69-536: ABCH may refer to: Address Book Clearing House, a feature of Microsoft Windows Live Messenger 8.0 The trading symbol for BancABC , a financial services provider in Central and Southern Africa, on the Botswana Stock Exchange and Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
138-419: A single sign-on service for all web commerce. Microsoft Passport received much criticism. A prominent critic was Kim Cameron , the author of The Laws of Identity, who questioned Microsoft Passport in its violations of those laws. He then joined Microsoft in 1999 after his company was acquired and was its chief architect of access and identity until his 2019 retirement, helping to address those violations in
207-479: A work or school account which are set up by an administrator as part of an organization. These accounts are separate from Microsoft accounts (which is also called personal account ) and cannot be merged, but may be used side-by-side by a user. A work or school account uses the Azure Active Directory domain platform. Microsoft Passport, the predecessor to Windows Live ID, was originally positioned as
276-501: A "report abuse" option in the help menu, interoperability with Yahoo! Messenger , and improvements to user status on Windows Vista A minor update, the Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta 1 Refresh, was released on December 13, 2006, and fixed bugs that were causing some people to be unable to sign in and others unable to see their contact list. The final version 8.1 was released on January 29, 2007. No changes were made from
345-463: A Microsoft account authentication server. A new user signing into a Microsoft account-enabled website is first redirected to the nearest authentication server, which asks for username and password over an SSL connection. The user may select to have their computer remember their login: a newly signed-in user has an encrypted time-limited cookie stored on their computer and receives a triple DES encrypted ID-tag that previously has been agreed upon between
414-402: A bit of machine code sent by the server. When this code runs, it determines if the client is AIM and sends a message back to verify the client. Since then, the software has only allowed connections to its own service, requiring a Windows Live ID ( .NET Passport at that time) account to connect. Microsoft released the first major update, version 2.0 (2.0.0083), on November 16, 1999. It included
483-734: A broad range of web server platforms - including ASP.NET ( C# ), Java , Perl , PHP , Python and Ruby . On October 27, 2008, Microsoft announced that it was publicly committed to supporting the OpenID framework, with Windows Live ID becoming an OpenID provider. This would allow users to use their Windows Live ID to sign into any website that supports OpenID authentication. There had been no update on Microsoft's planned implementation of OpenID since August 2009, however since November 2013 Microsoft have publicly participated in OpenID Connect interoperability testing. On June 17, 2007, Erik Duindam,
552-484: A local or domain user. In addition to using an account password, users can login to their Microsoft account by accepting a mobile notification sent to a mobile device with Microsoft Authenticator, a FIDO 2 security token or by using Windows Hello . Users can also set up two-factor authentication by getting a time-based, single-use code by text, phone call or using an authenticator app. Users' credentials are not checked by Microsoft account-enabled websites, but by
621-541: A means of identifying users. There are also several other companies that use it, such as the Hoyts website which is hosted by NineMSN . Windows XP and later has an option to link a local Windows user account with a Microsoft account, thus automatically logging users in to their Microsoft account whenever a service is accessed. Starting with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 , Windows allows users to directly authenticate into their PCs using their Microsoft account rather than
690-439: A new Photo Sharing utility that allows contacts to quickly and easily browse photos together, and a "What's New" section at the bottom of the contact list to outline recent contact updates. Display pictures have been moved over to the left side of conversation windows, and new colorful borders appear around display pictures to display the current status of that contact. Milestone 3 is the first version of Windows Live Messenger to use
759-549: A potential threat to privacy after it was revealed that Microsoft would have full access to and usage of customer information. The privacy terms were quickly updated by Microsoft to allay customers' fears. In July and August 2001, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and a coalition of fourteen leading consumer groups filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging that
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#1733094432798828-469: A public beta of Windows Live Messenger Wave 4 was released as part of the new Windows Live Essentials beta. A "beta refresh" of Windows Live Messenger Wave 4 was released on August 17, 2010, as part of an upgraded Windows Live Essentials beta. The final version of Windows Live Messenger 2011 (Wave 4) was released on September 30, 2010. On the same date, a version of Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD also became available. On June 14, 2012, Microsoft made
