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Escargot is a service that makes old versions of MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger work again. Learn how to get started, what features are supported, and why this project is important for nostalgic users.
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Apr 27, 2013 · Microsoft recently discontinued Windows Live Messenger in favour of Skype, meaning many of us no longer have access to chat logs or the familiarity of MSN. Now, there is a way to bring it back.
- Max Slater-Robins
- Goodbye Windows Live Messenger and Third-Party Clients
- Migrating to Skype
- The Best Tech Newsletter Around
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On March 15, you will no longer be able to sign into Messenger using the Windows Live Messenger desktop application. If you attempt to sign in, you will be prompted to download Skype and uninstall Messenger from your computer.
If you use another application to chat on Windows Live Messenger – such as Pidgin or Trillian – these applications will likely cease to function as well. However, it will not be as simple as changing your client to use Skype instead of Windows Live Messenger. The Skype plug-in for Pidgin only allows you to chat with your Skype buddies while Skype is already open and running in the background. Trillian’s Skype support is a bit more integrated, but it still needs Skype installed and does not work at the moment because of changes to the Skype protocol.
If you want to continue using your Windows Live Messenger account and chatting with your contacts, you will need to migrate your Messenger account to Skype. This migration can go one of two ways, depending on whether you already have a Skype account you want to merge your account with or not.
First, ensure you have the latest version of Skype installed. You can download it from Skype’s website or use the Help > Check for Updates option within Skype. If you are already signed into Skype, use the Skype > Sign Out option to sign out and go back to the login screen.
From the login screen, select the option to sign in with a Microsoft account.
Sign in with your Microsoft account (formerly known as your Windows Live ID: the same account you use to sign into Windows Live Messenger).
You will see a screen asking you if you already have a Skype account. If you do not, click the I’m new to Skype button and your Microsoft account will be linked with a new Skype account. If you do, click the I have a Skype account option and you will be able to merge your Microsoft account with your existing Skype account.
Whichever option you select, you will see your Windows Live Messenger contacts appear on your Skype Contacts list. Assuming everyone switches over, you will be able to continue chatting with your contacts from within Skype.
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Learn how to migrate your Windows Live Messenger account and contacts to Skype before March 15, 2013. Find out why Skype is the only official option for chatting and how it works on different platforms.
- Former Editor-In-Chief
MSN Messenger, later Windows Live Messenger, was a popular instant-messaging client by Microsoft from 1999 to 2013. Learn about its development, compatibility, interoperability, and discontinuation, as well as its predecessor and successor services.
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Jun 20, 2006 · Learn the difference between three versions of Microsoft's instant messaging clients: Windows Live Messenger, MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger. Find out which one you should use and how to avoid confusion.
Oct 19, 2020 · Learn how to use a free app called Messenger Reviver to restore the old Windows Live Messenger on your PC. This program was created by a former Microsoft employee and works with Skype integration.
