New Windows Live Messenger protocol breaks Adium and Pidgin

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Bad news for us alternative IM client users - mess.be is reporting that the reason for the inability to sign into the Windows Live Messenger network is due to the recent upgrade to protocol version 15 (or MSNP15), which requires a new certificate for address book retrieval. The future plans of these open source solutions are unclear right now as to their plans to solve the problem, nor is it clear as to the severity of the issue, but for now, here is a list of solutions:

Pidgin users - Close Pidgin, install msn-pecan, restart Pidgin, and visit your account settings and switch to this alternative protocol
Pidgin users on Windows - Downgrade to version 2.4.3 until a more permanent solution is created. For reference, the current stable version is 2.5.3
Adium users - Downgrade to version 1.3.1. The current version is 1.3.2, so it's not a major downgrade. Unfortunately, I'm personally trying to download this right now and having no luck, but your mileage may vary.
Any other Mac users - Download Messenger for Mac 7.0.1.

(5 replies) #1 mac on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:04

I'm signed into Adium just fine. Am I missing something, here?

#1.1 PureLegend on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:06

Which version of Adium are you using?

#1.2 mac on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:15

1.3.3b1

#1.3 Orlando Rays on 12 Jan 2009 - 22:29

That explains everything.

#1.4 theh0g on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:11

It was fixed by the time you signed on... it didn't work during the day (talking CET) and fixed few hours ago. Beta didn't work either.

#1.5 PsykX on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:12

1.3.3b1 was affected too, so it doesn't "explain everything". I was starting to accuse my router because of recent problems with it, but no, it was Microsoft who altered their server.

#2 yottabytewizard on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:07

This explains why I couln't log in on Pidgin...

(3 replies) #3 Hendrick on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:10

Using Trillian Astra Build 93, all appears fine as for MSN. Having a conversation now actually.

#3.1 ViperAFK on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:19

Yeah working fine for me on astra and digsby.

#3.2 +TCLN Ryster on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:35

Astra is actually real then?

Seriously though, that has to be the longest development cycle for an instant messaging client ever! I've been on the Alpha request list for over a year. Has it not even gone Beta yet?

#3.3 Steven77 on 13 Jan 2009 - 19:25

Isn't it almost out of beta now?

#4 noisia on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:22

pidgin fails

#5 zeta_immersion on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:31

yeah problems with pidgin not worried tho ... all good ... damn you kopete

#6 nihal on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:41

seems to work now on Adium 1.3.2

#7 Nicholas-c on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:47

Just been able to log into adium 1.3.2 first time today, I logged into mail.live.com and now it works, may not be related but i think it is

(3 replies) #8 Co_Co on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:49

good thing i use and really like wlm9 but i guess for those with multi-client needs this is a real kick in the pants

#8.1 Nicholas-c on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:50

Multi-client/mac/linux ?

all screwed.

Seems to be working across the board, now tho

#8.2 Jugalator on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:27

No big deal really... Worse things have happened in the im world...

MS has no obligation to make it compatible with third part apps, but at the same time, this is probably no big deal to overcome either.

#8.3 LTD on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:07

Jugalator said,

MS has no obligation to make it compatible with third part apps

Very true.

#9 Jelly2003 on 12 Jan 2009 - 19:52

I was having problems last night, but seems to be working again this morning

#10 perochan on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:01

1.3.2 seems to work now.

#11 bmaher on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:01

I was having trouble this morning, but it's working fine now (Adium 1.3.2)

#12 ermax on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:03

I switched to WLM 2009 with A-Patch for the time being. I haven't run a MS client in a long time. That added multi-location support which is cool. They have added a lot to the client in the last few years. I am not totally heart broken yet. We will see how I feel after a few weeks of use.

(2 replies) #13 Grandaevus on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:04

Anybody have a good tip on how I force all my friends to stop using this crappy client in favor for a nice and clean and also little bit more open one like Gtalk?

#13.1 Rascally on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:10

get new friends?

#13.2 ermax on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:52

The protocol is open, the client is not. If Gtalk was open it would connect to my own XMPP server.

#14 godzila on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:09

adium 1.3.1 working good connecting ok

#15 gazebee2001 on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:47

adium 1.3.2 not working this morning, but working now

(3 replies) #16 Skyfrog on 12 Jan 2009 - 20:56

So it doesn't actually break them. They just can't connect to the Live Messenger service.

#16.1 PureLegend on 12 Jan 2009 - 21:01

Oh, the joys of semantics.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/break#Verb

(intransitive) To stop functioning properly or altogether.

Adium can't connect to WLM.
Adium's main feature is connecting to multiple protocols, one of which is WLM.
Adium's main feature doesn't work properly.
Adium is broken.

#16.2 GreyWolfSC on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:12

PureLegend said,

Oh, the joys of semantics.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/break#Verb

Adium can't connect to WLM.
Adium's main feature is connecting to multiple protocols, one of which is WLM.
Adium's main feature doesn't work properly.
Adium is broken.

