a thing…Thanks SOOOOOO much!!

144. Michael November 12th, 2009 at 4:12 am 144

     Hey thanks for the update! This also works with Version 8.1.178.0!! (which I am running) I did not want to update, this worked out perfectly! Much appreciated!

145. jennifer November 12th, 2009 at 2:54 pm 145

     i hate the new way like the old way better so bring it back.

146. jennifer November 12th, 2009 at 2:54 pm 146

     i hate the new way i like the old way better so bring it back.

147. kenn November 13th, 2009 at 8:40 pm 147

     thanks a lot Raymond, resourcehacker worked, i hope you find the solution for msn 9 installation, you saved us from antics of Microsoft

148. Anon November 14th, 2009 at 1:11 am 148

     Post 104 worked for me.All the others failed.Thanks Stephen, I hated not seeing contact email addresses.

149. dominic November 14th, 2009 at 6:21 am 149

     i done all of the above… it still dont work, still says i have to upgrade when i try and sign in… help

150. Steph November 15th, 2009 at 1:17 am 150

     idiots u cant save because you have to CLOSE WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER BEFORE TRYING TO USE RESOURCEHACKER

151. Madelon November 15th, 2009 at 11:14 pm 151

     i can’t save it in reshack damn

152. Hadriel November 16th, 2009 at 1:59 am 152

     hell yeah m8 youre the best!

153. Tomas November 16th, 2009 at 2:03 am 153

     I tried the 8.0 version. I managed to sign in, but I couldn’t make my contacts appear online.

     I tried the 8.5 version, but as soon as I signed in, the program crashed. It does that every time.

     I’m thinking about getting version 9 again. The only thing I’m after is to be able to display my contacts by e-mail address instead of nickname. And sometimes when 9 is installed, it displays the e-mail addresses. But as soon as you do something “wrong”, it starts displaying nicknames again and there’s no turning back. However, my friend has managed to maintain e-mail display for several months…

154. Supertramp November 16th, 2009 at 2:15 am 154

     Raymond, thanks so much for this one! I’m really happy that I can use WLM8.5 again for now. I just wonder how comes this thread started already in march… Here in Switzerland we were forced to upgrade to WLM2009 now in November – but seems you guys had to do that already a half year ago… As ppl above are complaining, same happen to me: Cam didn’t work anymore properly when starting a Video conversation (mostly MSN crash) – only way to handle it, was to let the other send cam first, then send mine… Also extremly annoying the mirrored webcam… However, back on track now with the good “old” 8.5.130.1018 – Best regards!

155. bryan November 16th, 2009 at 11:22 am 155

     hi, ive successfully go thru what raymond noted up there.. but one thing that doesnt work dat well is my contact list…. its all gone… can any1 help em with tat???

156. Joe.A November 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pm 156

     i followed all steps and got the save message. noticed alot of people where having it. i red threw the other comments, and notice someone said to close the wlm first. pretty idiotic to think it would modify the file when ts actually running lol. Everything works fine, just make sure when trying to cave the changes you close wlm first thanks alot LIFE SAVER <3

157. msn November 17th, 2009 at 1:34 pm 157

     today microvomit wanted to force me to stop using my copy of MSN 8.5, which I thoroughly patched using apatch.org to remove all the aggravating stuff; stuff like ads, vomit live integration, repeated and unauthorized contact info requests, and basically any other message that microvomit might want to compulsorily convey to me. I solved the issue thanks to this post.

     btw, I’m using aMSN on Ubuntu most of the time now. it’s been a long long time since I last installed any new M$ vomity software; I am hoping that I never need to ever again.

158. raul November 17th, 2009 at 11:44 pm 158

     reg add “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers” /v “C:\\Program Files\\MSN Messenger\\msnmsgr.exe” /t REG_SZ /d “WIN2000″ /f

     Viva Guatemala !!!

159. janton November 19th, 2009 at 7:58 am 159

     Using Windows Xp First Version…Cannot Upgrade to WLM9 due to OS compatibily. Take a chance to AMSN but WLM8 is better. Thanks to Raymond hack I’m still happy with my old OS and my old WLM8…So Thank you very much!!!!

