Recently there has been an upsurge of problems regarding Windows Live Messenger “forgetting” Windows Live IDs after a Windows restart.  Although there are some known policies in Windows which can cause this to occur, after many hours of testing and research, the latest culprit appears to be the Yahoo Toolbar.

Uninstalling the toolbar will not address the problem as its installer causes damage to your Windows user profile’s registry.  To correct all possible causes of this problem, I have created Make Messenger Remember.

How to use
Just download the zip for Make Messenger Remember and run the executable contained inside.  Note: Make Messenger Remember will automatically restart Windows after completing its work, so be sure to close and save any data prior to beginning the process.

Choose the Fix button for Make Messenger Remember to make the necessary fixes and restart Windows.  After Windows starts again, start Messenger if its not set to automatically do so already, and verify that your Live ID and/or password have returned.  In some cases you may have to sign in manually at least more one time.

Requirements:
Windows XP/Vista
.NET Framework 2.0 or higher

Download Make Messenger Remember

Version history:
7/1/2009  1.0  Initial Release

Special thanks to MersauX, ilyaz and FYu for both testing and providing me the necessary data to create a fix to this problem.

Prior to Windows Live Messenger 2009, when you clicked the Mail button in Messenger, Internet Explorer would automatically pop up and log you into Hotmail regardless of your default browser.  Beginning with Windows Live Messenger 2009, clicking the Mail button will open Hotmail in your default browser and if that is not Internet Explorer, it will not provide the automatic log-on into Hotmail*.

So, I created Hotmail in IE, which will set allow you to continue to use your default browser in Windows and other applications (including links in Messenger conversations), but use Internet Explorer for Messenger’s Hotmail features. 

How to use
Hotmail in IE does not require installation.  Just download the executable and run it directly.  You will be shown the following:
To set Internet Explorer to open when you click the Mail button in Messenger, choose the Internet Explorer button.  Should you wish to set it back, choose Default Web Browser.  Once you have made your choice, choose Done and no further changes should be needed.

The next time you start your normal default browser, you may receive a prompt regarding its default status.  Choose No to this prompt and elect to not receive these notifications to avoid needing to set the mail button handler again.

Requirements
Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
Both 32-bit or 64-bit supported
A Windows Live ID that supports Hotmail (such as @live.com, @hotmail.com, etc.)

Hotmail in IE is written in Visual C++ 2008

Download Hotmail in IE

Version history:
6/8/2009  1.0  Initial Release

* The official reasoning for the inability of Messenger to log-in you in automatically is for security reasons.  Messenger has no direct secure route to sign you into Windows Live ID in other browsers as it does with Internet Explorer.

Like a lot of people reading this, I’ve invested in various Microsoft headsets and webcams (some pretty good, some disappointing) but one thing in common with all of them is that they have a Windows Live Call button.

Out of the box and the software installed, pressing the button with bring up Windows Live Messenger’s contact list so you can start a call with your contacts.  Which is great for some people, but for me, the vast majority of my calls are made and received on Skype nowadays and the button has remained unused.

Introducing Skype Call Button
So, I created Skype Call Button.  Skype Call Button remaps the Windows Live Call button to operate with Skype or any other application you choose.  Additionally, when you receive a call in Skype, you can answer the call by just pressing the button.  I’ve been testing this functionality for over a month now, and being able just to throw my headset on and press the button to answer a call has vastly made life easier.

Installation
Click the download link below and run the executable to begin the installation.  The setup wizard will guide you through the necessary steps to install Skype Call Button.  After installation is complete, you will be prompted to unplug and plug your headset or webcam back in.  Alternatively if that isn’t possible, you can just reboot your computer or just continue on.  If you choose to just continue, both Messenger and Skype will appear when you press the button until you restart.  Finally, you will then need to authorize Skype Call Button to be used in your Skype client by opening up the main Skype window and choosing the Allow access button or in previous versions, choose Allow this program to use Skype radio button and choose OK.  This only needs to be done once.

Using and options
Skype Call Button will appear in the notification area and by default will automatically start up with your computer to monitor calls.  To access the options, just double-click on the icon. 

You can configure what Skype Call Button does when you press the button normally and what happens when you press the button during an incoming call.  Skype Call Button supports Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Call, and Office Communicator and you can switch the button to work in another application when you choose to.

Additionally, if you choose to not show the notification area icon, you can still access the options by choosing Skype Call Button from the Windows start menu.

Requirements
Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
Both 32-bit or 64-bit supported
.NET Framework 2.0 or higher (checked during setup)
At least Lifechat 1.3 or Lifecam 2.0 (checked during setup)
Skype

Download Skype Call Button

Version history:
6/2/2009  1.0.0.0  Initial Release

Windows Live Messenger 2009 has a number of available parameters you can use to start actions within Messenger without opening it up.  You can use these for a variety of purposes, like scripts, hotkey/macro applications and anywhere else where you can start a program.

You can use several at once, the actions will be executed in order.

Using parameters
If you’re not familiar with adding parameters, to use these you’ll need to append the parameter to the end of starting the Messenger executable.  For example, pop open the Run dialog by pressing the Windows key and R (or click Start then Run on XP, or in Vista/7 click Start and type in the search field at the bottom).

Then type msnmsgr /busy and click OK.

Now your status will switch to Busy within a few seconds.

Try again with msnmsgr /email and you’ll see your Windows Live Hotmail inbox open.  For fun, try msnmsgr /away /profile /sendim and you’ll see Messenger set you to away, then open up your Windows Live ID profile, and finally the “Send an instant message” window will appear.

Note that in other applications (say a macro program or a script), you’ll need to specify the full path to the Messenger executable, which will be \Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmsgr.exe (Program Files (x86) on 64-bit Windows).

Over the past 24-hours or so, it appears the Messenger servers have become desynchronized (or otherwise broken) and among other problems, are not reporting status information correctly.  So you’ll see contacts with a display name of just their e-mail address, contacts online when they’re not, contacts offline when they’re not, and problems messaging between these contacts.

Normally these problems get resolved pretty quickly and signing out/sign in fixes the problem.  Unfortunately In this case, it hasn’t proven to be very effective and these issues have been persisting.

Hopefully it will be resolved soon.

UPDATE: Everything seems back to normal now.

It took much longer than I personally expected, but the automatic Photo Sharing function in Windows Live Messenger has finally been patched.  Surprisingly it was done by Rafael Rivera (of uxtheme, Blue Badge, and other fame) and not in one of the common Messenger patches (not yet anyway).

Rafael documents what needs to be changed on his site, but if you want to skip that or you’re not comfortable editing binary files, I threw together a quick patcher using PatchWise Free.