897-449: A removal of the custom sign-in sound feature however it is still possible to select a sound for other individuals, as well as changes to how the background image chosen is applied to the conversation windows. This build also included over 200 bug fixes including the "Custom Emoticon Bug" and saving of pictures when using the Photo sharing feature. On January 7, 2009, the same build was released as
966-621: A revamped interface which brings the "What's new" section of Windows Live to the new "social pane", similar to the way a social networking site presents updates. Among the new features are tabbed conversations, a redesign of the old emoticons, integration of Bing results, built-in video message support, HD video chat, in-line commenting of social updates, a new social photo viewer that supports commenting (for Facebook and SkyDrive photos), badges support, synchronized status updates, availability by categories, as well as integration with Facebook chat . However, several features had also been removed from
1035-511: A rotating advertising banner and the ability to customize the appearance of the chat window. It came as an install option for Windows Me . This version was followed the next year by version 3.0 (3.0.0080), which was released May 29, 2000. It included file transfers and PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone audio capabilities with Net2Phone and Callserve, two of the larger VoIP providers. Along with the release of Windows XP came version 4.6 of MSN Messenger, on October 23, 2001. It included major changes to
1104-450: A simplistic contact list. When it was first released, it featured support for access to America Online 's AIM network. America Online continually tried to block Microsoft from having access to their service until eventually the feature was removed, and it has not re-surfaced in any later versions of the software. AOL did this by exploiting a buffer overflow bug in AIM, which causes it to execute
1173-403: A single set of credentials - these usernames are in the same form as an email address . Microsoft account offers a user two different methods for creating an account: The domains @live.com and @passport.com, as well as other domains are no longer offered, but existing accounts are maintained. Microsoft websites, services, and apps such as Bing , MSN and Xbox Live use Microsoft account as
1242-551: A video call, the Send button, some games (depending on your localization) and integration with Windows Contacts . Other features were replaced, such as Sharing Folders (replaced by integration with Windows Live SkyDrive) and background sharing (replaced by the "Scene" feature). On December 15, 2008, Windows Live Messenger 2009 RC (Build 14.0.8050.1202) was released together with the other Windows Live Wave 3 software applications, now renamed as Windows Live Essentials . This version saw
1311-475: A web developer in the Netherlands, reported a privacy and identity risk, saying a "critical error was made by Microsoft programmers that allows everyone to create an ID for virtually any e-mail address." A procedure was found to allow users to register invalid or currently used e-mail addresses. Upon registration with a valid e-mail address, an e-mail verification link was sent to the user. Before using it however,
1380-411: A week later, Microsoft began sending out emails welcoming them to the Windows Live Messenger "9" beta program for the first release, known as Beta 0. A fan site for Windows Live Messenger, Mess.be, claimed to have a new build of Windows Live Messenger "9" on August 11, 2008, and published screenshots along with a brief summary of new features. The screenshots featured a new user interface design matching
1449-453: A wider user base—to communicate with Windows Live Messenger contacts. In 2013, the product was discontinued, and Microsoft began cutting service to existing clients. It remained active in China for another 18 months and ceased operations there on October 31, 2014. In 2018, a free version of Microsoft Teams became available after years as a component of an Office 365 subscription. Teams inherited
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#17330944327981518-424: Is a single sign-on personal user account for Microsoft customers to log in to consumer Microsoft services (like Outlook.com ), devices running on one of Microsoft's current operating systems (e.g. Microsoft Windows computers and tablets, Xbox consoles), and Microsoft application software (including Visual Studio ). Microsoft account allows users to sign into websites that support this service using
1587-530: Is a recent feature of Windows Live Messenger 2011, and is a departure from the previous versions of Windows Live Messenger, where blocking a contact would prevent the "blockee" from sending the user any messages to the "blocker". With the "appear offline to" configuration currently implemented, "hidden from" users can still send "offline messages" to the target. Users can connect services such as Facebook , MySpace and LinkedIn using Windows Live Profile , and display their contact's Messenger social updates within