160. Atilla Karaca November 22nd, 2009 at 10:49 pm 160

     I had the same problem the day before, my windows live messenger crashes after signing in. I searched for the dozens of
     forums and I applied the instructions, unfortunately none of them worked. I tried zapmessenger, deep cleaner, I uninstalled
     and reinstalled it dozens of times, hopeless.. I tried registry cleaners, antivirus scanning, antimalware programs, I
     installed MSN 8.1 by changing its version to the latest MSN 9 with resourcehacker ( it worked in a friend’s situation) didn’t
     work too. I read in one of the forums that Acer notebooks have incompatibility with messenger and crash, so I installed Acer
     MSN patch, as you can guess it didn’t work as in nightmares. I did uninstallation by revo uninstaller, nope… I also read
     that Adobe flash player has incompatibility with MSN 9 I upgraded it to the latest version, useless…At last I created a new
     computer user session in control panel and I switched on new session, surprizingly it worked. I didn’t stop fixing the
     problem. I understood that it was neither a driver incompatibility nor a virus problem. I was suspected of registry problem
     with my session.
     Here is my solution: I scanned my system with System Cleaner 5 at first, then I opened system control then startup manager I
     unchecked Adobe’s ( also its dlls) entries and others that I was suspected of. I am proudly saying that It worked (: I am
     using MSN 9 now. I hope I am helpful, enjoy!

161. Hatem Gohar November 24th, 2009 at 10:05 pm 161

     I love u man… you have solved my problem.
     Thank you very much.. ur teh one

162. Pete November 26th, 2009 at 3:03 pm 162

     Worked right out of the box! My humble thanks to you after my week attempts at loading 9! A long search for a solution ended here. !

     Zapmessenger worked smooth and ResHacker was easy to use and did the job. Wonderful!

163. Arifeen November 27th, 2009 at 5:14 pm 163

     Thank you so much buddy…u rock!!

164. shireen November 29th, 2009 at 5:50 pm 164

     I tried about 4-5 different methods to get the old messenger to work till I came across the ResHack. Thanks for the help

165. rinor December 1st, 2009 at 5:30 am 165

     une dua ta instaloj msn 8.5

166. Flori December 3rd, 2009 at 6:36 am 166

     Thnx body , it worked for me , with resour ResHack

167. shorty December 3rd, 2009 at 9:21 pm 167

     thnx a lot man u saved me =D

168. Alice December 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 pm 168

     I want my old version back but i don’t know how to do it

169. snax December 4th, 2009 at 8:25 pm 169

     Thanks Raymond this works a treat! Bloody Microsoft! I’ll upgrade when I want to thanks very much

170. Skendzi December 8th, 2009 at 1:14 am 170

     why people are spent time with MS products. USE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE IS THE FUTURE. SO CHOOSE IT from now!!! no problems. 100% free 100% opensource.
     aniway great job. i’ve did it in 2007 with msn 7.5 LOL!

171. steveb007 December 8th, 2009 at 6:49 am 171

     Hi guys…just a really big thank u to Raymond for a great site..and particularly STEVE on post 104..my compatabilty tabs were missing and its taken me 4 hours to figure out how to run 8.1 via windows 2000…but it looks like it works..if your tabs are gone when you right click the .exe file (thanks VISTA) you need to run the compatability wizard in vista and that will do it for you….my cam not working has been driving me nuts…thanks again guys for pointing me in the right direction.

172. wengyee December 10th, 2009 at 4:21 pm 172

     i did all the steps but at last it doesn’t work.

     A newer version is available.you must install the newer version in order to continue.would you like to do this now?

     im going mad with this.
     someone help me please !

173. Sylaryn December 11th, 2009 at 2:53 am 173

     Hi. I have version 8.1 installed and patched exactly how i like it using A-Patch. I havent been able to use Messenger for months now (and havent really had the time to bother to deal with it). I did NOT want to upgrade!!

     I just tried out your Reshacker solution and presto, it worked immediately. Thanks for an awesome and simple solution!!

     BTW, for anyone using Vista, run Reshack as Administrator – otherwise it has trouble saving.

174. tigers_reverie December 12th, 2009 at 12:16 pm 174

     Hi, I tried what you said to do, step by step, and it still doesn’t work for me!! A message still comes up saying “a newer version is available”. PLEASE help me, I have tried everything to fix this problem and NOTHING WORKS!! :(

175. roudy December 14th, 2009 at 3:02 pm 175

     i have a problem when i tried to download any version from msn i could’nt install it as i had a massage ” you can’t install untill you log on as administrator” so if there’s any way or steps to install without logging on as an administrator plz answeeeeeeeeeeeeeer

176. Tomas December 16th, 2009 at 5:03 am 176

     I gave up trying to use any old MSN version. I succumbed to the newest one.