Download the patcher 
You’ll need the latest Messenger installed, but since the latest mandatory update, you should already have it.

What this does exactly
This allows you to drag-and-drop images into the Messenger conversation window or copy/paste image files into Messenger without the Photo Sharing feature being triggered.  Instead, Messenger will send the images as a normal file transfer.  If you still want to use Photo Sharing however, just use the Photo button in the toolbar of the conversation window and the function will work there.

What’s wrong with Photo Sharing?
The only real problem with Photo Sharing is that you can’t turn it off.  Photo Sharing is quite useful for showing someone an image quickly that they may or may not want to keep, but if you’re sending screenshots or other detailed images, it really becomes a nuisance as you have to go through the whole Save, switch to desktop, open file procedure repeatedly.

Doesn’t Plus! do this already?
The latest Plus! version contains a special registry value you can add to deal with when you copy/paste actual bitmap images.  It does not deal with copy/pasting files themselves or a drag-and-drop operation.  For those not aware, the value is OverrideImgTransfer and would go at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Patchou\Messenger Plus! Live\WindowsLiveID@Emailaddress.com\Preferences (where WindowsLiveID@Emailaddress.com is your Live ID).  Rafael’s change deals with this situation as well, so this key is not required.

Thanks!
Don’t thank me, I’m just the messenger (pun intended).  Head over to Rafael’s blog and leave a comment there for him!

As the most used instant messaging service in the world, it’s become more and more common to find your contacts sending out virus, spam and worm links through Messenger.  There’s a lot of different types and different steps for removal, but the one most recently affecting people is a “phishing worm”.

The worm
More than likely you’ve seen the following from one of your contacts recently:
 

There's no need to analyze the link, as it seems to randomly change and most likely new sites are added regularly.  Although Messenger has allowed messages to be sent while appearing offline for quite some time, it’s important to note that these messages are sent out as offline messages (although no doubt this won’t always be a fact). As I know “Ruth” rather well, knew she wasn’t at her computer, and know this message isn’t something characteristic of her, I immediately knew this wasn’t legitimate.

Your best bet is to to stop here and not bother clicking the link without asking for confirmation of what this is from your contact.  However, if you do proceed, you may find yourself at a web site like the following:

 
Although this isn’t a good fake, it does appear somewhat similar to the Messenger user interface and judging from the number of these links sent to me over the past few weeks, it has in fact tricked quite a few people.  Once you provide your Windows Live ID username and password, it saves this information on the scammers server and redirects you to another web page full of advertisements and pointless images.

The scammers now have your credentials and can start their dirty deeds -- logging into Messenger as you, looking through your e-mail, accessing your Microsoft billing information (if you have any) and spamming others with similar links.  You wouldn’t trust a stranger coming up to you asking for your credit card information, so why would you trust a random website with your Messenger credentials?

The worst part of this whole process is that the typical support response is to run a virus scanner.  This of course will find nothing (although a good percentage of Messenger worms and viruses aren’t detected by scanners anyway), as the scammers are logging in from another computer using the provided username and password.  While this fruitless effort to find a non-existent virus on your computer is in progress, someone could be using or selling your information.  Your information might be used within hours, days, or even years long after you’ve forgot this happened.

It is absolutely essential to change your password after your account has been compromised in this fashion on both Windows Live ID (which includes Messenger) and other sites where your log in using the same e-mail address (Facebook, for example). 

Verifying you are at a true Microsoft site and changing your password
Most major web sites on the web today utilize an Extended Validation (EV) certificate.  In most browsers this will appear with a green bar at the top.  Among other security measures and encryption, this indicates that the site has gone through an audit to verify the identity of the site.  To show this in action, let’s head over to https://account.live.com/ChangePassword.aspx to change the Windows Live ID password.

Even if the site appears to look like a Live ID sign in page, look for the green address bar, lock icon and company name to verify it truly is.  Additionally, depending in your Windows version, browser and Live ID site you’re signing into, you might need to click the ‘Sign in using enhanced security’ link on the page to see these indicators. 

Finally you’ll arrive at the password changing page and can change your password.  One minor feature that’s been added recently is an option to prompt you to change your password every 72 days.  I’m not quite sure how this will work with regards to Messenger yet, but time will tell.

As mentioned previously, you should now use similar password changing facilities in other sites which utilize the same e-mail address and password to log in.

Easy steps to remember
To conclude, here are some easy steps to remember to avoid this happening to you:

1. Before accepting an invitation or clicking on a link, verify that it appears to be legitimate.  If in doubt, ask your contact.
2. If a site is prompting for your username and password, verify your information will be going to a legitimate source that you trust.
3. Don’t trust antivirus software to save you.  Use discretion and avoid installing or running any applications from web sites you don’t trust, even if they came from a contact you do.

A few days ago, Microsoft accidently started sending an “Important service announcement” to Hotmail-based Windows Live IDs informing them that they had to change their Live ID e-mail address.  There’s been plenty of coverage over at the MessengerSays blog, Windows Live Team blog, Neowin, LiveSide, and others, but there was no explanation given for what this feature is normally used for.

The message
Confusion isn’t at all unexpected given how the message is presented.  The message comes from messenger@microsoft.com with “Windows Live(TM) Messenger Service Staff” as the display name of the contact.  It then goes on to tell you that “As part of a recent system enhancement, we need you to change your e-mail address to continue signing in to the Windows Live(TM) Messenger Service” and then provides a link to http://support.microsoft.com/gp/Messenger/.

Just given the language used, this should most likely trigger warning bells in most people’s heads expecting a phishing scam.  However, in this particular instance, it is a completely legitimate message.  Firstly, @microsoft.com Live IDs are reserved (more on this later) and can’t be faked or manually registered like typical e-mail domains on Messenger/Live ID.  Secondly, although this feature has existed for many years , the “recent system enhancement” would typically be indicating a new corporate/enterprise roll-out (more on this later too).  Finally, if you visit the link presented, it will provide you with a partial typical explanation of why you’re receiving this and what to do -- well, or at least provide some clues.

So what is it?
As mentioned in the Help & Support article which is linked in the message, you would typically get this message if your had an existing Windows Live ID registered on a domain which recently was registered to use Office Communications Server (or the former name, Live Communications Server) and the Public IM Connectivity (PIC) feature was turned on.  When this function is engaged, that domain is now an EASI (e-mail name as sign in name) domain  -- users cannot register new Live IDs on that domain directly and users are now forced to use Office Communicator to sign in to those Live IDs through their local Office Communications Server.  Therefore existing Live IDs need their e-mail address changed to continue working on the normal Live Messenger client.

