Can Outlook 2003 use MSN Messenger INSTEAD of Windows Messenger?

[Dan]

I didn't get an answer to this question last week so I'm re-posting...

I recently purchased a new computer (Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2) and
loaded up all of the available updates to the OS, Internet Explorer, etc.
Next, I installed Office 2003 Professional. I disabled Messenger
integration with Outlook 2003 as discussed in other posts here.

Next I installed MSN Messenger 6.2 and it seemed to run properly as
a stand-alone application. So I re-enabled Messenger integration on Outlook
2003. The next time I booted up and ran Outlook, the Messenger icon appeared
in the taskbar. When I double-clicked it, it came up as Windows Messenger
4.7 again!

Finally my question: Is it possible to get MSN Messenger 6.2 to integrate its
functionality with Outlook 2003 instead of Windows Messenger 4.7? I thought
I had uninstalled Windows Messenger 4.7 but it still comes up with Outlook.
So I've resorted to disabling the integration feature again.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Finally my question: Is it possible to get MSN Messenger 6.2 to
integrate its functionality with Outlook 2003 instead of Windows
Messenger 4.7?

Why not replace the Windows Messenger image file (msmsg.exe) with that of
MSN Messenger?

 

[Dan]

Brian,
I don't know exactly what you mean by your reply but it sounds like it could
be a solution.

Okay, I've got the folllowing file that launches MSN Messenger 6.2:
"C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe"

I also find the following file:
"C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\MSG.EXE"
It doesn't seem to do anything when I double-click it other than launch a
DOS window that appears and disappears too quickly for me to read.

Finally, there's also a file within a .cab file, MMSSETUP.CAB:
"msmsgs.exe". It seems to be the closest match to the filename you
suggested replacing (msmsg.exe).

Am I in the neighborhood of understanding your suggestion? I don't know
what you mean when you suggest I "replace the image file...". I guess I need
you to explain that for me please. Thanks.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I don't know exactly what you mean by your reply but it sounds like
it could be a solution.

What I mean is to put MSN Messenger in the folder where your system expects
Windows Messenger to be and replace the Windows Messenger image with that of
MSN Messenger by changing its name and overwriting Windows Messenger.

I also find the following file:
"C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\MSG.EXE"
It doesn't seem to do anything when I double-click it other than
launch a DOS window that appears and disappears too quickly for me to
read.

That's not it. That's a command line messaging program that pops up a
little window containing a message. You use it like this:

C:\> msg user Hello there!

What you'd see is a window on the screen with "Message from User1 1/25/2005
8:58 AM" (time and date change, of course) in the title bar and "Hello
there!" in the window, with an OK button below that.

Finally, there's also a file within a .cab file, MMSSETUP.CAB:
"msmsgs.exe". It seems to be the closest match to the filename you
suggested replacing (msmsg.exe).

msmsgs.exe is, indeed, the name of the file. I mistyped.

My Windows Messenger V4.7 (on WIndows XP Pro SP2) is located in
%ProgramFiles%\Messenger.

Am I in the neighborhood of understanding your suggestion? I don't
know what you mean when you suggest I "replace the image file...". I
guess I need you to explain that for me please.

Delete the Windows messenger .EXE and replace it with MSN Messenger's .EXE,
naming it msmsgs.exe so that when whatever application executes that image
runs MSN Messenger instead.

However, since you don't seem to have msmsgs.exe on your system, I don't
know how Windows Messenger can be called by Outlook at all. Open the
registry and look at the key
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersionApp Paths\MSMSGS.EXE and see
where it points. That should be where the Windows Messenger image should
be. In fact, if you're brave, you should be able to change the references
to where Windows Messenger is to indicate MSN Messenger instead. There's
many of them, though, and I don't understand all of the side effects of some
of the references.

 

[Dan]

Thanks Brian. I deleted the msmsgs.exe file and replaced it with msnmsgr.exe
which I then renamed to msmsgs.exe. Result: no change in the behavior of
Outlook 2003. That is, it just didn't recognize the existance of a Messenger
program at all. So I just reversed the process and put the files back where
they all started. I didn't want to mess with the registry for such a minor
nit. I'll just boot up MSN Messenger separately from Outlook. No biggie. I
just like the MSN version because it carries more features like a photo of
the person for instance.

I did learn some other things in the process!

1. There are two versions of Messenger. (I file this information under the
quandry of why are there Outlook and Outlook Express, WAB and Contacts,
etc.). What other 'almost' duplicative programs lurk within my computer?

2. This whole quest started when I checked the "Enable the Person Names..."
and "Display Messenger Status..." boxes in the Outlook 2003 - Tools - Options
- Other dialog. I saw the little 'person' icon on the email message
indicating the sender's online status and the Messenger (Windows Msgr 4.7)
icon in the task bar. When I tried to shut down Windows Messenger from the
task bar, I was advised to first shut down Outlook 2003. This didn't happen
when I was running MSN Messenger.

2. After deleting and then undeleting the Windows Messenger .exe file, the
messenger behavior no longer works the same within Outlook. Even with the
appropriate boxes checked in Outlook, no icon appears in the task bar and the
sender's status icon in messages are always gray. (Reinstalling Windows
Messenger from the Windows setup didn't change this either.) However...

3. If I first start MSN Messenger and then start Outlook, the sender's
status is reflected correctly (brown 'person' icon for offline, etc.) but if
I start Outlook before MSN Messenger the icon is always gray.

4. I can choose to shut down MSN Messenger with Outlook running and I don't
get any grief about first shuting down Outlook. But then the sender's icon
goes gray and won't properly reflect the sender's online status unless I
shutdown and then restart Outlook.

Hope the Outlook MVPs are reading along...