Mandatory Upgrade of Messenger Clients

Folks,

We have posted a blog entry on http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/ that
you should read about the mandatory upgrade for Messenger clients.

Most of you are already running Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or above, so you
will not see the mandatory upgrade notice. If you are already running
Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 you will not need to upgrade.

The reason for the mandatory upgrade is a security issue relating to webcam
usage in older MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger clients (8.0).
Windows Messenger 5.x clients are unaffected. Messenger for Mac clients are
also unaffected.

The Windows Live Messenger 8.1 client is well tested and has been operating
in the network for over 6 months, so we are hoping that these upgrades will
go smoothly for the Messenger community.

This is a good time to remind the Messenger user community that accepting
webcam and IM sessions with strangers may expose you and your computer to
serious security issues. Clicking on URLs from strangers may also result in
security issues. This form of defense is important for protecting yourself,
and for protecting other members of the Messenger community.

We expect it to take several days before all users are upgraded.

Regards and thank you for using Windows Live Messenger,
--
psf - guy who works on messenger

Dear psf

Since you have made a mandatory upgrade to the 8.1 version of live
messenger, you should consider fixing the problem of not being able to see
the contact´s webcam. I have found a lot of people complaining about this -
and I had to downgrade to 8.0 to be able to view webcam.....

best regards
�sa Dóra

"psf" wrote:

> Folks,
>
> We have posted a blog entry on http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/ that
> you should read about the mandatory upgrade for Messenger clients.
>
> Most of you are already running Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or above, so you
> will not see the mandatory upgrade notice. If you are already running
> Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 you will not need to upgrade.
>
> The reason for the mandatory upgrade is a security issue relating to webcam
> usage in older MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger clients (8.0).
> Windows Messenger 5.x clients are unaffected. Messenger for Mac clients are
> also unaffected.
>
> The Windows Live Messenger 8.1 client is well tested and has been operating
> in the network for over 6 months, so we are hoping that these upgrades will
> go smoothly for the Messenger community.
>
> This is a good time to remind the Messenger user community that accepting
> webcam and IM sessions with strangers may expose you and your computer to
> serious security issues. Clicking on URLs from strangers may also result in
> security issues. This form of defense is important for protecting yourself,
> and for protecting other members of the Messenger community.
>
> We expect it to take several days before all users are upgraded.
>
> Regards and thank you for using Windows Live Messenger,
> --
> psf - guy who works on messenger

Those people having webcam issues should consult their webcam maker for
updated software and drivers, because as far as I can tell most of the
webcams I've used work great.

dear psf....
honestly i would love to upgrade....but your setup program isnt even
working. and its not only me. a few of my other friends have setup programs
that just freeze when they get to the ''registry'' bit. last night i waited
1 and 1/2 hrs for it to finish installing but that never happend.....so what
do i do now? i've tried everything from even removing the msn file from my
Cdrive ...reply please!!..i miss my msn =(

"psf" wrote:

> Folks,
>
> We have posted a blog entry on http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/ that
> you should read about the mandatory upgrade for Messenger clients.
>
> Most of you are already running Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or above, so you
> will not see the mandatory upgrade notice. If you are already running
> Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 you will not need to upgrade.
>
> The reason for the mandatory upgrade is a security issue relating to webcam
> usage in older MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger clients (8.0).
> Windows Messenger 5.x clients are unaffected. Messenger for Mac clients are
> also unaffected.
>
> The Windows Live Messenger 8.1 client is well tested and has been operating
> in the network for over 6 months, so we are hoping that these upgrades will
> go smoothly for the Messenger community.
>
> This is a good time to remind the Messenger user community that accepting
> webcam and IM sessions with strangers may expose you and your computer to
> serious security issues. Clicking on URLs from strangers may also result in
> security issues. This form of defense is important for protecting yourself,
> and for protecting other members of the Messenger community.
>
> We expect it to take several days before all users are upgraded.
>
> Regards and thank you for using Windows Live Messenger,
> --
> psf - guy who works on messenger

I don't understand the problem here, so let me ask a few questions to get
some more information:

0) are you on Windows Vista? Are you sure you don't have a hidden prompt
in a window asking for permission to install?

1) are you and your friends running "add on software" for Messenger -
perhaps to add features or some cool graphics? In our experience, some
software that adds on to the 7.X client does not work with the 8.x client.
You may need to uninstall the "add on" software, re-install the 8.1 messenger
software and see if it works. It is possible that your add-on vendor has a
newer piece of software that works around this problem.