1656-567: Is interactive and supports full screen and slideshow modes, as well as viewing and uploading comments on Facebook and SkyDrive albums. It also supports people tagging for SkyDrive. The album viewer closely resembles the Microsoft Silverlight counterpart for web photo albums present on SkyDrive. Windows Live Messenger allows users to appear offline to particular individual contacts, as well as to an entire category within Windows Live Messenger, while appearing online to other contacts. This
1725-457: Is the ability to import and save/export instant messaging contacts to and from .CTT files. In late March 2010, a beta of Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 was leaked onto the internet and has since spread to various BitTorrent networks, which included a private beta build of Windows Live Messenger Wave 4. However, as the software was designed for private beta testing, non-beta testers cannot sign into this leaked build. The new software features
1794-520: The Microsoft accounts architecture, allowing users to invite contacts from the discontinued services, MSN Messenger and Skype . Before the product was renamed Windows Live Messenger, it was named "MSN Messenger" from 1999 to 2006. During that time, Microsoft released seven major versions as follows. The first version of MSN Messenger Service, version 1.0 (1.0.0863), was released July 22, 1999. It included only basic features, such as plain text messaging and
1863-479: The Windows Installer for its auto-update feature. As part of Microsoft's Windows Live effort, which rebranded many existing MSN services and programs, MSN Messenger was renamed "Windows Live Messenger" beginning with version 8.0. The first beta of the newly renamed Windows Live Messenger, Beta 1, was released on December 13, 2005. Major changes and additions included offline messaging, an option to change
1932-590: The " Wave 3 " design in development by Microsoft. The images were later removed by the site after a DMCA notice was received. The installer for the same build was leaked through private forums on August 23, 2008. It would later be discovered this build was a preview of Milestone 2, or M2. News web site LiveSide published an article on September 4, 2008, with screenshots of M2 of the newly minted "Windows Live Messenger 2009", which had become version 14.0 instead of 9.0 as previously expected. LiveSide summarized its new features, including protection against messaging spam ,
2001-540: The "Full view" of Windows Live Messenger. Users can also post status updates and photos directly to the connected services within Windows Live Messenger. Additionally, Messenger also imports all contacts from the connected services and integrates with Facebook Chat (via the XMPP protocol) for instant messaging support with users on Facebook. Microsoft account A Microsoft account or MSA (previously known as Microsoft Passport , .NET Passport , and Windows Live ID )
2070-468: The Beta 1 Refresh. All versions of Windows Live Messenger below version 8.1 were rendered obsolete on September 12, 2007, due to a security issue identified when a user accepts a webcam or video chat invitation from an attacker. On September 12, 2007, the Windows Live Messenger blog posted a fix that resolved a security problem. It reported of a security vulnerability in versions of Messenger older than 8.1, that
2139-482: The Dynamic Backgrounds feature and the "msnim" protocol handler, which allowed Web sites to provide links which automatically add a contact or start conversations. Additionally, a new Voice Clips feature allowed users to hold down F2 and record a message for a maximum of 15 seconds and send it to the recipient. The window for conversations was changed slightly with an added video button. This version also introduced
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2208-544: The MSN/Windows Live Messenger functional again. The service is now provided under the name Escargot MSN . In addition to its basic functionality and general capability as an instant messaging client, the latest version of Windows Live Messenger offered the following features: Windows Live Messenger's album viewer is based on Windows Photo Gallery and provides users a photo viewing experience for photo albums shared via SkyDrive and Facebook. The album viewer
2277-501: The Messenger team had been working on multi-person audio/video chat, and they are also attempting to create interoperability with AIM / XMPP / ICQ . There is a basic internal version that works with XMPP already. However, these features were not seen in any versions of Windows Live Messenger 2009. Microsoft sent an invitation to participate in the Windows Live Messenger "9" beta program to Microsoft Connect members on November 20, 2007;
2346-894: The Microsoft Passport system violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA) , which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices in trade. In August 2002, Microsoft agreed to settle the resulting FTC charges. As part of the settlement, Microsoft was required to implement and maintain a comprehensive security program, as well as being prohibited from misrepresenting information practices. Microsoft had pushed for non-Microsoft entities to create an Internet-wide unified-login system. Examples of sites that used Microsoft Passport were eBay and Monster.com , but in 2004 those agreements were canceled. In August 2009, Expedia sent notice out stating they no longer support Microsoft Passport / Windows Live ID. In 2012, Windows Live ID
