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How can I change tabbed chat display in Windows Live Messenger. I want to stop new chat tab notification when a new friend begins to chat with me.

Windows Live Messenger

Windows Live Messenger has been through numerous incarnations, so depending on which version you're using, the tabbed chat notifications may be slightly different. In general, whenever you want to change a preference in Windows Live Messenger, you'll want to go to the Options dialog box.

Windows Live Messenger Options

To go to options, either look for the tiny "gear" icon and click it or go to Tools > Options. This will open a dialog box containing various options for: Personal, Sign In, Contacts, Messages, History, Notifications, Sounds, Mobile Phone, Privacy, and Connection.

First, let's start with Messages. Here you'll see a section labeled Conversations. Find the "Enable tabbed conversations" and remove the checkmark from the box. Click OK. If you're using Windows Plus! Live, click on Plus! and then select "Preferences and Options." From there, go to the Conversations tab followed by Tabbed Chat. Choose disable and click OK.

Windows Live Messenger Notifications

In addition to disabling tabbed conversations, you may want to tweak your notifications. This is done in Tools > Options > Notifications. Depending on what you have in mind, you can enable or disable notifications for a variety of circumstances including: when a favorite signs in, when a friend signs in, when you receive an IM, when you receive an email with a social update, when you receive an email, when you sign into Messenger from multiple locations, when you receive a group IM, and more.

Hopefully by disabling tabbed chats and tweaking your notification settings, you'll be able to use Windows Live Messenger in a manner that works best for you.

This problem relates to eBuddy mobile. I have successfully installed eBuddy mobile on my Samsung G600, and can sign-in okay to MSN. The problem is that everyone on my buddy list is permanently showing as being offline. I've signed into MSN on my computer while still being connected on eBuddy mobile, and contacts who were actually online at that time were still showing as offline on my mobile. Any ideas please?

It seems as though the problem of online buddies showing as being offline is a bug experienced by many mobile users. Later versions of the software have been modified to address this issue. You can look through the solutions suggested here and see if completing them resolves the problem for you.

Update Your MSN Software

Make sure that you have the latest version for your MSN software. While you are at it, check to make sure that you have properly installed the correct version.

Update Your eBuddy Software

Make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of the eBuddy Software on your Samsung G600. If you aren't using the most current version, you could experience problems.

Update Your Browser Software

Check to see if you are using the latest version of your browser. If you are not, update it to use the most current version and see if that resolves the issue for you. You can also try using a different browser as they vary in their functionality with issues such as the one you are describing.

Recreate Your Friends List

One of the options you have is to remove all of your contacts and recreate the list. This solution seems to work for some mobile users, but not for others. You must delete all contacts though and start completely over.

Sign Out of MSN Messenger on the Computer

Try signing out of MSN Messenger on your computer and checking on your Samsung G600 again to see if your contacts are showing as online. It is possible that you are simply not able to be signed into MSN Messenger in two places at the same time.

Status on MSN Messenger on the Computer

If you have MSN Messenger opened on the computer but have selected the offline status, you could be creating the problem on your mobile device. Either maintain your status as online on the computer or sign out of it completely to see if that works for you.

Sign into Hotmail

Some users have success simply by signing into their Windows Live Hotmail account  and clicking on the option "available."

Summary: Recent problems with the listing of MSN online friends by listing them as offline on eBuddy seem to be commonplace. Troubleshooting tips might help.

Is this still the case, "AIM 6.8 doesn't provide an option to override the font size of your contacts, which means that you will receive instant messages in whatever size your contact writes them." I have vision problems too and chat with people via their cell phones. They have no way to change the font that they are sending. Is there a registry hack to just make everything bigger perhaps?

AOL AIM Versions

AOL's instant messaging product, AIM, is currently offered in version 7.0. Depending on which version and edition your contacts are using, they may be able to adjust the font size on their end. For example, in AIM PRO, a user can highlight the text and choose the "Set font size" option in the formatting menu's dropdown box.

Changing Font Size in AIM 7.0

AIM 7.0 offers an option to increase the font size. If you haven't upgraded to 7.0, you might want to consider doing it so that you can take advantage of this new feature. Once upgraded and when you are participating in a chat, click the icon with the letter A on it. This opens a menu of different text options including options for changing the font, the font size, text color, background color, and so on. You'll want to click the icon with a two T's on it (on little, the other large). This icon gives you different size options.

You can also change the font size and style for specific buddies in your buddy list in AIM 7.0. However, it's unclear whether these font changes affect incoming or outgoing instant messages.

Enlarging AIM Messages

Another option is to enlarge the AIM messaging window. Depending on the version of AIM you are running, you may see a magnifying glass in the lower right portion of the screen with 100% displayed next to it. Click this icon and to toggle through different magnification levels.

Windows Magnifier

Finally, you can also use the Windows Magnifier to increase specific areas of your computer's display. This tool is located in the Windows Control Panel under the Ease of Access (or Accessibility) section. This tool can be a little tricky to get used to. However, with a little tweaking and experimentation, it may be just right for the job.