You missed another possibility: MSN is broken.

#16.3 PureLegend on 13 Jan 2009 - 06:54

The official clients can still connect. The network itself is working as advertised.

#17 m-p{3} on 12 Jan 2009 - 21:01

Got bored of WLM, back to IRC.

(1 reply) #18 tiagosilva29 on 12 Jan 2009 - 21:06

msn-pecan my ass, I'll just use one of the plenty online clients.

#18.1 Steven77 on 13 Jan 2009 - 19:27

Lmfao.

(1 reply) #19 +what on 12 Jan 2009 - 21:38

Seems to be fixed now. I had issues earlier, but now I'm connecting just fine. A number of other people are reporting the same so I guess it was only temporary.

#19.1 dwergs on 12 Jan 2009 - 22:03

Fixed indeed.

(3 replies) #20 Yochanan on 12 Jan 2009 - 22:10

It didn't break Digsby.

#20.1 +TCLN Ryster on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:37

You mean the spy/adware whore?

#20.2 Kharhaz on 13 Jan 2009 - 00:05

TCLN Ryster said,

You can choose not to install any of the extra programs. It forces nothing on you.

#20.3 hotdog963al on 14 Jan 2009 - 13:52

Not to mention it's silly name.

#21 _dandy_ on 12 Jan 2009 - 22:13

This may sound like a n00b question, but has MS ever documented the protocol, or were these clients written through reverse-engineering?

#22 xMorpheousx416 on 12 Jan 2009 - 22:45

Don't know so much about using other IM clients.. but I did notice that the WLM09 on Win7 had no issues logging into it's own client server... but when updating WLM on XPSP3, it had issues with the HOSTS file and would not connect.

The HOSTS file was clean as a whistle.

#23 yakumo on 12 Jan 2009 - 22:56

Not noticed any real problems with Miranda 8 (b25), it was a bit flaky yesterday but its been fine today.

(1 reply) #24 GreyWolfSC on 12 Jan 2009 - 23:11

It's unbroken now my Pidgin just reconnected.

#24.1 Steven77 on 13 Jan 2009 - 19:28

Is it possible for a program to really unbreak itself?

#25 Caledai on 13 Jan 2009 - 00:25

I ran across the same problem last night, however I have managed to work out that if I ran my MSN connection via OpenFire and its Gateway Plugin, I could get a connection and thus use MSN in Adium.

#26 Anaron on 13 Jan 2009 - 05:13

Thank you Neowin! I'm so glad I came across this article before going online with Pidgin.

#27 +Ned on 13 Jan 2009 - 07:51

Well, as of right now both seem to work okay? Pidgin logs into my msn account fine. Version 2.5.4. is the latest stable build now.

(1 reply) #28 cork1958 on 13 Jan 2009 - 09:32

The only bad news about this is that there are people still using these junk programs!!

#28.1 Daninku on 13 Jan 2009 - 10:34

Are you referring to Adium and Pidgin>

(2 replies) #29 Quikboy on 13 Jan 2009 - 10:59

Why don't people just use Windows Live Messenger? It's pretty good for a stand-alone client.

#29.1 tsun on 13 Jan 2009 - 11:11

Quikboy said,

WLM is not available on Linux and also people may wish to have their YIM,MSN and Gtalk friends all in one list

#29.2 PureLegend on 13 Jan 2009 - 17:29

Except Messenger for Mac is rubbish :/

#30 -Dave- on 13 Jan 2009 - 12:07

and the mac client sux compared to adium

#31 smooth_criminal1990 on 13 Jan 2009 - 12:34

aw wot? needs more hax!

(1 reply) #32 Magallanes on 13 Jan 2009 - 19:27

So Microsoft did it again :"We are MS, we are evil, so we will screw with all the competitor (because we are a badass)".

#32.1 advancedboy on 13 Jan 2009 - 20:20

"the inability to sign into the Windows Live Messenger network is due to the recent upgrade to protocol version 15 (or MSNP15), which requires a new certificate for address book retrieval."

Making a program safer for all users screws all the competitors? Get your head out of your ass.

#33 dragon2611 on 13 Jan 2009 - 19:43

Pidgin users on Windows - Downgrade to version 2.4.3 until a more permanent solution is created. For reference, the current stable version is 2.5.3 <--- WHY?

http://code.google.com/p/msn-pecan/downloads/list has a windows version of it, worked with pidgin portable fine (although did have to extract the file using 7zip as the installer looks for an installed version of pidgin)

(1 reply) #34 kevinarjun on 14 Jan 2009 - 02:53

miranda dint had any problems...

#34.1 hotdog963al on 14 Jan 2009 - 13:52

kevinarjun said,

Same here, my Adium using friends all had problems.

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