Windows Live Messenger previously known as MSN Messenger, was renamed as part of Microsoft's move away from Hotmail, towards the Live online community. Now the most popular IM app in the world has finally reached version 2009.

Features

Windows Live Messenger offers plenty of emoticons and winks to cheer up your conversations. You can expand both collections easily by adding new sets which you'll find by the hundred on the Internet. Customization possibilities include changing the chat window background or even adding a personal message to your nickname, but not creating custom status messages. Also, Windows Live Messenger status messages have now been reduced to "online", "away" or "busy" – so no more "on the phone" or "out to lunch", for example.

Chat conversations are not the only thing you can do with Windows Live Messenger. There is also the possibility of having video chats using your webcam, and also make VoIP calls. Another great feature in Windows Live Messenger is the possibility to view and share pictures within the chat window, without having to send files over to your contact.

Regarding contact lists, the new Windows Live Messenger lets you create specific groups of users, different from the ones previously known as "groups" and which have now been renamed to Categories. These groups allow you to have multiple simultaneous chats with several contacts. Another new feature in the contact management system in Windows Live Messenger is Favorites, a special category that enables you to have the people you talk to most always to hand.

Usability

Windows Live Messenger 2009 includes many interesting new features, all conveniently built into a nice interface. I'm not sure that this handful of new functions is the reason why the program weighs in at almost 70 MB.

Quality

The most striking feature in the new Windows Live Messenger is an all-new interface with a colorful design, far from the traditional Windows application structure. You can customize it by choosing your own theme and color scheme.

In order to maintain the neatness of this design, the menu bar in Windows Live Messenger has been hidden under a few buttons on the top-right corner – though you can temporarily make the standard menu bar visible by pressing the Alt key. While I understand the reason why they did this, it makes menu options a bit uncomfortable to browse.

Conclusion

Windows Live Messenger reaches version 2009 with a renewed interface, loads of new features and a bit of extra weight.

Context

Windows Live Messenger will be discontinued on April 8. 2013.

Users will have to use Skype with imported contacts to continue messaging Windows Live Messenger contacts.

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 Build 14.0.8117.416 in Softonic

MSN Messenger has been perhaps the biggest hitter of the IM software world for some time now and this update adds a range of cool new features designed to make your chatting experience even better.

Features

Additions in MSN Messenger include an interactive video conversation tool, winks - small animations that you can download and send to your pals - and dynamic display pictures that will change emotions based on the emoticons you send.

Of course, all the features that we've come to know (and in most cases, love) are still housed within MSN Messenger 7.5, such as a plethora of emoticons, the ability to check and send Hotmail directly from the client, and a slick contacts organizer.

Usability

Although MSN Messenger's version has improved video chat and contains the ability to send SMS messages, we can't help feeling that Microsoft has fallen behind in terms of technology. For instance, Skype allows you to perform most of the things that MSN Messenger does, as well as letting you make and receive PC phone calls. You also have the age-old problem of MSN taking over your client, as it's filled with even more ads, and a barrage of links to other areas of the MSN portal.

Discontinuation

While there are many MSN Messenger users, the program feels very outdated. It comes as no surprise that Microsoft has decided to kill MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger and replace it with the more modern and feature rich Skype.

Conclusion

MSN Messenger is a great IM client for beginners but it doesn't beat Skype for the more net-savvy user.

Download MSN Messenger for Windows XP 7.5.0322 in Softonic

Windows Live Messenger 2011 is finally here. Far from being just a chat program, the all-new Microsoft instant messaging client is now a complete communications center with support for social networks.

As with previous versions, Windows Live Messenger 2011 is part of the Windows Live Essentials suite, which also includes other apps such as Mail, Writer, Sync, Companion, Family Safety, Photo Gallery and Movie Maker, as well as the Bing Bar. Luckily the installation process lets you choose exactly which apps you want on your system.

Windows Live Messenger features a revamped interface. Right after launching it, and thanks to new integration with other services such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, the so-called Social Highlights lets you check your friends’ latest news and status messages at a glance. If you still prefer the old style, worry not: Windows Live Messenger lets you switch to the traditional contact list by using the Contacts mode. Bear in mind though that if you use a different email account for your social networks, you’ll have to connect the services on the Windows Live website.

Besides the social element, everything else is pretty much the same on Windows Live Messenger 2011, only with a slightly fresher appearance. You can still do video and voice calls, play online games with your friends, share files, and of course customize the program’s appearance with skins and color themes. Emoticons have been revamped, and – finally! – you can have multiple conversations tabbed in one single window.

The main drawback to the all-new Windows Live Messenger 2011 is that it only works on Windows Vista and Windows 7. So if you still use Windows XP you’ll have to stick to the old version – or upgrade your system!

Windows Live Messenger 2011 is the long-awaited new version of Microsoft’s IM client, now integrated with social networks and other services.

Download Windows Live Messenger 2011 2011 in Softonic

Windows Live Messenger Portable is a standalone version of Microsoft's popular IM client Windows Live Messenger that can be run from a USB key.

