MSN Messenger 4.5

[Jlo555]

Does anyone know how to make MSN Messenger 4.5 work. (I know there are newer versions, but for some reason I've become obsessed with trying to make v4.5 work.) I downloaded the installer from oldversion.com and installed it perfectly, but when it tries to connect to MSN's servers, it complains that the "service is not compatible with this version of the program." That IMO is a load of crap. I was able to take a hex editor to the executable file and replace all of the text strings that say "4.5.0121" with "7.5.0311," with no luck. Anyone know how to make v4.5 work?

[Crash&Burn]

It doesn't work for the same reason Trillian has gone thru growing pains w/ Yahoo and MSN. Those networks have changed connection certification. In trillian and other multi-IM programs the .dll handling those 2 had to be rewritten. In MSN proper I doubt it has a .dll its very likely contained within the binary executable itself. So really theres not going to be much one can do to force it to connect to the network.

[Jlo555]

Thanks for the quick reply! Oh well, in that case I guess I'll just have to upgrade then. At least it's not that way with operating systems, sort of.

[Solid as a rock]

Thanks for the quick reply! Oh well, in that case I guess I'll just have to upgrade then. At least it's not that way with operating systems, sort of.

you knows 4.7 will work at the MSN network without any patches or hacks?

[somewan]

It doesn't work for the same reason Trillian has gone thru growing pains w/ Yahoo and MSN. Those networks have changed connection certification. In trillian and other multi-IM programs the .dll handling those 2 had to be rewritten. In MSN proper I doubt it has a .dll its very likely contained within the binary executable itself. So really theres not going to be much one can do to force it to connect to the network.

What leads you to believe it's not in a DLL? Aren't MS applications notorious for relying

on large numbers of subtly incompatble DLLs?

Generally speaking, any software can be hacked into shape, with sufficient time,

skill and motivation.

[Crash&Burn]

Cool. And let us know when your done with that will you Somewan.

Edited November 22, 2005 by Crash&Burn

[somewan]

Cool. And let us know when your done with that will you Somewan.

Alas, other challenges seem more exciting as well as compelling in

terms of potential results.

A great example of the latter is the annoyingly slow "New" context

menu of the Windows Explorer. Do you know what it does before

showing you the menu? It searches one of the largest parts of the

registry - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - for "ShellNew" subkeys! And they

didn't even have the common sense of feeling embarrassed enough

to leave it undocumented.

Having searched the web numerous times for quick and easy

solutions, a few months ago I finally gathered sufficient motivation

to find and fix it myself.

A few well invested days of setting and clearing breakpoints,

disassembling, rebooting and patching I arrived at the following,

nearly perfect set of modifications, generously presented for

your hex-editing pleasure:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\shdoc>comp shdoc401.dll ..
Comparing SHDOC401.DLL and ..\SHDOC401.DLL...
Compare error at OFFSET 1E9FF
file1 = 53
file2 = E9
Compare error at OFFSET 1EA00
file1 = 53
file2 = 9F
Compare error at OFFSET 1EA01
file1 = 68
file2 = 1
Compare error at OFFSET 1EA03
file1 = 8
file2 = 0
Compare error at OFFSET 1EBAA
file1 = 3
file2 = 2
Compare error at OFFSET 1EC18
file1 = 1
file2 = 0