     BUT… Now I can’t do sh*t without MSN crashing. I can’t change display picture, can’t click links, can’t send or receive files… if I do any of the above, MSN crashes and disappears from the interface within one millisecond.

177. Ugur Akgoz December 27th, 2009 at 11:44 pm 177

     i also prefer the older styles of MSN.
     thanks for the hints.

178. DanielRemains December 28th, 2009 at 10:32 am 178

     Here’s a fix I found on the net, and I posted it on my forum. Here it goes (Copy-pasted from my forum) :

     Hey people!

     Some of you like to keep using the good old stuff, and I needed this patch for WLM 8.5 on an older machine. This XP installation was, for some reasons, not able to install the latest WLM 14.X. Normally Windows Live Messenger 8.5 stops working, asking you to upgrade to the latest one. When you click ‘No’, well WLM 8.5 closes itself. Good way from Microsoft to force people to upgrade.

     This WLM 8.5 fix will allow you to keep using WLM 8.5 forever without being prompted to upgrade!

     How is this possible?

     Well in this download there is WLMFIX.exe, which is a WinRAR SFX file. Into that file, there is msnmsg.exe and fix.bat.

     fix.bat will simply replace the original msnmsg.exe with the patched one.

     Enjoy!!

     http://dl.dropbox.com/u/657816/Programs/WLM8.5_fix.exe

     This has been a life safer to me I hope you guys enjoy it.

179. kimo4u December 29th, 2009 at 3:12 am 179

     thank you for all my friends

180. waqar December 30th, 2009 at 4:30 pm 180

     hey thnxs raymond
     i have patched it any now using msn 8 but the problem in messanger doesnt show any of my contact why tht soo??

181. aminah December 31st, 2009 at 1:19 am 181

     please do something my contact list disappears.

182. THX!!!!!!! January 1st, 2010 at 10:06 pm 182

     THX RAYMOND……!!!!i LOVE U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!haha just joke…THX UR HINT IS WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

183. Ivar January 4th, 2010 at 8:04 am 183

     Messenger Plus! isn’t working. Anyone know anything about that?

184. weee January 5th, 2010 at 4:03 pm 184

     hey….how to get back my contact list…??

185. Cruz January 7th, 2010 at 7:56 am 185

     thanks works, got an older version back and now i hope webcam works again

186. veton January 7th, 2010 at 7:26 pm 186

     thank you a lot of
     its the best

187. dr imran khan January 11th, 2010 at 12:50 pm 187

     THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     I was at my wits end trying to log in to WLM09…..tried all possible remedies for error 80040154…..
     finally i am able to install msn08 and log in thanks to the crack…
     BIG Thanks…….

188. joel January 15th, 2010 at 4:39 pm 188

     hey raymond i tried saving after changing the version but it said file cannot be renamed.saving canceled. what should i do?
     thanks

189. Keirnoth January 23rd, 2010 at 6:53 am 189

     @joel

     Save as to your desktop. Go to C:\Program Files\Windows Live, rename the original msnmsgr.exe to something else, move the one on the desktop to that folder.

190. me238 January 24th, 2010 at 10:49 am 190

     thanks dude, ur the best! u bring my life happy again! and for those wo cannot save the file.. the solution is U GUYS MUST CLOSE THE WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER FIRST.. THEN U CAN SAVE

191. T.A. January 27th, 2010 at 4:11 am 191

     For all those who get the Cannot save original file. Just make sure that all messenger applications are closed. just press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and look it up.

192. rosered January 28th, 2010 at 12:32 am 192

     OMG, what a brilliant get around! Thanks guys. Downloaded v 8.5 and then did the reshack thing and its all good now. I have spent about 6 hours over the space of 3 days working thru a load of suggestions from Microsoft support none of which worked. They have elevated my complaint about choppy voice on WLM 2009 but heard nothing back from them for weeks now. (The v8.0 didn;t work and I thought I had lost my contact list but when I installed v8.5 it was all there again) Thank you!!!!!