Being a portable app, Windows Live Messenger Portable doesn’t require installation or administrator privileges. Simply launch the .EXE file and you’re ready to go. It’s perfect for shared computers at school, cafés or libraries or anywhere you’re not allowed to install software.

Windows Live Messenger Portable looks exactly like the standard version. The program features a colorful interface with the menu bar hidden on the top right corner, and plenty of emoticons, winks and other elements to cheer up your chat sessions.

Chat conversations are not the only thing you can do with Windows Live Messenger Portable, though. You can also have video chats using your webcam, and make VoIP calls. Application settings and user data, such as display pictures and emoticons, are saved in the same location as the program’s EXE file.

Windows Live Messenger Portable lets you enjoy your favorite IM client anywhere, without installation or administrator privileges.

Download Windows Live Messenger Portable 14.0.8117.416 in Softonic

Download Google Translator 1.40 (Messenger Plus!) in Softonic

MSN Messenger has been perhaps the biggest hitter of the IM world for some time now and this update adds a range of cool new features designed to make your chatting experience even better. Additions include an interactive video conversation tool, "winks" - small animations that you can download and send to your pals - and dynamic display pictures that will change emotions based on the emoticons you send.

Of course, all the features that we've come to know (and in most cases, love) are still housed within MSN Messenger 7.5, such as a plethora of emoticons, the ability to check and send Hotmail directly from the client, and a slick contacts organizer.

Although the new version has improved video chat and contains the ability to send SMS messages, we can't help feeling that Microsoft has fallen behind in terms of technology. For instance, Skype allows you to perform most of the things that MSN Messenger does, as well as letting you make and receive PC phone calls. You also have the age-old problem of MSN taking over your client, as it's filled with even more ads, and a barrage of links to other areas of the MSN portal. A great client for beginners but it doesn't beat Skype for the more Net-savvy user.

Download MSN Messenger for Windows 2000/NT 7.0 in Softonic

Messenger Reviver is a simple tool written to allow users to circumvent the forced upgrade to Windows Live Messenger.

Sometimes older software is better than the most up to date version. Windows Live Messenger 2011 is a case in point. When the update was released, many users had problems connecting and using its Facebook integration. Unfortunately Microsoft recently forced users of Windows Live Messenger 2009 to upgrade to continue using the chat program, leaving many users unhappy.

While you can revert to Windows Live Messenger 2009 after updating, Messenger Reviver does more by stopping the program from checking for updates and forcing users to upgrade again. Messenger Reviver is a simple application. Unzip the .exe and run it. Click the next button and it'll restart Windows Live Messenger. That's it! You'll be free of the annoying nag to upgrade to Windows Live Messenger 2012.

Windows XP users should be aware that Messenger Reviver requires .NET Framework 2.0 or higher. Other than that, Messenger Reviver is a simple to use and effective application to stop forced updates of Windows Live Messenger.

It's a shame that Microsoft still hasn't addressed the problems in Windows Live Messenger, but Messenger Reviver will help users keep their stable installs of the older version.

Download Messenger Reviver 1.2 in Softonic

One thing that's really annoying about Windows Live Messenger is the amount of banner ads that you receive in the program.

Normally, there's no way to stop them but Live Advert Remover (formerly known as MSN Advert Removal) blocks all advertisement banners from being displayed in Live Messenger. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work with the 2009 version of Windows Live Messenger but it supports all previous versions of Live and MSN Messenger, and you only need to run it once to "patch" your system.

It works by running a script that blocks MSN Messenger from communicating with the advertising banners, although it does make the default Live Messenger banner disappear completely. It should also be noted that it does not work with Messenger Plus! but the simple answer to this is to uninstall the Messenger Plus! extension if you have it.

Live Advert Remover blocks pesky ads from getting in between you and your contacts in MSN Messenger.

Download Live Advert Remover 2.1.0.1 in Softonic

MSN Messenger has been perhaps the biggest hitter of the IM world for some time now and this update adds a range of cool new features designed to make your chatting experience even better. Additions include an interactive video conversation tool, "winks" - small animations that you can download and send to your pals - and dynamic display pictures that will change emotions based on the emoticons you send.

Of course, all the features that we've come to know (and in most cases, love) are still housed within MSN Messenger 7.5, such as a plethora of emoticons, the ability to check and send Hotmail directly from the client, and a slick contacts organizer.

Although the new version has improved video chat and contains the ability to send SMS messages, we can't help feeling that Microsoft has fallen behind in terms of technology. For instance, Skype allows you to perform most of the things that MSN Messenger does, as well as letting you make and receive PC phone calls. You also have the age-old problem of MSN taking over your client, as it's filled with even more ads, and a barrage of links to other areas of the MSN portal. A great client for beginners but it doesn't beat Skype for the more Net-savvy user.

Download MSN Messenger for Windows 98/Me 7.0 in Softonic

Hotmail Messenger Fix is a small handy utility that lets you turn Messenger’s auto-launch feature off and prevent it from running every time you log in to Hotmail.