2) have you stopped ALL other software during the install? Yes, all other
software. That includes Outlook, IE, other apps, etc.? I usually download
the install_messenger.exe onto my desktop, and execute it after I have
stopped all other software. This way I don't have to reload it from the
network if it fails and I am not running IE when I am installing. (btw, I
probably install messenger 2-3 times a day on a variety of machines) One
reason I try to avoid running IE during install is that a variety of toolbars
use the messenger APIs, and that prevents installation to proceed correctly
in some cases.

3) Are you running as admin? Are you in a corporate network or at home
connected to the Internet? Several corporate networks use a variety of
tools to prevent users from installing Messenger(s) due to the concerns over
peer to peer traffice and file transfer.


As an "emergency way" to talk to your friends while this issue gets sorted
out, you can temporarily fire up Windows Messenger 5.x. It is so 2001, but
it does have basic IM functionality and uses the same contacts list.


--
guy who works on messenger


"wunaznbabi" wrote:

> dear psf....
> honestly i would love to upgrade....but your setup program isnt even
> working. and its not only me. a few of my other friends have setup programs
> that just freeze when they get to the ''registry'' bit. last night i waited
> 1 and 1/2 hrs for it to finish installing but that never happend.....so what
> do i do now? i've tried everything from even removing the msn file from my
> Cdrive ...reply please!!..i miss my msn =(
>
> "psf" wrote:
>
> > Folks,
> >
> > We have posted a blog entry on http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/ that
> > you should read about the mandatory upgrade for Messenger clients.
> >
> > Most of you are already running Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or above, so you
> > will not see the mandatory upgrade notice. If you are already running
> > Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 you will not need to upgrade.
> >
> > The reason for the mandatory upgrade is a security issue relating to webcam
> > usage in older MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger clients (8.0).
> > Windows Messenger 5.x clients are unaffected. Messenger for Mac clients are
> > also unaffected.
> >
> > The Windows Live Messenger 8.1 client is well tested and has been operating
> > in the network for over 6 months, so we are hoping that these upgrades will
> > go smoothly for the Messenger community.
> >
> > This is a good time to remind the Messenger user community that accepting
> > webcam and IM sessions with strangers may expose you and your computer to
> > serious security issues. Clicking on URLs from strangers may also result in
> > security issues. This form of defense is important for protecting yourself,
> > and for protecting other members of the Messenger community.
> >
> > We expect it to take several days before all users are upgraded.
> >
> > Regards and thank you for using Windows Live Messenger,
> > --
> > psf - guy who works on messenger

Upgrade?



"M" <> wrote in message
news. ..
> This is bull. Every version since 8.0.0812 has a bug in it that makes the
> live picture on my video capture program freeze. What am I supposed to do?
>
> M
>
> "psf" <> wrote in message
> news:915EA8EC-AD49-4BE6-AA3D-...
>> Folks,
>>
>> We have posted a blog entry on http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/
>> that
>> you should read about the mandatory upgrade for Messenger clients.
>>
>> Most of you are already running Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or above, so
>> you
>> will not see the mandatory upgrade notice. If you are already running
>> Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 you will not need to upgrade.
>>
>> The reason for the mandatory upgrade is a security issue relating to
>> webcam
>> usage in older MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger clients (8.0).
>> Windows Messenger 5.x clients are unaffected. Messenger for Mac clients
>> are
>> also unaffected.
>>
>> The Windows Live Messenger 8.1 client is well tested and has been
>> operating
>> in the network for over 6 months, so we are hoping that these upgrades
>> will
>> go smoothly for the Messenger community.
>>
>> This is a good time to remind the Messenger user community that
>> accepting
>> webcam and IM sessions with strangers may expose you and your computer to
>> serious security issues. Clicking on URLs from strangers may also
>> result in
>> security issues. This form of defense is important for protecting
>> yourself,
>> and for protecting other members of the Messenger community.
>>
>> We expect it to take several days before all users are upgraded.
>>
>> Regards and thank you for using Windows Live Messenger,
>> --
>> psf - guy who works on messenger
>
>

psf, you and your whole team and everyone wroking on the live and msn project
had better go check your own d**n blog entry reguarding it because you have
opened a pandora's box worth of trouble.

Most people do not use Live messenger at all because they HATE it or CAN NOT
USE it. It's only been one day, and aside from the extreme number of
extremely ****ed people on your blog, there are friends I know, and thousands
of sites worth of ****ed users who want to use 7.5 and below because THEY
PREFER IT. You CAN NOT force people into something as, not only is it going
to make you lose more than 50% of your users (the REAL number of people out
there that hate your live messenger and all it's bloated crap), but you are
going to lose more in the number of live users that see how you will treat
your users and how far you will go to make them do what YOU want and not what
THEY want.