193. tycho January 30th, 2010 at 11:49 pm 193

     Well i did the same thing and it worked a month ago
     now i tried it on windows 7 x64 os and it wont log in. it says: you cannot use windows live. Messenger at this time because your contact list is not available. Please try again later

     error code 81000378

     i allready did the reg add stuf
     no firewalls or anti vir things
     MSN 9 does log in
     does someone have an idea ?

194. Saad February 2nd, 2010 at 3:49 am 194

     EXcellent solution, buddy! The Reshack thing did the trick! Now, I can go back (Happily) to Messenger 8.5 .

195. Michael February 3rd, 2010 at 4:56 am 195

     Here are some Windows Live Messenger old versions with changelog. Choose the old version that fits your needs better. http://www.downloadoldversion.com/windows-live-messenger.html

     Hf

196. Chan February 7th, 2010 at 10:50 pm 196

     Thank you so much. you don’t know how much i appreciate it. Thank you, thank you!

197. mmaria February 17th, 2010 at 2:49 am 197

     i did everything like u said, but after clicking the compile script button and trying to save, i get an error saying i cannot name original file, saving cancelled. WHAT TO DO ?

198. mmaria February 17th, 2010 at 2:50 am 198

     okay , got it . I LOVE U FOR THIS ! (L)

199. Kendro February 18th, 2010 at 9:59 pm 199

     y my contact list lost???

     any solution for fix tis problem???

     pls!!!

     but…ray…ur solution way are good!!! but y it jvt can funtional for few day only???

200. Sean February 19th, 2010 at 6:27 am 200

     hopefully this will work, im trying the 1st download 1st, my laptops quite old so the latest version doesnt install anyway hope this works! thanks ray!

201. Kendro February 19th, 2010 at 2:05 pm 201

     hey thank!!!

     but i wanna to noe…y my contact list is gone?? n anyone hv way can solve it ???

     n ray…y the msn only fuctional for few time only??? any solution for it??

202. stephanie February 19th, 2010 at 8:34 pm 202

     hi raymond. i have windows 7… and reshacker isnt having any of it. any suggestions? i look forward to hearing from you.

203. maree February 20th, 2010 at 7:20 am 203

     thanks so much this worked for me as i was having trouble with the new msn

204. Emil February 22nd, 2010 at 5:40 am 204

     Thank you, Raymond, your reghack hack helped me!
     Btw I had an installer of 14.0.8064.0206 version and it still “forced” me to update, however I found a better solution

     Thanks

205. Raymond February 22nd, 2010 at 11:26 am 205

     The latest version is 14.0.8089.0726. That’s why you’re being forced to update.

206. Harasi February 23rd, 2010 at 4:39 am 206

     Thanks Raymond .. but the last step it says can not save .. what should I do

207. Khadijah February 27th, 2010 at 4:48 am 207

     When I did this, I lost all my contacts. Then I added everyone ALL over AGAIN. But now it won’t even show me if they’e online or offline. People can MSG me but I can’t MSG them. And if they talk to me, it says this person is not on your contact list and if I add them, it says I already have that person. PLEASE HELP!

208. Gownaar March 7th, 2010 at 2:58 pm 208

     To use wlm 8.1/8.5, google “wlm no update patch”. It’s basically an automated version of ResHacker method. Tried to post a link here but it was removed, probably because of anonymous hosting. Anyway, it’s hosted on Softpedia now.

209. Tomas March 11th, 2010 at 2:56 pm 209

     Khadijah and others: No one is ever going to tell you how to get your contact list back. It is a question shrouded in mystery forever. You might as well let it go.

210. R.Abbas March 17th, 2010 at 7:26 pm 210

     Raymond you rock , you are the man , i did the trick as per your instructions and it works like ” A sharp knife in butter ” smoooooth . contct list intact , no problems , web cam works . i did it on WLM 8.1 on winxpsp2
     any one who wants to keep his contact list safe before excute the trick must save the contact list first then if he lost it later can import it again.
     i tried to do the older trick and changed the compatibility to win2000 and it worked but the cam did not work , so i revert back to ” no compatibility ” then the WLM installed itself again with my contact list intact then i applied your trick and now everything is more than fine thank you Raymond

211. Noah March 18th, 2010 at 7:57 pm 211

     ummm, go to hotmail.com, at the top right corner of page, you can sign on to msn messenger (web) and it’s pretty much the same thing.

212. shery March 19th, 2010 at 4:03 am 212

     thank u soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much…?