The auto-launch feature makes the popular IM client load automatically every time you log in to your Hotmail account, even if you’re not signed in to Messenger. This feature may come handy for some, but most of the time it’s quite annoying: you have to wait until Messenger loads up before you can do anything else with your computer.

With Hotmail Messenger Fix the problem is over: simply click the button on the app’s interface to turn the feature on or off. Hotmail Messenger Fix doesn’t interfere with Messenger’s standard functionality and you can still manually log in and out whenever you want.

With Hotmail Messenger Fix you can prevent Messenger from launching every time you log in to your Hotmail account.

Download Hotmail Messenger Fix 1.0 in Softonic

Download A-Patch 1.43.03 For Windows Live Messenger 8.5 in Softonic

aMSN is an alternative to the classic MSN Messenger, with more features yet a much weaker interface. The chat client looks very similar to Microsoft's product yet differs on a number of points. aMSN developers have delved into the preferences menu, adding extra little features like event alerts and sounds, conferencing support or autoaway messages. Like with MSN Messenger you'll be able to transfer files and organize all your contacts into groups.

Audio/Video support is the number one function that users look for in IM clients nowadays, yet an area which aMSN doesn't particularly focus on. Webcam support is fairly weak and unstable on aMSN, and instead of integrating into your chat window will open up in a new Quicktime window.

One of the biggest pet peeves of users with aMSN is the interface. It simply doesn't compare with more sleeker, more recent IM clients. To the developer's defense though you can download all sorts of skins from the program's website. Similarly it offers up a range of plugins, to customize your client to your liking. Chat addicts will also appreciate the animated emoticons on hand.

In terms of performance, you have to keep in mind that aMSN is still a Beta product, so still liable to some crashes and bugs. We did have some trouble when opening up new chat window and noticed that the client tended to use a lot of CPU.

In a few words, aMSN is a good alternative to MSN for users looking to add more plugins, skins and delve into the preferences menu.

Download aMSN 0.98.9 in Softonic

The IM client allows you to connect to your live or hotmail account and chat with your contacts. You can organize them by groups, use emoticons, send files and activate your webcam during chats. The interface itself is highly similar to that of MSN Messenger albeit a much less attractive one. I found that the different elements are placed a little clumsily here and there, making Mercury Messenger slightly unintuitive. Luckily the interface is interchangeable so if you find a good skin you can use that instead.

A big difference with MSN Messenger is RSS support. Mercury allows you to add and preview RSS feeds. I was a little skeptic of the idea at first, as I much prefer previewing RSS feeds on a whole screen, however I found it very similar to feed reading on a mobile device, which works in some way. Mercury Messenger has a tabbed interface which allows you to open and work with multiple accounts. Beware that having too many open simply ends up confusing though.

Although missing the most recent features of MSN Messengers and despite a weaker interface, Mercury Messenger is a good alternative with RSS and multiple account support.

Download Mercury Messenger 1.9.5 in Softonic

Download Windows Messenger 5.1 in Softonic

If you've ever been in a position where you've needed to log onto MSN Messenger on different computers then you'll know that you get blocked from doing so.

MSN Messenger Polygamy allows you use multiple copies of MSN Messenger at the same time, so you can log on as many times as you want from multiple computers. MSN Messenger Polygamy supports all versions of MSN Messenger including 7.x, 8.x, 9.x and 14.x - this, of course, means Windows Live Messenger too.

MSN Messenger Polygamy isn't actually an IM client but simply a patch that works with your version of MSN Messenger. You can activate and deactivate the patch in a click, although you can only do this before you log on. If you don't have a supported version of MSN Messenger installed, MSN Messenger Polygamy will automatically take you to the developer's site to download one.

MSN Messenger Polygamy is a simple patch that allows you to log into multiple versions of Messenger on different computers.

Download MSN Messenger Polygamy 2009 15.0 in Softonic

Bring the mystery of Indiana Jones’ new adventure, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, to your MSN messenger. This theme is based on the new film release and only works on Windows Live Messenger 8.5 (it also requires Messenger Plus! Live 4.60).

Strangely enough, when I tried to install the Plus! Add-on - required to add themes on messenger - the application asked me if I wanted to install advertisements on the messenger. Although it is stated as not being compulsory, and let me choose if I wanted them or not, the add-on didn’t work until I had them installed.

Looking at the theme itself, the graphics and resolution are very good and the main frame, where you have all your contacts, is transformed into a kind of temple entrance with Maya or Aztec style ornaments and of course the frightening gold skull which hides secrets and mysterious Soviet plots. In terms of usability though there are some downsides. With this setting in fact it will be more difficult to understand which contacts are online, and which are not.

Whether you like the adventures of Indiana Jones or, why not, just like archaeology, try this theme for Messenger and feel like you’re part of the latest adventure.

Download Indiana Jones 4 Messenger Skin 1.0.0 in Softonic

Download Messenger Plus! Live 3.63.148 in Softonic

Download Clean Messenger 2.7.0106 in Softonic