Only Hotmail users
So why did Hotmail users see this?  I’m afraid only Microsoft can answer that with the details, but it most certainly was just an accidental configuration change.  Note that Hotmail addresses are also reserved in the system, so I do suspect that played a role in this small faux pas.  Additionally (note: I didn’t receive this message myself to know with complete certainty), within normal conditions Hotmail addresses are not changeable, so no real damage should have occurred from this message going out.  

Not the first time
This isn’t the first time Live Messenger has had server-based problems with similar functionality.  Back on Friday the 13th of June of last year (2008), anyone using the former 9.0 beta client would have seen the Office logo () under the display picture in each conversation window (more here).  This is exactly what you see when someone signs into the .NET Messenger Service using Office Communicator and one of these EASI domains setup for Public IM (example in Messenger 2009 shown here on the right).

Finally, I’d like to point out that this feature makes use of the same “changing ID” page that is used by the normal Windows Live ID site which broke at the end of last year.  I’ve yet to be able to get a full confirmation that the latest problems around that page are corrected, but it’s interesting to note that the problems surrounding changing a Live ID e-mail address affect both customers and enterprise users.

As most people who don’t immediately update Messenger have recently noticed, the latest Windows Live Messenger 2009 update is mandatory to all existing 2009 users and not only is it quite a large file, but there’s been no word as to what is in the update and why it is mandatory.  Additionally, the update installer itself does not recall which components you elected not to install initially and automatically selects the other applications to be installed.

Mandatory update
When you try to sign in using the so-called original “released” version of Windows Live Messenger 2009 (14.0.8050.1202) you will be presented with the following prompt when you try to sign in:

“A newer version is available.  You must install the newer version in order to continue.  Would you like to do this now?”

If you choose Yes, Messenger will go ahead and download the Windows Live Essentials installer.  If you choose No, you won’t be allowed to sign in.  A What’s New… button is provided but it simply sends you to http://download.live.com which doesn’t tell you anything about the update or why it is required.

Mandatory updates in Messenger’s history have always been the exception.   Updating has generally only been forced to upgrade beta versions to release versions or to eliminate versions which have a major security hole and shouldn’t be being used.  Unfortunately there’s been no word as to what’s improved in this forced update, beyond “behind-the-scenes improvements” [Windows Live Team blog].

What it downloads
When you opt to update, Messenger downloads the following file:
(Note this is the English version, the link will be different for other language versions)
http://msgruser.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/5/2/E/52EB299A-E4DE-43E2-8D55-510D7FB03610/en/wlsetup-cvr.exe

This 34.4MB file contains the full Messenger installation including the standard components it would install.  For mandatory “behind-the-scenes improvements”, this seems a bit too large for me. 

The installer
Unfortunately the installer doesn’t appear to have changed from the original and therefore doesn’t retain your original installation options.  So by default, not just your existing applications will be updated, but the installer will automatically select all applications you haven’t previously installed. 

As the installer already knows this is an upgrade install, it would be great if the additional applications were not automatically selected.

Customer impact
As your eyes see the advertisements, both within Messenger and the associated Windows Live properties, you are paying for Messenger.  Therefore as a Messenger user, you are a Messenger customer. 

The fact that this update is mandatory with no given explanation hasn’t gone over well.  In fact there’s been quite a few people informing me of their discontent and one person on the newsgroup even went as far as saying they were being “bullied by Microsoft”.  Others are using this interruption to take a look at some of the third-party clients just to see if they’re any better.

The 34.4MB update is quite large, and on dialup, wireless data and bandwidth capped connections, this is a rather large file to download with no real explanation as to why you need it.  Additionally if you’re disconnected or interrupted, you’ll have to download the update all over again from the beginning.

Finally, Messenger tends to be included in standard computer disk images deployed against hundreds of computers, especially in some education markets.  When there’s a forced mandatory update, all these machines now need to be updated and the disk images altered to include the new Messenger version.

Conclusion
Mandatory updates would be far better received if the reason(s) the update was designated mandatory and what exactly the update contains was provided.  Additionally, when you install Messenger, Microsoft Update is automatically registered in your system.  Surely “behind-the-scenes improvements” could be sent through this way during normal updates instead of a required update when you sign in?  Messenger is all about communication and generally performs that function quite well, surely Microsoft can communicate to us the reasoning for these decisions.

The problem
If you're logged in twice to two computers, using a roaming profile and you try to sign into Windows Live Messenger 2009 on two machines at once you will receive the message:

"You were signed out from here because you signed in to a version of Messenger that doesn’t let you sign in to more than one place.  Click here to sign in again.”

Of course this is incorrect as you are using a version that supports multiple points of presence (MPOP).

The problem stems from the fact that Messenger stores a GUID (a unique ID) of your computer in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MSNMessenger, MachineGuid registry key.  Since this key is the same within all logged in Windows sessions in your roaming profile, Messenger believes it to be the same machine.

The solution
The fix is to simply change the GUID each time Messenger runs.  To assist with this, I have written a quick application called MessengerStart that will automatically generate a new GUID, sets both the new GUID and your correct machine name and then finally starts Messenger for you.

Download MessengerStart setup
The setup program will automatically copy MessengerStart to your user profile, set itself to automatically start with Windows and disable Messenger from starting automatically on its own.  Additionally, a MessengerStart icon is added to your desktop so you can either move it to where you find it convenient or delete it.  You do not need administrative rights to use this setup.

Download MessengerStart executable
You can just put the executable where you want, create your own shortcuts and use it to start Messenger.

Requirements
Where Windows Live Messenger 2009 works, MessengerStart will work.  32-bit and 64-bit supported.
Note: Unlike some of my other tools, MessengerStart is written in native C++ and does not require the .NET Framework

Special Thanks to Dom, Alex, Patty and Huuf

This article supersedes the Installing/uninstalling Windows Live Wave 3 applications with the latest QFE (Quick Fix Engineering) release versions of the Windows Live “Wave 3” 2009 products. 

Although what’s new is not completely known yet, one of the major problems has been video compatibility within Messenger, so hopefully this has been addressed.

There are only twelve items which have been updated to new versions from initial release versions.  They are:

• Junk mail filter update
• Windows Live Call
• Windows Live Communications Platform (required for Messenger, Live Mail, Photo Gallery, and Movie Maker if you’re upgrading)
• Windows Live Essentials
• Windows Live Messenger
• Windows Live Mail
• Windows Live Photo Gallery
• Windows Live Sync
• Windows Live Toolbar
• Windows Live Writer
• Windows Live Family Safety (32-bit/64-bit)
• Windows Live Movie Maker Beta

All other components are the same are do not need to be re-installed if you’re just upgrading.  Please note that some of these components can not be automatically upgraded using the MSI files.  You will need to first uninstall them manually and then install the new versions.  You can find out how to uninstall these older versions using the previous version of this article.