2415-486: The ability to stay signed into the application from several computers (referred to as "Multiple Points of Presence Support"), animated GIF files in the photo area, per-contact customized sounds for various user actions, and clickable URLs in the status area. Microsoft began the official beta program for Windows Live Messenger 2009 on September 17, 2008, when it released a new beta officially known as Windows Live Messenger 2009 Beta (Milestone 3, Build 14.0.5027.908), which
2484-409: The addition of the roaming identity feature (so that the same user's display name and picture would appear on any computer), a new contact card appearance, a "recently used" list for the emoticon, wink, display picture and background menus, an SMS phone book in the main menu allowing the association and editing of a phone number to the contact and allowing text messaging to a contact, a "sign out" button,
2553-472: The authentication server and the Microsoft account-enabled website. This ID-tag is then sent to the website, upon which the website plants another encrypted HTTP cookie in the user's computer, also time-limited. As long as these cookies are valid, the user is not required to supply a username and password. If the user actively logs out of their Microsoft account, these cookies will be removed. Microsoft also offer
2622-427: The color theme of the windows, separated send and search boxes, a word wheel search box in the main window, and additional details for contacts when hovering over their names in the contact list window. The second beta of version 8.0, Beta 2, was released on February 26, 2006. The overall theme of this version was improved, fixing and improving several smaller places in the program. Major changes and additions included
2691-485: The contact list, and the display of these scenes in conversation windows for improved contact identification and window management. Milestone 3 also brings a new " Groups " feature that allows users to create a continuous group conversation between select contacts, newly redesigned status icons which now resemble small gems rather than the previous "Messenger Buddy" icons, a new default "Favorites" category in which you can place your favorite contacts for easy access to them,
2760-547: The design of the Microsoft Account identity meta-system. As a consequence, Microsoft Accounts are not positioned as the single sign-on service for all web commerce, but as one choice of many among identity systems. In December 1999, Microsoft neglected to pay their annual $ 35 "passport.com" domain registration fee to Network Solutions . The oversight made Hotmail , which used the site for authentication, unavailable on December 24. A Linux consultant, Michael Chaney, paid it
2829-635: The discontinuation email was only sent to one percent of Messenger users, a test group. On the same day, Microsoft announced its plans to phase out Messenger: the process would start on April 8, 2013, with English users and would end on April 30, 2013; Messenger would remain available in mainland China. According to ZDNet , this might only apply to the ability to sign in with Messenger client; Microsoft would keep its Messenger service running for another year. "Windows Live Messenger Upgrades to Skype", as they were referred to by Microsoft, started on April 8, 2013. This transition took place language by language. Brazil
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2898-472: The entire application. The main authentication system, Microsoft Passport Network , was replaced with Windows Live ID at the same time. A refresh to version 8.0 was released on August 10, 2006. It included audio and video improvements and fixed up minor bugs. The first update to Windows Live Messenger was previewed on October 30, 2006, with the release of Beta 1 of version 8.1. No major changes were made, but several minor changes were included. These include
2967-487: The final version of Windows Live Messenger 2009. The last QFE update for Wave 3 was released on May 12, 2010, and saw the removal of some features from Windows Live Messenger. Specifically, the ability to independently show only your own webcam or your contacts' webcam (one way webcam) and without an audio call is gone. It is only possible to start a video call which starts the webcams of both people communicating, and which also automatically starts audio calling. Also removed
3036-485: The first quarter of 2013. According to Tony Bates (president of Skype Division at the time), Messenger users could sign into Skype using their Microsoft accounts , access their Messenger contacts and communicate as usual. On January 8, 2013, Microsoft emailed Messenger users and informed them that with the exception of mainland China , the Messenger service would stop working on March 15, 2013, and users would not be able to sign in. On February 15, 2013, ZDNet wrote
3105-419: The introduction of Windows Live Contacts , the reintroduction of single file transfer, improvements to the "Add a Contact" dialog box, improved color themes, minor changes in the conversation window, and revert of the "Busy" status icon back to the normal dash icon and a redesign of the log in page. The final beta version, Beta 3, was released on May 2, 2006. Major changes and additions included new icons for
