Download Windows Live Messenger 8.1 for Windows Vista
Windows Live Messenger 8.1 (previously known as MSN Messenger) has been officially released from beta phase to final version. WLM 8.1 is the latest instant messaging (IM) client from Microsoft that is optimized for Windows Vista, and is the second major release after the IM client officially changing its name from MSN Messenger (last stable version been 7.5) to Windows Live Messenger with initial final release at version 8.0, and ahead of Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista which only has preview available.
According to Inside Windows Live Messenger, new features, enhancements and improvements in WLM 8.1 include:
- Roaming Identity – Your display name follows you any place you sign into. Now your display picture and personal message will follow you too. If you would prefer they stayed in place you can turn this off (Tools->Options->General -> Sign In -> “Use the same display picture….”)
- Contact Card – The contact card has gotten a updated look. Instead of a flip it does a slide to toggle between the Spaces and Contact information. Also no more squinting at an icon and trying to figure out what it means the actions on the card are now listed out plain and simple.
- Emoticons, Winks, Backgrounds, Display Pictures – The menus have gotten an updated look. They include a recently used list and easy access to featured content so you can get new emoticons, winks, background and display pictures to use. hint: typcially in the featured section the first 4 are free.
- SMS Phone Book – You now have a quick way to send SMS to a phone number or add phone numbers for your contacts. Just click the cell phone icon in them main window for a good time.
- New Contact Emotion – In 8.0 all our icons got an update but we forgot a very important one. The contact emoticon. Type (M) to send it.
- Status Menu includes Sign Out – We noticed people look in the status menu to sign out and so ta-da now you can sign out from the status menu.
- Report abuse – Here is something you will hopefully never need to use, but it is there just in case in the help menus.
- Vista Presentation Mode – When you are in Presentation Mode on Vista Messenger will change your status to busy so you can avoid the embarrassing situation of everyone reading your IMs! Don’t worry if you want to show Messenger in your presentation you can turn this off (Tools->Options-> Personal-> My Status -> Show me as “Busy”…).
- Behind the scenes changes – This release also includes changes to the “guts” of some of the features. The goal is for these changes to improve your experience. Please let us know if that is not the case.
- Personal Invitation – When you add a new contact you can add a message so they know who you are. Especially helpful if your email address is something like ILoveMessenger(at)emaildomain.com – since there are so many of us out there.
- WLM client now available in Messenger is available in 8 new languages, namely Bulgarian, Estonian, Croatian, Latvian, Romanian, Serbian Latin, Thai and Ukrainian.
- Better handling of incompatibility of older version of Flash with WLM 8.1 in Windows Vista.
- E-mail invitation when adding a new contact.
UPDATE: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 is released, however Windows Live Messenger 8.1 still useful for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x64 edition that does not officially support 8.5 and beyond.
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.1 (or latest version) from here. If you’re running WLM 8.1 beta, you will be prompted to upgrade your WLM client automatically.
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Entries (RSS)
June 27th, 2007 09:42
going back to xp this blows
June 23rd, 2007 23:54
^^to scott..
i had the same problem, i also run vista home premium. all i done, was switched my browser to firefox and it worked first time
June 23rd, 2007 23:31
I’ve been trying to download it to install from http://get.live.com/messenger/overview on my Vista Home Premium for weeks and the “Get it free” button crashes IE7! I think I’ll download the setup and transfer it over, but was wondering if anyone else d the same issues? BTW, I’m running Vista Home Premium.
June 20th, 2007 08:26
windows live loads up on vista for me.. however, when i try to send an IM.. it then crashes saying windows live is not responding.. occassionally it works for an hour or so.. then does the same again.. i heard msn 7.5 works.. so i’m gonna try that.. but in the mean time, is there a patch or anything to sort out this problem? if anyone knows, please email me at irate@hotmail.co.uk
June 20th, 2007 06:16
nice msn
June 14th, 2007 01:53
yeah i have the same problem too and i m really pissed! i did everything i could..
the error i get is 80072efd
please help!!!!
June 13th, 2007 05:08
no comments
June 5th, 2007 00:30
nice msn
May 28th, 2007 04:18
pls can someone tell me why windows live messanger will not work on vista? which came from the same company microsoft and if everybody is having the same problem that means they did not do their homework very well before launching vista.however so many programs that works perfectly on windows xp can not work on vista why?.
May 11th, 2007 07:30
Im using Vista Ultimate and Windoes Live Messenger 8.1 (Build 8.1.0178.00) and everything works fine apart from messenger doesn’t use the aero theme it looks the same as it does on XP.
May 4th, 2007 09:49
Well, I downloaded the new msn messenger and it didn’t work. I try to run it as administrator like they said on some of the places I looked to see why it doesn’t work. The only good advice I found is to download messenger 8.0 and not to upgrade. I also upgrades and it worked twice. Now, it is not working. So… I’m downloading 8.0 and I’m not upgrading again… at least not till I read or hear from someone that it now works.
April 30th, 2007 20:21
YEAH ME TOO .. I.M FEELING VERY SAD COZ I BOUGHT MY LABTOP YESTARDAY AND THEN WHEN I TRIED 2 USE MY MSN IT SHUKE ME .. IT DOESNT WORK … PLZZZZZ I NEED HELP
C YA
NOW IM DOWNLOADING THE 7.5 MESSNGER SO LET SEE WHAT HAPPENS
April 30th, 2007 15:23
I have a new laptop with Vista installed.
Live Messenger does not work… can anybody help me with this?
The error I get is “…your contact list is not available”
error code: 81000378
Thank you
April 20th, 2007 23:09
I have the new windows vista home premium on my new computer but I cannot get windows live meswsanger to work it just says it has stopped working what do I do to correct it?
April 18th, 2007 02:30
Oh yer i got vista nd had msn on it but now it dont work! I am realy realy anoyd and now have 2 use Ebuddy!! Its so rubbish! Any1, plz help! xxxx
April 9th, 2007 22:17
i just need to login on windows live messenger
that is what i want to do rite knon
April 2nd, 2007 04:13
i had the same problem Messenger 7.5 works on vista though go here to download it:
http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=msnm
March 19th, 2007 21:10
to : Crystal Fraser
Mine too… i have it when i bought the com but now my msn don’t work… any one can assist us???
March 17th, 2007 07:09
I have windows vista (UGH) and messenger will not work. It shuts down and gives me the DEP message and you can’t turn DEP off. Anybody know of a version of MSN that will work on this stupid OS?
March 15th, 2007 18:59
vista is v i s t a
(Very Intelligent & Simple To All)
March 15th, 2007 18:57
vista is v i s t a
(very intelligent simple to all)
March 9th, 2007 09:44
how do i add my own pic
March 8th, 2007 12:19
I got Windows Vista.. and it came with MSN Messenger already on it. I went to upgrade Messenger like it usually says to once in a while if you login.. and now my Messenger does not work.. Anyone know why??
February 25th, 2007 20:35
i like to have yahoo messenger because i have vista wndows
February 24th, 2007 03:32
i want messenger