If you haven’t used these articles previously, this entry lists all Windows Live Suite 2009 “Wave 3” applications, a download link to the Microsoft Installer (MSI) file, what’s also necessary to install each application and a method to properly remove each without the Windows Live installer.  This allows you to install on non-supported Windows versions (Windows XP x64), fix broken Windows Live Installer installs or just to avoid the Live Installer altogether.

Note: A few of the packages come in both 32-bit and 64-bit varieties.  If you’re not sure if you are using a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system, you most likely have a 32-bit operating system and should use the 32-bit packages.  You can verify your operating system type using this article.

Windows Live Messenger
Version 2009: 14.0.8064.206
Download installer – Messenger.msi
You will also need to install: Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Windows Live Call and Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Messenger, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {0AAA9C97-74D4-47CE-B089-0B147EF3553C}

You can also uninstall Messenger 2009 (even if the above isn't working) by using my ZapMessenger utility.

Windows Live Mail
Version 2009: 14.0.8064.0206
Download Installer – Mail.msi
You will also need to install: Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Junk Mail filter update, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Mail, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {63C1109E-D977-49ED-BCE3-D00D0BF187D6}

Windows Live Toolbar
Version: 14.00.8064.0206
Download Installer – wltinstall.msi
You will also need to install: Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Search Enhancement Pack, Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime, Microsoft Sync Framework Services, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Toolbar, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {995F1E2E-F542-4310-8E1D-9926F5A279B3}

Windows Live Photo Gallery
Version 2009: 14.0.8064.206
Download Installer – PhotoLibrary.msi
You will also need to install: Windows Imaging Component (XP only), Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (32-bit) or Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (64-bit), SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (3.1), Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Direct3D 9, Windows Live Sync, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Photo Gallery, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {3C52E7DA-C431-4239-B66B-1BF703D5B194}

Windows Live Movie Maker Beta
Version: 14.0.8064 (.206)
Note that Movie Maker will only work on Vista or Windows 7 beta.
Download Installer – MovieMaker.msi
You will also need to install: Windows Imaging Component (XP only), Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (32-bit) or Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (64-bit), SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (3.1), Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Direct3D 9, Windows Live Sync, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista), Windows Live Photo Gallery
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Movie Maker Beta, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {6F6594CB-DA1B-4FFB-B397-CACE3D5F668B}

Windows Live Writer
Version: 14.0.8064.206
Download Installer – Writer.msi
You will also need to install: .NET Framework, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Live Writer, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {6A92E5C5-0578-443D-91F3-92ECE5F2CAE2}

Windows Live Family Safety
Version: 14.0.8064.0206
Download Installer (32-bit) – fssclient_x86.msi
Download Installer (64-bit) – fssclient_amd64.msi
You will also need to install: Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)

To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Family Safety (32-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {76CD2979-09C0-493A-84B3-8FD97EF4BCEA}
To uninstall Windows Live Family Safety (64-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {54E4B319-0CE0-448D-B299-EE05BC30E4D1}

Microsoft Silverlight 2.0
Version: 2.0.31005.0
Download Installer – Silverlight2.0.exe
If you don’t already have Silverlight installed or have an earlier version, the normal setup will install this latest version of Silverlight.
You will also need to install: Nothing else
To uninstall Silverlight 2.0, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {89F4137D-6C26-4A84-BDB8-2E5A4BB71E00}

Microsoft Office Live Add-in 1.3
Version: 2.0.2313.0
Download Installer – OLConnector.msi
This is only offered to you in the normal setup if you have Office installed.
Adds Office Live Workspace functionality into the Office applications’ Open and Save functions. 
You will also need to install: Microsoft Office
To uninstall Office Live Add-In 1.3, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {57F0ED40-8F11-41AA-B926-4A66D0D1A9CC}

Microsoft Office Outlook Connector
Version: 12.0.6414.1000
Download Installer – olc.msi
This is only offered to you in the normal setup if you have Outlook installed. 
You will also need to install: Microsoft Office Outlook
To uninstall Office Outlook Connector, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {95120000-0120-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}

Installer Components
These components would normally be automatically installed no matter what product you selected.  Some provide some degree of value (like the Login Assistant) whereas others are completely useless if you are doing a manual install.  Naturally, if you are a doing a manual uninstall, you should remove all of these.  Additionally, no matter what selection you choose in the normal setup, your Windows Update within Windows will be registered with Microsoft Update.

Choice Guard
Download Installer – choiceguard.msi
Sets your user homepage and default search engine during setup (if you opt-in); this one is safe to remove
To uninstall Choice Guard, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {8FFC5648-FAF8-43A3-BC8F-42BA1E275C4E}

Windows Live Sign-in Assistant
Download Installer – wllogin.msi
Allows Windows Live web pages to synchronize with your client-side Live logins (like in Messenger); previous builds have been known to cause Internet Explorer to crash on exit and you may want to remove this if this is a problem for you
To uninstall Windows Live Sign-in Assistant, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {505DF7A3-88D5-4DD6-9AD5-C98C2ED0CEC4}

Windows Live Upload Tool
Download Installer – RichUpload.msi
The ActiveX control to upload files to your Windows Live SkyDrive.
To uninstall the Windows Live Upload Tool, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {205C6BDD-7B73-42DE-8505-9A093F35A238}

Windows Live Essentials Installer
Download Installer – WLXSuite.msi
The installer setup and UI for the Windows Live Installer
To uninstall Windows Live Installer, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {C6CA8874-5F22-4AF0-9BE3-016BF299C536}

Segoe UI Font
Download Installer – SegoeFont.msi
Automatically installed normally if you don’t have the Segoe UI font already (included in Office 2007 and Windows Vista by default).  This component has not changed since the earlier beta version.
To uninstall the Segoe UI Font, click Start, then Run, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {A1F66FC9-11EE-4F2F-98C9-16F8D1E69FB7}

Secondary Components
As mentioned earlier, the majority of these applications now utilize shared additional components to work.  Here is a listing of each component, a download link, and how to uninstall each.  Be aware that some of these components are not limited to Windows Live products and removing them may affect other applications.

Microsoft Application Error Reporting
Download Installer (32-bit) – dw20shared.msi
Download Installer (64-bit) – dw20sharedamd64.msi
Installs Doctor Watson 2.0 application error reporting.  This component was known as DW 2.0 Client in the beta version and has not changed.
To uninstall Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {95120000-00B9-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}
To uninstall Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {95120000-00B9-0409-1000-0000000FF1CE}

Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime
Download Installer – crt.msi
Provides the runtime files required for software created with the latest Visual Studio, such as these Windows Live applications.
To uninstall Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {22B775E7-6C42-4FC5-8E10-9A5E3257BD94}

Direct3D 9
Download Installer – directx3d9setup.exe
Provides the latest version of Direct3D 9 for Photo Gallery/Movie Maker.