You had better start searching around the net to see the real number of
people you upset here. They WILL stop you from updating or you just plain
will not have anyone seeing your ads that give you the revenue to run your
messenger program, and you will no longer have users using your program.
They want to use their MSN Messengers, and will not be forced. Period.

Oh, and looking at my files to see what I have is not in my terms of service
for using msn messenger. That's invasion of privacy. Installing stealth
updates without my consent? Invasion of privacy and invasion of personal
property. It can even be considered theft of data if you count that data
destroyed when updating.

You better go take a good long hard look at what you have just done... just
letting you know. It's only been one day, and you've got millions against
you already. The word is spreading as fast as anything on the net, and we've
seen right through this ploy of telling us Live is the solution to something
that a patch is the real solution to. The issue is a non issue because
people don't accept webcam invites from untrusted sources, and probably 50%
of people using MSN 7.5 and below don't even have a webcam, and can not even
accept video conversations. You're 100 times more likely to get your pc
trashed by looking at a website you have not been at before than by getting
anything from this vulnerability.

Go check around the net. Don't bother wasting your time replying to this
post because I will not come back to see any replies. I am only notifying
you of the trouble you have gotten yourselves into on this, and how wrong you
were to even think it. Spend that time making a patch for the millions of
people who will not be forced to use a program they do not want. You already
got one for an older MSN version, so ADAPT IT.

Way to go DC
I personally never use messenger but my wife has been for several years
and it took me half of those several years to teach her how to use messenger
7.0
(yes she is a bit slow but then again not every body's perfect)
Now if only I can get this WLM thingy working I can start the teaching
process all
over again
If you ask me this is Fascism all over again

"DC" wrote:

> psf, you and your whole team and everyone wroking on the live and msn project
> had better go check your own d**n blog entry reguarding it because you have
> opened a pandora's box worth of trouble.
>
> Most people do not use Live messenger at all because they HATE it or CAN NOT
> USE it. It's only been one day, and aside from the extreme number of
> extremely ****ed people on your blog, there are friends I know, and thousands
> of sites worth of ****ed users who want to use 7.5 and below because THEY
> PREFER IT. You CAN NOT force people into something as, not only is it going
> to make you lose more than 50% of your users (the REAL number of people out
> there that hate your live messenger and all it's bloated crap), but you are
> going to lose more in the number of live users that see how you will treat
> your users and how far you will go to make them do what YOU want and not what
> THEY want.
>
> You had better start searching around the net to see the real number of
> people you upset here. They WILL stop you from updating or you just plain
> will not have anyone seeing your ads that give you the revenue to run your
> messenger program, and you will no longer have users using your program.
> They want to use their MSN Messengers, and will not be forced. Period.
>
> Oh, and looking at my files to see what I have is not in my terms of service
> for using msn messenger. That's invasion of privacy. Installing stealth
> updates without my consent? Invasion of privacy and invasion of personal
> property. It can even be considered theft of data if you count that data
> destroyed when updating.
>
> You better go take a good long hard look at what you have just done... just
> letting you know. It's only been one day, and you've got millions against
> you already. The word is spreading as fast as anything on the net, and we've
> seen right through this ploy of telling us Live is the solution to something
> that a patch is the real solution to. The issue is a non issue because
> people don't accept webcam invites from untrusted sources, and probably 50%
> of people using MSN 7.5 and below don't even have a webcam, and can not even
> accept video conversations. You're 100 times more likely to get your pc
> trashed by looking at a website you have not been at before than by getting
> anything from this vulnerability.
>
> Go check around the net. Don't bother wasting your time replying to this
> post because I will not come back to see any replies. I am only notifying
> you of the trouble you have gotten yourselves into on this, and how wrong you
> were to even think it. Spend that time making a patch for the millions of
> people who will not be forced to use a program they do not want. You already
> got one for an older MSN version, so ADAPT IT.

im gonna have to agree totally, since i can't use msn 8 or higher.
maybe its cause ive missed something, or its something to do with something
else thats fixable, but everytime i try to use 8 or higher, it cause my
internet to disconnect every time. and on every computer on my network.

if theres a fix on it, id like to know.

but while i was quite quite happy to just use 7.5, then they go screw it all
to goddamn screw it up by making it mandatory to upgrade.

well done u guys. and a big middle finger to u all

"Bazzez" wrote:

> Way to go DC
> I personally never use messenger but my wife has been for several years
> and it took me half of those several years to teach her how to use messenger
> 7.0
> (yes she is a bit slow but then again not every body's perfect)
> Now if only I can get this WLM thingy working I can start the teaching
> process all
> over again
> If you ask me this is Fascism all over again
>
> "DC" wrote:
>
> > psf, you and your whole team and everyone wroking on the live and msn project
> > had better go check your own d**n blog entry reguarding it because you have
> > opened a pandora's box worth of trouble.
> >
> > Most people do not use Live messenger at all because they HATE it or CAN NOT
> > USE it. It's only been one day, and aside from the extreme number of
> > extremely ****ed people on your blog, there are friends I know, and thousands
> > of sites worth of ****ed users who want to use 7.5 and below because THEY
> > PREFER IT. You CAN NOT force people into something as, not only is it going
> > to make you lose more than 50% of your users (the REAL number of people out
> > there that hate your live messenger and all it's bloated crap), but you are
> > going to lose more in the number of live users that see how you will treat
> > your users and how far you will go to make them do what YOU want and not what
> > THEY want.
> >
> > You had better start searching around the net to see the real number of
> > people you upset here. They WILL stop you from updating or you just plain
> > will not have anyone seeing your ads that give you the revenue to run your
> > messenger program, and you will no longer have users using your program.
> > They want to use their MSN Messengers, and will not be forced. Period.
> >
> > Oh, and looking at my files to see what I have is not in my terms of service
> > for using msn messenger. That's invasion of privacy. Installing stealth
> > updates without my consent? Invasion of privacy and invasion of personal
> > property. It can even be considered theft of data if you count that data
> > destroyed when updating.
> >
> > You better go take a good long hard look at what you have just done... just
> > letting you know. It's only been one day, and you've got millions against
> > you already. The word is spreading as fast as anything on the net, and we've
> > seen right through this ploy of telling us Live is the solution to something
> > that a patch is the real solution to. The issue is a non issue because
> > people don't accept webcam invites from untrusted sources, and probably 50%
> > of people using MSN 7.5 and below don't even have a webcam, and can not even
> > accept video conversations. You're 100 times more likely to get your pc
> > trashed by looking at a website you have not been at before than by getting
> > anything from this vulnerability.
> >
> > Go check around the net. Don't bother wasting your time replying to this
> > post because I will not come back to see any replies. I am only notifying
> > you of the trouble you have gotten yourselves into on this, and how wrong you
> > were to even think it. Spend that time making a patch for the millions of
> > people who will not be forced to use a program they do not want. You already
> > got one for an older MSN version, so ADAPT IT.

im using windows xp, im 110%sure i dont have any plug ins/add ons, i use
Mozilla instead of ie [but it wasn't running when i was installing] , when i
install i start right after my computer turns on [after i exit out of
spybot/quicktime] also i am using my home computer. i even tried it on the
owner account but the same problem happened. what happened was it would be
installing and then after it gets to the point of ''writing registry files''
it would stop [not freeze but stop..like i can still move it around etc.] i
thought that it was just taking a while to write the files but i left it
running for almost 2hrs one time and it didnt change one bit. please help =(
i've tried almost everything!!.....

thx~

"psf" wrote:

>
> I don't understand the problem here, so let me ask a few questions to get
> some more information:
>
> 0) are you on Windows Vista? Are you sure you don't have a hidden prompt
> in a window asking for permission to install?
>
> 1) are you and your friends running "add on software" for Messenger -
> perhaps to add features or some cool graphics? In our experience, some
> software that adds on to the 7.X client does not work with the 8.x client.
> You may need to uninstall the "add on" software, re-install the 8.1 messenger
> software and see if it works. It is possible that your add-on vendor has a
> newer piece of software that works around this problem.
>
> 2) have you stopped ALL other software during the install? Yes, all other
> software. That includes Outlook, IE, other apps, etc.? I usually download
> the install_messenger.exe onto my desktop, and execute it after I have
> stopped all other software. This way I don't have to reload it from the
> network if it fails and I am not running IE when I am installing. (btw, I
> probably install messenger 2-3 times a day on a variety of machines) One
> reason I try to avoid running IE during install is that a variety of toolbars
> use the messenger APIs, and that prevents installation to proceed correctly
> in some cases.
>
> 3) Are you running as admin? Are you in a corporate network or at home
> connected to the Internet? Several corporate networks use a variety of
> tools to prevent users from installing Messenger(s) due to the concerns over
> peer to peer traffice and file transfer.
>
>
> As an "emergency way" to talk to your friends while this issue gets sorted
> out, you can temporarily fire up Windows Messenger 5.x. It is so 2001, but
> it does have basic IM functionality and uses the same contacts list.
>
>
> --
> guy who works on messenger
>
>