It’s a never ending game of cat and mouse. First Microsoft releases an update for Windows Live Messenger that includes more ads and more hooks back to their products and services. A few days later the good people at Mess release the must have Mess Patch which basically takes all the crap out of Live Messenger and restores it to something useful. It’s like sending your kid off to rehab and after a few months he returns as an Eagle Scout.
I’ve been running the Mess Patch for years and cannot imagine running Live Messenger without it.
–Download Window Live Messenger 8.5 from here (Build 8.5.1235.0517)
–Download the Mess Patch here. (Will only work with version above)
If you’re new to the Mess Patch it can be a bit overwhelming. Below are the options I check which makes it much more useful for myself. You can always go back and select more options if the first patch doesn’t do what you want. Or if it removes something you didn’t want it to, just run the Mess installer again and select the “Restore Previous Settings” option from the first screen.
Create Backups (I leave this checked)
Perform CRC Check (I leave this checked)
General Options
- Remove Partner Links from Display Picture
- Distinguish Idle from Away Users
- Enable Multi-line Nicknames
- Add Sign in Status in system tray
- Remove text ads from sharing folders
Main Window Options
- Disable song links
- Remove MSN Search bar
Conversation Window Options
- Remove featured content
- Remove bottom text ad
- Disable Nudge Window shaking*
- Remove Nudge button*
- Remove Winks button*
*I cant’ stand nudges and winks but my kids like to me send them both so I’ve added them back in. But normally I’d get rid of them. I’ve accidentally sent most of my friends a nudge which is embarrassing.
Nordquist Blog 
If you like the Mess patch you should check out the A-Patch, it’s like the Mess patch but in my opinion better, maybe it’s the live screenshot of what the change will effect (shrug). Anyways get it here if you want to test it out: http://apatch.org/
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I gave APatch a try this morning on my work computer and it worked as advertised. The preview pane is nice for those not familiar with different areas.
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