Windows Live Communications Platform
Download Installer – Contacts.msi
Windows Live Communications Platform required for Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Movie Maker to access your Live Contacts.
To uninstall Windows Live Communications Platform, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {3B4E636E-9D65-4D67-BA61-189800823F52}

Note: The Windows Live Communications Platform component has previously existed in the former beta version for Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery and Movie Maker.  Unfortunately this component has changed significantly and requires all four products to be the same version to work with this new version of the Communications Platform.  Thus, you cannot “mix and match” with the beta versions and it’s all or nothing.  However ,other applications that don’t use the Communications Platform (like Live Writer) you can happily update to the new version while keeping your existing beta versions functional.

Windows Live Call
Download Installer – wlc.msi
Optional component, originally in the previous Messenger release, Live Call provides “PC to Phone” functionality using regional third-party providers.
To uninstall Windows Live Call, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {F6BD194C-4190-4D73-B1B1-C48C99921BFE}

Windows Live Sync/Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime/Microsoft Sync Framework Services
Download Installer Windows Live Sync – WindowsLiveSync.msi
Download Installer Sync Framework Runtime – SyncNative.msi
Download Installer Sync Framework Services – ProviderServicesNative.msi
The necessary runtime files for Live Sync for the various applications.  In Photo Gallery, Live Sync is used to sync your photo gallery across multiple machines (see File menu, Setup gallery sync…).  In the Toolbar, Live Sync is used to automatically sync your browser favorites across multiple machines.
To uninstall Windows Live Sync, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {A1BF9950-8CDB-468E-83FA-EACFB00EA7D5}
To uninstall Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {8A74E887-8F0F-4017-AF53-CBA42211AAA5}
To uninstall Microsoft Sync Framework Services, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {BD64AF4A-8C80-4152-AD77-FCDDF05208AB}

Search Enhancement Pack
Download Installer - MicrosoftSearchEnhancementPack.msi
Extensions for the Live Toolbar’s Search Bar
To uninstall the Search Enhancement Pack, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {9C9CEB9D-53FD-49A7-85D2-FE674F72F24E}

Junk Mail filter update
Download Installer - SpamFilterData.msi
The latest Junk Mail filter for filtering spam in Windows Live Mail.
To uninstall Junk Mail filter update, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {4DE3E3D9-AE81-45DE-9195-3015F7B1DBF3}

Windows Imaging Component (XP only)
Download XP Installer (32-bit) – wic_x86_enu.exe
Download XP Installer (64-bit) – wic_x64_enu.exe
The Windows Imaging Component (WIC) provides WIC-enabled applications to display and edit any image format for which a WIC-compliant codec is installed, and also to read and write metadata in image files.  In this case, Photo Gallery.

Windows Imaging Component Hotfix
Download XP Installer (32-bit) – WindowsXP-KB954708-x86-ENU.exe
Download Vista Installer (32-bit) – Windows6.0-KB954708-x86.msu
Download Vista Installer (64-bit) – Windows6.0-KB954708-x64.msu
Adds support for XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) to Windows Imaging; see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954708 for more info.  This component has not changed since the beta release.
To uninstall the Windows Imaging Component Hotfix, visit Add or Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (Vista) in the Control Panel, choose the option to show updates, then right-click and remove the update appended by KB954708.  Alternatively, execute pkgmgr /up:Package_for_KB954708~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.1.0 (32-bit) or pkgmgr /up:Package_for_KB954708~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.1.0 (64-bit).

SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition
Download Installer - SQLServerCE31-EN.msi
Backend database for Photo Gallery & Movie Maker.  This component has not changed since the beta release.
To uninstall SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {F0B430D1-B6AA-473D-9B06-AA3DD01FD0B8}

One feature you may not even be aware exists is the ability to change your Windows Live ID e-mail address and have all your associated accounts and contact list automatically updated.  This isn’t a new feature by any means, but it’s always been placed subtly in the Live ID/Passport web site so most people wouldn’t discover it unless you were really looking for the feature.  If you want to see where it currently is, sign into the Windows Live ID account site, and just note the ‘Change’ link next to your e-mail address.  Note: if you don’t see the Change link, read on.

There have been two long standing issues with the process.  The first is that you can’t change Hotmail.com, MSN.com or Live.com (including all the localized country versions there of) to another address as those domains are “reserved” (note that Microsoft has provided the ability from time to time to switch to one of these reserved domains however).  The second is that you typically needed to remain offline for a good few hours for the modifications to all your contacts’ contact lists to your new address.  Before about a month ago, I was recommending to people to just make the change before shutting down for their day, and everything would be ready when they woke up.

Broken
However, beginning with this latest update to the “Wave 3” Live web sites, this feature has become quite unreliable and in general, your Messenger contact list will never be updated.  So although the web site currently claims all you have to do is wait 48-hours, you’ll end up with a contact list of offline contacts even after the wait.  Since your contacts won’t have your updated address on their contact list, they’ll see you as offline too.  You end up in a limbo state.

What to do
If this has happened to you, the easiest fix is to return to the Live ID site and switch your address back to the previous one.  After signing back into Messenger using the old address, your contacts will all be online again as per normal.  You can then try again hopefully when this problem finally gets fixed.

Unfortunately this fix won’t work for those who have switched to a live.com (or localized version there of) address.  For those people you can ask your contacts to manually add you to their contact list and you’ll immediately appear online to each other.

Additionally, if this happens to you, you’ll want to let the Windows Live ID support team know, as they do eventually escalate it up to someone to be corrected.  You can get to the support form by heading to the Live ID support help section, click the link to any of the articles on the side, and then choose the ‘Get more help’ link at the bottom right.

One thing I love about new Windows releases is the small features that rarely make it to any marketing materials.  Vista is just loaded with these but I’ve never gotten around to making any posts about them.  Now that 7 (albeit in beta form) is available, there’s lots of new things to discover.

That said, I was perusing the sound control panel earlier today and noticed this gem in the recording properties for my LX-3000 headset:
 

So when I turn this on, anything I say into the headset is then outputted by the speakers.  There’s plenty of possible uses here, and like the description says in the window, you could hook up an audio player to an audio input and use this to have it output to a USB headset or speakers.  I know a lot of devices can already do this when you install the device specific software, but it’s nice to have a generic solution available.  I’m sure there’s lots of other scenarios where this might be useful too, besides the sheer entertainment value of hearing your voice boom out from your speakers (yes, I tried it – for testing of course).

