Remove Ads in MSN Messenger

[fantasticben]

All information copied from this Site to save him some bandwidth

To edit the msnmsgr.exe file, you'll need a program called Resource Hacker (aka Reshacker), a freeware program to edit the resources that a Windows program uses.

Note: this is for the latest version of 7.5, 7.5.0311. You can check your version, by choosing Help > About MSN Messenger from the programs menu.

When you have ResHacker running, follow these steps:

1. Make sure you are not running messenger. Right-click its icon in the system tray, and from the menu select Exit

2. Now you'll need to locate the messenger executable msnmsgr.exe, it will normally be in \Program Files\MSN Messenger\

3. Make a backup of the file. Right-click msnmsgr.exe and from the menu choose Copy. Now right-click on an empty area in the same folder, and select Paste from the menu. The backup will be named Copy of msnmsgr.exe. If you ever want to get back to the original file, simply delete msnmsgr.exe, and then rename Copy of msnmsgr.exe to msnmsgr.exe

4. From the menu in ResHacker, choose File > Open, locate msnmsgr.exe, and open it

5. From the menu, select View > Find Text ... (or CTRL+F) and enter <element layoutpos=top layout=verticalflowlayout(0,2,2,2) padding=rect(2,5,3,2), press Find Next

6. You should now be in UIFILE > 923 > 1033 and you have to replace layoutpos=top with layoutpos=none and delete the rest of the line except the > character

7. The resulting line should thus read <element layoutpos=none>

8. Now press the Compile Script button to compile the changes into msnmsgr.exe

9. When done select File > Save from the menu, and exit ResHacker

10. Reopen MSN Messenger 7.5, now without the ads!

If you want to get rid of the Text Ads in the Instant Message Window too, follow the above steps 1 through 4 and then:

1. From the menu in ResHacker, select View > Find Text ... (or CTRL+F) and enter <element id=atom(adbannercont), press Find Next

2. You should now be in UIFILE > 920 > 1033 and you have to delete id=atom(adbannercont) and replace layout=filllayout() with layoutpos=none

3. The resulting line should thus read <element layoutpos=none>

4. Now press the Compile Script button to compile the changes into msnmsgr.exe

5. When done select File > Save from the menu, and exit ResHacker

6. Reopen MSN Messenger 7.5, now without the text-ads!

The site also has loads of other useful tweaks

Screenies post-edits (my current msn setup):

Behold! No ads!

No text ads! (excuse the pink)

I find this makes MSN a much nicer app to use, and it can be made a lot smaller which is great if you're a minimalist like me.

Merry Christmas! :D

[Jase]

very useful (Y)

thanks.

[Stonkwell Bogtrotter]

Or just get a very good patch from mess.be :D

Edited December 21, 2005 by axious

[fantasticben]

Or just get a very good patch from mess.be :D

Damn, didn't know about that. Well...I suppose this allows for more customisation if you know what you're doing. :blush:

[Sarm]

Urm, yes - that's the complicated way of doing it.

Otherwise, just download the patch from mess.be (there's around 30-40 versions of messenger over the past year or so) that matches your installation and you can modify quite a bit.

[THE BAT]

Nice work

but the mess.be has more options and faster

Thanks fantasticben

[Detroit]

eh, thanks for this but I have always used the mess.be :)

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Or just get a very good patch from mess.be :D

or www.a-patch.tk

NOTE THAT YOU ARE VIOLATING THE MICROSOFT EULA WHEN YOU ARE MAKING CHANGES TO MSNMSGR.EXE!

[killmaster84]

Hey look no ads and I didn't even edit it.

[Morgan]

Getting A-Patch would be much more simple...

[DaveLegg Developer]

Hey look no ads and I didn't even edit it.

Thats because you have plus, and that removes them for you.

[Chosen One]

Thats because you have plus, and that removes them for you.

actually plus doesnt remove ads anymore :pinch:

[bfoos]

No, Plus doesn't remove ads anymore. Agreed that apatch is the easiest way to go though.

[charlezz]

A-Patch is always the first to release a new patch when MSN Messenger is updated! Like within an hour... Must be a real competition for that guy, but good job!

[chopyaedoff]

Why do MS need to add ads in the first place - It's not like you got MSN messenger for free - you had to buy windows to use it.

[little_britainer]

Thanks for this :)

[linx05]

Hey look no ads and I didn't even edit it.

You're most probably using StuffPlug. It is a 'soft patch'. So technically, you are ;).

[southside]

You're most probably using StuffPlug. It is a 'soft patch'. So technically, you are ;).

Its a memory patch; the .exe isnt touched.

I agree that using the Mess.be patch or A-Patch is much more simple for teh n00bs.

[ShiFteDReaLitY]

Getting A-Patch would be much more simple...

yes i agree.. it has a lot of option to change as well!

Its a memory patch; the .exe isnt touched.

I agree that using the Mess.be patch or A-Patch is much more simple for teh n00bs.

yea i can do both ways but i prefer to use a-patch.. just to be lazy and save time :laugh:

[Ryan V]

Getting A-Patch would be much more simple...

True enough, though I guess some people may just like to do it themselves or see how its actually done.

Why do MS need to add ads in the first place - It's not like you got MSN messenger for free - you had to buy windows to use it.

Remember I'm sure it still costs Microsoft a hell of a lot to run the .Net Messenger Service/Network - got to pay your bills somehow. :p

[Cloud02]

do remember to remove annoying sidebar by this simple step:

tick off the box in the circle, under the security tab

[ShareWay]

thanks. I use mess.be also.

[GrimReeper]

I prefer MSN Ghost which is like the mess.be, A-Patch patches. Its probaly the last to release a patch for a new version, is coded by one guy (I think) but has the best options imho.

[sting3r]

www.apatch.tk everyone :)

[NormaJean]

thx, works really great