Windows Live Messenger - discontinued

What works

-> MSN Messenger 7,5 installs, tested with Windows XP prefix in Wine 5,5 and with minor workaround (see below)

-> Account login functions, after registration with Escargot and with major workaround (see below)

-> Setting nickname, status and profile picture functions, sometimes with minor workaround (see below)

-> Adding contacts functions, usually with minor workaround (see below)

-> Listing contacts, both online and offline functions

-> Conversations work, sometimes with a minor workaround (see below)

-> Chat colours, background, nudges and emoticons function

What does not

-> Winks and games do not function at all. 

-> -> Games never connect

-> -> Winks are audio-only and sometimes glitch the chat window.

-> -> Closing and reopening the chat window resolves the issue.

Workarounds

-> Sometimes while installing MSN Messenger 7,5, the Next button on the install dialogue does not respond first time.

-> -> Moving the window left and right and trying multiple times to click Next resolves this issue.

-> On a blank prefix, typing an email address or password into the login prompt is impossible.

-> -> For a detailed workaround, please see my install notes below.

-> -> For power users: ensure the prefix is in Windows 2000 mode, install msxml3, flash and riched20 using winetricks, ensure the prefix is put back to Windows XP mode and rerun MSN Messenger 7,5 to login.

-> Sometimes when setting a new profile picture, clicking Ok does not dismiss the prompt.

-> -> Moving the window left and right and trying multiple times to click Ok resolves this issue.

-> When adding contacts, clicking Next does not dismiss the prompt.

-> -> A safe workaround for this problem is to Cancel the prompt once the email address of the new contact appears on the contact list.

-> Sometimes typing in new chat windows does not function

-> -> The workaround I have found for this issue is to close and re-open the chat window. Enabling chat logging can help keep a record of recently send messages to avoid confusion when restarting conversations.

What was not tested

-> Video and voice calling.

-> -> Although the Escargot team claim these functions should work in Windows, I have no way of testing the validity of those claims on Linux without the proper hardware.

Hardware tested

Graphics:

• GPU: Nvidia
• Driver: proprietary

Additional Comments

How to install MSN Messenger 7,5 on Wine 5,5 (performed on Manjaro KDE 19,0) for intermediate Linux users

-> Prime a 32-bit prefix with the following command in a Terminal (changing for your Linux username):

-> -> WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=/home//.wine_msn75 winecfg

-> -> Once the prefix has been primed and the winecfg prompt is on-screen, set the Windows version to the Windows 2000, found under the Applications tab.

-> -> Click Ok on the prompt.

-> Next, install the prerequisites using winetricks (Ubuntu/Debian users: you may need to get winetricks) by running this command in a Terminal (changing for your Linux username):

-> -> WINEPREFIX=/home//.wine_msn75 winetricks msxml3 flash riched20. When prompted, install Flash player -- this may happen twice.

-> When the install process is complete, rerun winecfg without the arch parameter with the following command in a Terminal (changing for your Linux username):

-> -> WINEPREFIX=/home//.wine_msn75 winecfg

-> -> Set the Windows version back to Windows XP, found under the Applications tab.

-> -> Click Ok on the prompt.

-> Now, ensuring you have registered for and downloaded Escargot, install MSN Messenger 7,5 into the prefix by running the following command in Terminal (changing for your Linux username):

-> -> WINEPREFIX=/home//.wine_msn75 wine msiexec /i ~/Downloads/escargot-msn-7.5.0324-en.msi

-> -> Don't forget to change the path of the Escargot installer to where you save it (i.e. don't just copy paste what I've done, use file path autocompletion by double-pressing the Tab periodically)

-> -> When moving through the installer, beware of required workarounds and leave all options regarding install path as default.

-> Once the installer has completed successfully, discover MSN Messenger 7,5 in your launcher (in my case, I could find it by pressing Super and typing MSN Messenger)

-> -> Running the software should present you with a login prompt. Here, login with your Escargot username and password. You're ready to chat!

-> -> If you want someone to test the software with, add jacobdeery@msn.com - I accept anyone who adds me in due time.

Using winetricks install: msxml3, flash, riched20

Then just install MSN Messenger 7.5 with the default Windows xp version.

After the installation using winecfg change the Windows version to win2k.

And you will have you're almost perfect MSN Messenger 7.5.