Behind the scenes, I don’t believe there’s anything new here as the WASAPI (Windows Audio Session API) introduced in Vista supports this sort of messing around with audio endpoints but there was never any UI or non-programatic way to do it. 

Another option for this sort of feature that’s been available for a long time is the Audio Repeater utility included with Virtual Audio Cable.  I’ve found plenty of weird and wonderful uses for VAC over the years, but that’s another blog entry. 

 Introducing Messenger Taskbar Hider
Messenger Taskbar Hider will automatically hide the taskbar icon/button for Windows Live Messenger in Windows 7/Vista and XP.  Additionally in Windows 7, you can just hide the "extra" window generated as well, although if you're looking for the notification area icon to come back, see "Windows 7 Notes" below. 

Can I still get to the main Messenger window?
Of course, this will only hide the appropriate taskbar button/icon.  You can still keep the Messenger window up on your screen, access it via the Alt-Tab keyboard hotkey, double-click the icon in the notification area (Vista/XP only) or just run Messenger from a shortcut/start menu to bring it up.  Additionally, the taskbar button/icon may appear when you are in focus of the main window so you can still access its system menu; it will disappear again when you switch to another application.  When hiding the extra button/icon in Windows 7, Messenger will operate like it did in previous versions of Windows.

Can I hide other applications/windows?
Messenger Taskbar Hider is actually based on a personal project of mine called Taskbar Hider which allows any application or window to be hidden in the same manner.  I’ll be posting it in the near future. 

Other uses of Messenger Taskbar Hider
Personally, I’ve been using Messenger Taskbar Hider to hide the icon for the main Messenger window so I could keep Messenger on a second monitor at all times without the annoyance of a taskbar button in the way.  Why use a performance-hogging sidebar gadget/widget when you can just have the real Messenger client available at your command?

Windows 7 Notes
Messenger Taskbar Hider will default to just removing the "extra" contact tile window on Windows 7.  You can change this to the full hiding of the main Messenger window by using the option shown under Options below.

Note that if you're looking to bring back the notification area icon (by the clock), this application will not do this at this time.  Instead simply set Messenger's msnmsgr.exe executable into Vista compatibility mode.

With Hide extra Windows 7 window mode turned on:
 

Without Messenger Taskbar Hider on Windows 7:

How to use
All you need to do is just run the installer.  It does not require administrative rights to install nor to use (similar to the Google Chrome experience).  It will automatically start and begin working immediately after installation and will set itself to start when you login to Windows.

Options
You can get the Options window by going to the Start menu and searching for Messenger Taskbar Hider (for XP users it will be under the Jonathan Kay All programs group).  The Stop button will stop Messenger Taskbar Hider from running and Check for updates will see if there have been any updates to the application.

You can uncheck ‘Run at startup’ to stop Messenger Taskbar Hider from running when you login to Windows and unchecking the ‘Monthly version check’ will stop Messenger Taskbar Hider from checking once a month for a new version automatically.  On Windows 7 the ‘Hide extra Win7 window only’ option will appear which removes only the extra window that appears on Windows 7 (see above under Windows 7 Notes).

Requirements
Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
Both 32-bit or 64-bit supported
Windows Live Messenger (any version)

Download

Version history:
1/5/2009  1.0.0.0  Initial Release

Earlier today I was assisting my mother in uploading some photos to Facebook.  Not only is it a rather painful process (even using the Photo Gallery plug-in as it never seems to remember your account), but she was rather perturbed when I pointed out that the images would be resized to an abysmally small size.

With that said I took some pictures of my Christmas Tree this year, signed into my Live ID using Photo Gallery, uploaded them to my SkyDrive account, opened up Writer here, clicked to add a Photo album and here it is:

View Full Album

Not only was it extremely convenient, but you get rich large images – you can even elect to keep them the original size but I thought that was a tad overkill.

Now the real question – why doesn’t Messenger support any of this rich integration?  How about linking people to my album in my personal message (yes I can copy/paste the link manually) or showing my albums in the display picture, backgrounds, or scenes selection windows?  It will show up in the what’s new feed, or my contact card, but that’s about it…

Earlier this week it was pointed out to me that the Music Mix activity wasn’t working.  As of Saturday, December 20th, it is still not functional and does appear to be broken at Microsoft as opposed to something broken in Messenger (the client running on your PC) or on specific computers.

UPDATE (January 26/09): I've been checking this problem off and on since it was reported over a month ago and it seems that they've recently actually removed Music Mix from most locales' "Activities" menus.  It does still appear if you have your Windows Live ID set to Australian however (there may be other locales too that I haven't checked), and the activity is still broken as below.

If you want to try it, click the Activities button in the conversation window, choose Music Mix and have your contact accept the invitation.  If it is still not working, you’ll receive the “Object reference not set to an instance of an object” error:

 
What’s displayed here is actually debugging information for the server, not your local computer.  That said, you won’t find this mentioned App_Web_pywtlnzh.3.cs file on your own PC nor will uninstall/installing or other so-called “solutions”.  Additionally, it doesn’t matter which locale your Live ID is set to or what version you’re using, they all will fail with this message.

This post will be updated once the problem has been corrected. 

This is an old article and relates to a previous release of Windows Live 2009 applications. Although you can continue to download and use these older versions for the time being, it is recommended that you go to the updated article and download the latest version of the applications there.

This article supersedes the Installing/uninstalling Windows Live Wave 3 beta applications with the latest release versions of the Windows Live “Wave 3” 2009 products.   The Office Live Add-in and Silverlight have now entered the standard suite of applications.  Additionally, new components have been added into the suite, Live Sync services for Photo Gallery and the Toolbar, Direct 3D 9 runtime for Photo Gallery and Movie Maker, the Windows Live Upload Tool, and a junk mail filter update for Live Mail.

The Segoe UI Font, Microsoft Application Error Reporting (DW 2.0 Client), SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (SQL Server CE 3.1), and Windows Imaging Component Hotfix components have not changed since the beta release and do not need to be reinstalled if you are doing a manual install.

If you haven’t used these articles previously, this entry lists all Windows Live Suite 2009 “Wave 3” applications, a download link to the Microsoft Installer (MSI) file, what’s also necessary to install each application and a method to properly remove each without the Windows Live installer.  This allows you to install on non-supported Windows versions (Windows XP x64), fix broken Windows Live Installer installs or just to avoid the Live Installer altogether.

Note: A few of the packages come in both 32-bit and 64-bit varieties.  If you’re not sure if you are using a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system, you most likely have a 32-bit operating system and should use the 32-bit packages.  You can verify your operating system type using this article.