3174-425: The latest version, 14.0.8089. The mandatory upgrade requirement would be fully phased in by late October 2009 and began on September 15, 2009. The first beta of Windows Live Messenger 8.5, Beta 1, was released on May 31, 2007. An update was released on June 21, 2007, to test updates being installed by Microsoft Update . This version required Windows XP SP2, compared to previous versions requiring Windows XP SP1. It
3243-484: The next day ( Christmas ), hoping it would solve this issue with the downed site. The payment resulted in the site being available the next morning. In Autumn 2003, a similar good Samaritan helped Microsoft when they missed payment on the "hotmail.co.uk" address, although no downtime resulted. In 2001, the Electronic Frontier Foundation 's staff attorney Deborah Pierce criticized Microsoft Passport as
3312-550: The password of any Hotmail account. The company was notified of the flaw by researchers at Vulnerability Lab on the same day and responded with a fix within hours — but not before widespread attacks as the exploitation technique spread quickly across the Internet. On December 3, 2015, a security researcher discovered a vulnerability in the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) software used on signout.live.com and reported it to
3381-633: The previous version, such as the removal of display names, handwriting tool, one-way webcam requests and import/export of instant messaging contacts feature. The "Wave 4" release of Windows Live Essentials, which includes Messenger, also dropped compatibility with Windows XP and only runs on Windows Vista or Windows 7 . The new Windows Live Messenger for the iOS became available on the App Store on June 21, 2010, in addition to other mobile versions of Windows Live Messenger for Windows Phone , BlackBerry , and Symbian mobile platforms. On June 24, 2010,
3450-576: The program, PC-to-phone calling, an updated look for the Windows Live Call window, a new default display picture, the Windows Live Today window, improvements to the grouping of sequential messages from each contact, Rhapsody integration in the US, and an option for sounds to be edited and/or turned off and another redesign of the log in page, The official release of Windows Live Messenger version 8.0
3519-451: The released fix would resolve. This led to an auto-update being released to all older versions. Versions running on Windows 2000 and below were required to update to a new version of MSN Messenger 7.0, and versions running on Windows XP and above were required to update to Windows Live Messenger 8.1. On August 27, 2009, the Windows Live Messenger blog posted that due to a security problem, all users of versions 8.1 and newer need to update to
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#17330944327983588-451: The standard window frame on Windows Vista in accordance with the user experience guidelines. Several features were removed in version 9.0, however, such as the ability to use add-ins, the ability to transfer files when the recipient is signed in as offline, the "Be right back", "Out to lunch", and "In a call" status options, the Go to my space button, the ability to adjust webcam settings during
3657-554: The title ABCH . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ABCH&oldid=753220797 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Windows Live Messenger MSN Messenger (also known colloquially simply as MSN ), later rebranded as Windows Live Messenger ,
3726-625: The update from 2009 to 2011 mandatory for those using Windows Vista or 7. 2009 continues to be usable for those still running XP. This can be circumvented by running Windows Live Messenger in Windows XP compatibility mode, thus making it believe it is running on Windows XP. On August 7, 2012, Microsoft delivered a new version of the Windows Essentials 2012 suite, which includes Windows Live Messenger 2012. On November 6, 2012, Microsoft announced that Messenger and Skype services would merge in
3795-478: The user interface, the ability to group contacts, and support for voice conversations. In this version, the client software was renamed from "MSN Messenger Service" to just "MSN Messenger", while the underlying service became known as " .NET Messenger Service ". This version was only compatible with Windows 95 , 98 , ME , NT 4.0 , and 2000 , because Microsoft provided a scaled-down new program for Windows XP , called Windows Messenger . Version 5.0 of MSN Messenger
3864-523: The user was allowed to change the e-mail address to one that did not exist, or to an e-mail address currently used by someone else. The verification link then caused the Windows Live ID system to confirm the account as having a verified email address. That flaw was fixed two days later, on June 19, 2007. On April 20, 2012, Microsoft fixed a flaw in Hotmail's password reset system that allowed anyone to reset
3933-415: The whole platform, upgrading its simple text-based interface to include customizable elements such as emoticons, personalized avatars, and backgrounds. An update, version 6.1, focused on improvements to the conversation window, enabling users to hide the window frame and menu bar, and also the ability to change the theme color. The theme color could be set differently for each user. Another update, version 6.2,
4002-474: Was a cross-platform instant-messaging client developed by Microsoft . It connected to the now-discontinued Microsoft Messenger service and, in later versions, was compatible with Yahoo! Messenger and Facebook Messenger . The service was discontinued in 2013 and was replaced by Skype . The client was first released as MSN Messenger Service on July 22, 1999, and was marketed under the MSN brand until 2005, when it
