May 30 UPDATE: Official Beta Link now available from Microsoft
I decided to install the leaked version of Windows Live Messenger 8.5 this afternoon. The changes are subtle, but I like the look so far. I will have to wait for the Mess Patch to come out so I can strip out all the ads and crap it includes, but it’s not bad. The install was uneventful which is always a good thing. Here’s how I did it:
1. Exit all the way out of your current version of Messenger.
2. Download the program and language .dll from here. It’s the post at the top.
3. Once the install is finished, you’ll have to exit out of the program once more in order to overwrite the English language .dll you downloaded.
Here’s a screenshot.
Nordquist Blog 