Windows Live Messenger
Version 2009: 14.0.8050.1202
Download installer – Messenger.msi
You will also need to install: Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Windows Live Call and Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Messenger, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {0AAA9C97-74D4-47CE-B089-0B147EF3553C}

You can also uninstall Messenger 2009 (even if the above isn't working) by using my ZapMessenger utility.

Windows Live Mail
Version 2009: 14.0.8050.1202
Download Installer – Mail.msi
You will also need to install: Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Junk Mail filter update, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Mail, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {63C1109E-D977-49ED-BCE3-D00D0BF187D6}

Windows Live Toolbar
Version: 14.00.8052.1208
Download Installer – wltinstall.msi
You will also need to install: Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Search Enhancement Pack, Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime, Microsoft Sync Framework Services, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Toolbar, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {2B4C7E1E-E446-4740-ADB5-9842E742EE8A}

Windows Live Photo Gallery
Version 2009: 14.0.8051.1204
Download Installer – PhotoLibrary.msi
You will also need to install: Windows Imaging Component (XP only), Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (32-bit) or Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (64-bit), SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (3.1), Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Direct3D 9, Windows Live Sync, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Photo Gallery, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {F73A5B18-EB75-4B2C-B32D-9457576E2417}

Windows Live Movie Maker Beta
Version: 14.0.8051 (.1204)
Note that Movie Maker will only work on Vista.
Download Installer – MovieMaker.msi
You will also need to install: Windows Imaging Component (XP only), Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (32-bit) or Windows Imaging Component Hotfix (64-bit), SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (3.1), Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit) or Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, Windows Live Communications Platform, Direct3D 9, Windows Live Sync, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista), Windows Live Photo Gallery
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Movie Maker Beta, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {2208D65A-1BF9-485E-A308-1BA6CADCDC1D}

Windows Live Writer
Version: 14.0.8050.1202
Download Installer – Writer.msi
You will also need to install: .NET Framework, Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)
To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Live Writer, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {6A92E5C5-0578-443D-91F3-92ECE5F2CAE2}

Windows Live Family Safety
Version: 14.0.8052.1208
Download Installer (32-bit) – fssclient_x86.msi
Download Installer (64-bit) – fssclient_amd64.msi
You will also need to install: Segoe UI Font (not necessary on Vista)
Optional secondary components: Installer Components (see later section)

To uninstall these secondary components, see Secondary Components below.
To uninstall Windows Live Family Safety (32-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {DC509FE5-1445-46C9-827C-6120429CB942}
To uninstall Windows Live Family Safety (64-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {48B0F24F-B828-4B1A-A22E-C65454B32A7A}

Microsoft Silverlight 2.0
Version: 2.0.31005.0
Download Installer – Silverlight2.0.exe
If you don’t already have Silverlight installed or have an earlier version, the normal setup will install this latest version of Silverlight.
You will also need to install: Nothing else
To uninstall Silverlight 2.0, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {89F4137D-6C26-4A84-BDB8-2E5A4BB71E00}

Microsoft Office Live Add-in 1.3
Version: 2.0.2313.0
Download Installer – OLConnector.msi
This is only offered to you in the normal setup if you have Office installed.
Adds Office Live Workspace functionality into the Office applications’ Open and Save functions. 
You will also need to install: Microsoft Office
To uninstall Office Live Add-In 1.3, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {57F0ED40-8F11-41AA-B926-4A66D0D1A9CC}

Microsoft Office Outlook Connector
Version: 12.0.6414.1000
Download Installer – olc.msi
This is only offered to you in the normal setup if you have Outlook installed. 
You will also need to install: Microsoft Office Outlook
To uninstall Office Outlook Connector, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {95120000-0120-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}

Installer Components
These components would normally be automatically installed no matter what product you selected.  Some provide some degree of value (like the Login Assistant) whereas others are completely useless if you are doing a manual install.  Naturally, if you are a doing a manual uninstall, you should remove all of these.  Additionally, no matter what selection you choose in the normal setup, your Windows Update within Windows will be registered with Microsoft Update.

Choice Guard
Download Installer – choiceguard.msi
Sets your user homepage and default search engine during setup (if you opt-in); this one is safe to remove
To uninstall Choice Guard, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {8FFC5648-FAF8-43A3-BC8F-42BA1E275C4E}

Windows Live Sign-in Assistant
Download Installer – wllogin.msi
Allows Windows Live web pages to synchronize with your client-side Live logins (like in Messenger); previous builds have been known to cause Internet Explorer to crash on exit and you may want to remove this if this is a problem for you
To uninstall Windows Live Sign-in Assistant, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {505DF7A3-88D5-4DD6-9AD5-C98C2ED0CEC4}

Windows Live Upload Tool
Download Installer – RichUpload.msi
The ActiveX control to upload files to your Windows Live SkyDrive.
To uninstall the Windows Live Upload Tool, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {205C6BDD-7B73-42DE-8505-9A093F35A238}

Windows Live Essentials Installer
Download Installer – WLXSuite.msi
The installer setup and UI for the Windows Live Installer
To uninstall Windows Live Installer, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {D9D754A1-EAC5-406C-A28B-C49B1E846711}

Segoe UI Font
Download Installer – SegoeFont.msi
Automatically installed normally if you don’t have the Segoe UI font already (included in Office 2007 and Windows Vista by default).  This component has not changed since the earlier beta version.
To uninstall the Segoe UI Font, click Start, then Run, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {A1F66FC9-11EE-4F2F-98C9-16F8D1E69FB7}

Secondary Components
As mentioned earlier, the majority of these applications now utilize shared additional components to work.  Here is a listing of each component, a download link, and how to uninstall each.  Be aware that some of these components are not limited to Windows Live products and removing them may affect other applications.

Microsoft Application Error Reporting
Download Installer (32-bit) – dw20shared.msi
Download Installer (64-bit) – dw20sharedamd64.msi
Installs Doctor Watson 2.0 application error reporting.  This component was known as DW 2.0 Client in the beta version and has not changed.
To uninstall Microsoft Application Error Reporting (32-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {95120000-00B9-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}
To uninstall Microsoft Application Error Reporting (64-bit), click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {95120000-00B9-0409-1000-0000000FF1CE}

Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime
Download Installer – crt.msi
Provides the runtime files required for software created with the latest Visual Studio, such as these Windows Live applications.
To uninstall Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {22B775E7-6C42-4FC5-8E10-9A5E3257BD94}

Direct3D 9
Download Installer – directx3d9setup.exe
Provides the latest version of Direct3D 9 for Photo Gallery/Movie Maker.