4071-475: Was also updated to match instant message windows. This version also introduced the Xbox Live Integration feature. This version also introduced digital ink and handwriting recognition support. It is the last version of MSN Messenger to support Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000. The last version of MSN Messenger before the name change, version 7.5, was released August 23, 2005. New features included
4140-580: Was made available to the general public as a free download. The ability to submit feedback, however, was restricted to select participants of the Microsoft Connect closed beta program. Notable changes in Milestone 3 include a new revamped and refined user interface to follow suit with the rest of the Windows Live "Wave 3" design, the ability to set a "Scene" by customizing the background image and color of
4209-400: Was on June 19, 2006. Although no notable changes were made between Beta 3 and the final version, the change from MSN Messenger to Windows Live Messenger brought some additional changes, such as customization for the nicknames of individual contacts, timestamps on messages, the ability to see a contact's name only once if the same person writes multiple messages in a row, and color schemes for
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#17330944327984278-626: Was rebranded under the Windows Live name. It has since been officially known by the latter name, although its first name remained in common use. In June 2009, Microsoft reported the service attracted over 330 million active users each month, placing it among the most widely used instant-messaging clients in the world. Following its acquisition of Skype Technologies in May 2011, Microsoft added interoperability between Skype and Microsoft accounts , allowing Skype—which had features unique to its platform and
4347-682: Was released April 22, 2004, and it was the last version of the MSN Messenger 6 series. The most notable changes were a dedicated Mobile group for mobile contacts, a connection troubleshooter, and the Launch Site feature was renamed to Fun & Games . MSN Messenger received a major upgrade to version 7.0 on April 7, 2005. This version brought wink features that were previously only available in threedegrees . This version also advertised items to sell to you including animated display pictures , emoticons and backgrounds. The contact list window style
4416-480: Was released on November 6, 2007, and it introduced no major changes. Windows Live Messenger 2009 was originally designated version 9.0, it was later assigned the technical version number 14.0, in order to be unified with the other Windows Live programs and Microsoft Office programs. In a presentation to the Georgia Institute of Technology's IEEE Student Branch, Microsoft employee Andrew Jenks reported that
4485-400: Was released on October 24, 2002. It was the first version that was allowed to be installed along with Windows Messenger on Windows XP. It included UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) based file transfers, minor changes to the user interface artwork, and a Windows Media Player interface plug-in. Version 6.0 of MSN Messenger was released July 17, 2003. MSN Messenger 6.0 was a major overhaul of
4554-454: Was released on September 5, 2007. Several issues were fixed in Beta 2, but no significant changes were applied. Compared with the first beta, the build does not say "Beta" on the top of the window, although developers had noted that it was not the final release. The new Windows Live Installer , which is used to install Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta 2, does not run on Windows Server 2003. The final release of Windows Live Messenger version 8.5
4623-555: Was renamed Microsoft account. Microsoft account is the website for users to manage their identity. Features of a Microsoft account include: The following is a list of computer programs and web services that support using Microsoft Account as the credentials required for the authentication process. On August 15, 2007, Microsoft released the Windows Live ID Web Authentication SDK, enabling web developers to integrate Windows Live ID into their websites running on
4692-673: Was the first version to be installed in a "Windows Live" folder under "Program Files", with the shortcuts placed in a "Windows Live" folder in the Start Menu . Major changes and additions in Beta 1 included a new installation program in conjunction with the release of Windows Live 2.0 , a new look for all of its windows that matches the aesthetic styles of Windows Vista, a new "bunny" emoticon, and integration with Windows Live OneCare Family Safety . Beginning with this version, updates could be downloaded and installed through Microsoft Update . The second beta of Windows Live Messenger 8.5, Beta 2,
4761-457: Was the last country to be "upgraded", on April 30. Chinese Messenger users received an email from Microsoft in August 2014, containing an announcement that Messenger service in China would end on October 31, 2014; users were advised to migrate to Skype and receive free credits. In 2017 a number of developers managed to reverse engineer the Messenger protocol and designed custom servers that make
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