Windows Live Communications Platform
Download Installer – Contacts.msi
Windows Live Communications Platform required for Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Movie Maker to access your Live Contacts.
To uninstall Windows Live Communications Platform, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {F69E83CF-B440-43F8-89E6-6EA80712109B}

Note: The Windows Live Communications Platform component has previously existed in the former beta version for Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery and Movie Maker.  Unfortunately this component has changed significantly and requires all four products to be the same version to work with this new version of the Communications Platform.  Thus, you cannot “mix and match” with the beta versions and it’s all or nothing.  However ,other applications that don’t use the Communications Platform (like Live Writer) you can happily update to the new version while keeping your existing beta versions functional.

Windows Live Call
Download Installer – wlc.msi
Optional component, originally in the previous Messenger release, Live Call provides “PC to Phone” functionality using regional third-party providers.
To uninstall Windows Live Call, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {020D8396-D6D9-4B53-A9A1-83C47E2E27AA}

Windows Live Sync/Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime/Microsoft Sync Framework Services
Download Installer Windows Live Sync – WindowsLiveSync.msi
Download Installer Sync Framework Runtime – SyncNative.msi
Download Installer Sync Framework Services – ProviderServicesNative.msi
The necessary runtime files for Live Sync for the various applications.  In Photo Gallery, Live Sync is used to sync your photo gallery across multiple machines (see File menu, Setup gallery sync…).  In the Toolbar, Live Sync is used to automatically sync your browser favorites across multiple machines.
To uninstall Windows Live Sync, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {FDD810CA-D5E3-40E9-AB7B-36440B0D41EF}
To uninstall Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {8A74E887-8F0F-4017-AF53-CBA42211AAA5}
To uninstall Microsoft Sync Framework Services, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {BD64AF4A-8C80-4152-AD77-FCDDF05208AB}

Search Enhancement Pack
Download Installer - MicrosoftSearchEnhancementPack.msi
Extensions for the Live Toolbar’s Search Bar
To uninstall the Search Enhancement Pack, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {299CF645-48C7-4FA1-8BCD-5CE200CF180D}

Junk Mail filter update
Download Installer - SpamFilterData.msi
The latest Junk Mail filter for filtering spam in Windows Live Mail.
To uninstall Junk Mail filter update, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {4AB8B41B-3AF1-46BE-99B0-0ACD3B300C0A}

Windows Imaging Component (XP only)
Download XP Installer (32-bit) – wic_x86_enu.exe
Download XP Installer (64-bit) – wic_x64_enu.exe
The Windows Imaging Component (WIC) provides WIC-enabled applications to display and edit any image format for which a WIC-compliant codec is installed, and also to read and write metadata in image files.  In this case, Photo Gallery.

Windows Imaging Component Hotfix
Download XP Installer (32-bit) – WindowsXP-KB954708-x86-ENU.exe
Download Vista Installer (32-bit) – Windows6.0-KB954708-x86.msu
Download Vista Installer (64-bit) – Windows6.0-KB954708-x64.msu
Adds support for XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) to Windows Imaging; see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954708 for more info.  This component has not changed since the beta release.
To uninstall the Windows Imaging Component Hotfix, visit Add or Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (Vista) in the Control Panel, choose the option to show updates, then right-click and remove the update appended by KB954708.  Alternatively, execute pkgmgr /up:Package_for_KB954708~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.1.0 (32-bit) or pkgmgr /up:Package_for_KB954708~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.1.0 (64-bit).

SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition
Download Installer - SQLServerCE31-EN.msi
Backend database for Photo Gallery & Movie Maker.  This component has not changed since the beta release.
To uninstall SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition, click Start, then Run if using XP, then type/paste the following and press Enter:
msiexec /x {F0B430D1-B6AA-473D-9B06-AA3DD01FD0B8}

A regular issue faced is the dreaded “Another version of the product is already installed”, “Your computer has a newer version of MSN Messenger than the one you are trying to install”, ““Your computer has a newer version of Windows Live Messenger than the one you are trying to install”, “The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable” and similar messages.

Additionally, in some cases the installer can’t be found in the Control Panel’s Programs applet or has become damaged with a  Catastrophic failure (0x8000ffff) error or the Windows Installer is prompting for a missing .msi file which you can’t find anymore. 

There are fixes for all these problems, but they’re complicated and can be frustrating to some people.

The fix
With all this in mind, I developed ZapMessenger – the one step tool to completely remove Windows Live Messenger, MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger 5.x.  The first thing ZapMessenger will do is attempt to cleanly uninstall Messenger normally and if that fails for any reason, it will forcibly remove Messenger from the Windows Installer engine allowing you to reinstall at your leisure without hindrance.

How to use
To use ZapMessenger, just download the zip and run the executable.  No installation is required.   Please note that the .NET Framework 2.0 or above is required, which you can install from Microsoft if you don’t already have it.  The Framework has been on Windows Update for quite some time and is included in Vista by default, so more than likely it is already installed.

Common questions
Will this remove any of my personal customizations – emoticons, display pictures, etc.?
No, currently ZapMessenger deals with the application itself – your personal data will remain and won’t be touched.  I am considering adding this an option to future releases for those looking to do a complete “clean” install.

I get a ".NET Framework Initialization Error" or "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000135). Click on OK to terminate the application" when I run ZapMessenger
You’ll need to install at least the 2.0 .NET Framework on your machine.

Version history
11/19/2008  1.0.0.0  Initial release

I noticed today on the Yahoo Messenger blog that they had axed Yahoo Messenger for Vista.  For those who weren’t aware of it, initially the client was just a rumour, then screenshots and demos appeared and then finally it was released as a preview about 10 months ago.  Since then, Yahoo has improved every few months by adding more and more functionality that you would expect from any IM client.

And unlike what was published over at Messenger Stuff claiming that Windows Live Messenger 2009 would be built with WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) or have so-called “WPF Effects” (it has neither), Yahoo Messenger for Vista was written entirely in WPF and managed code (.NET).  In addition to this, it also supported certain Vista only functionality, such as a sidebar gadget to display a favourite contact (poor man’s implementation of Messenger Plus’ desktop contacts) and some unique features like voice visualizations.

That all said, I’m surprised it’s been killed off given that the basic functionality of most IM clients was complete.  The client was relatively stable and it certainly felt “cutting-edge”.  I suspect either current economic events have killed this project off or some internal management restructuring was it’s final end.  It really is a shame that a such promising project has ended ad will no longer be available. 

In an industry like IM where innovation seems to be non-existent, it was quite refreshing to see something new.  It’s unfortunate that now Microsoft and others will have no reason to consider the same route, since there will be no competition in this regard.