Using Yahoo on my PC - TEXTing Problem: I can send all the text messages I want and people receive them. 1). I am not receiving their replies nor their New Text message if I'm not right there when it comes in. 2). If I sign out and sign back in, I will not receive their texts they sent while I was "out". As long as I do not break the flow, I will receive messages but I have to be signed in and open to keep the messages flowing back and forth. Please help - I have missed a lot of important text messages over this.

Your problem could be occurring for a number of reasons. Read through the suggestions here and try the ones that seem to offer the best advice for your particular scenario.

Troubleshooting Missing Offline Instant Messages on Yahoo Messenger

It is important to note that you MUST read your offline messages as soon as you log back on Yahoo after being away. Look for the orange alert tab that lets you know you have received texts while you were offline. If you don't read these right away, you lose the opportunity to do so.

Troubleshooting Not Being Able to Receive Texts on Yahoo Messenger

Unfortunately, this glitch appears to be somewhat common. The best way to resolve this issue of not being able to receive texts while you are offline is to uninstall Yahoo Messenger and reinstall it.

How to Retrieve Instant Messages on Yahoo Messenger

Yahoo Messenger has a bit of a trick to retrieving instant messages. Follow these steps to see if you can receive instant messages that arrived while you were offline.

1.    Click the "Contacts" option from your Yahoo Messenger menu.

2.    Search through the left-hand side of the pane in the folders for the contact whose messages you wish to view.

3.    Double click on the name of the contact. This action opens a conversation window.

4.    Select the option "Show Recent Messages." The first entry that you see will be the latest message the individual sent to you.

5.    To look at an older conversation for this contact, look above the conversation that is showing and select the option "View Full Archive."

Setting Your Preferences to Save IMs

If you haven't yet set your preferences to archive your instant messages, then you won't be able to review past conversations. To set your preferences to save (archive) messages, follow these steps:

1.    Click the "Preferences" option from your Yahoo Messenger menu.

2.    Select "Archive."

3.    Select the button that offers the option to archive your text messages.

4.    Select "Apply,"

5.    Click "OK."

As soon as I updated Internet Explorer I noticed that I cannot sign in my MSN messenger.

Lost Stored Passwords after Internet Explorer Updates

After updating Internet Explorer or clearing your Web history, it's not uncommon to lose your stored passwords. If you suspect this may have happened, try signing in to MSN manually.

Windows Live Messenger

Another possibility is that the update itself has changed your settings. The latest incarnation of MSN Messenger is Windows Live Messenger. You might double check to see if your computer now has Windows Live Messenger installed. If it does not, you will need to install it. In fact, the following message appears on Microsoft's Windows Live Help page:

"Starting September 15, 2009, users are required to have the latest version of Messenger installed on their computer in order to sign in and continue using the Messenger service. To download the latest version of Messenger, go to the Windows Live Messenger website."

This message leads me to believe that your older version of MSN Messenger has been disabled by Microsoft either through the update or through Microsoft discontinuing support for that version. You can download the new version of Windows Live Messenger at: http://download.live.com/?sku=messenger

Windows Live programs include Messenger, Mail, Writer, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Family Safety, Toolbar, Silverlight, Office Live Add-in, and Microsoft Office Outlook Connector. You can download all of the programs at once or choose individual programs to download. All are free. If you do not have a Windows Live ID, signing up for one is easy.

Messenger Sign-in Errors

Other common causes of Messenger sign-in errors include firewall blocking access, incorrect computer date settings, or a clogged Internet cache. If you have already switched to Windows Live Messenger, you might want to clear your temporary Internet files and double check to be sure that your firewall is not blocking access to the Windows Live servers.

Let us know if you are receiving a specific error message as well as the version of Messenger you are using.

Can you please tell me how can I stop the Messenger window from popping up right in the middle of the screen?? If I am in the middle of something, it is really disturbing to have the text box for everyone to see! It used to be on previous versions in the tab bar and it became blue when somebody was trying to contact me.

With so many different versions and different instant messaging programs out there, there are quite a few variables. While instant messaging has its place, constant alerts, especially when they hijack your screen, can be extremely annoying and disruptive. Let's use Windows Live Messenger as an example.

Windows Live Messenger

Windows Live Messenger is the latest incarnation of Microsoft's MSN Messenger. Like its predecessors, Windows Live Messenger lets you interact with others by sending and receiving instant messages.

Windows Live Messenger Settings

Though the initial screen that appears is relatively small, there are a number of menu options hidden within. If you look along the top right next to the "Search Contacts" bar, you'll see several icons. Click the one on the far right, the Show Menu icon. Click on Tools and another menu will appear. First, check and see if Always on Top is displayed. If so, remove the check mark by that if you do not want to always see Messenger displayed on screen. If you do want to see Messenger displayed on your computer screen, then leave it marked. This is a personal preference, so choose the option that appeals to you.

Next, click on Options. Once in Options, click on Layout option. Is "Show the Tab bar" selected? Make sure that it is so that any new alerts can show up there. Next, go into Messages and select the options that you want such as "Allow me to send and receive nudges." If it's currently selected, try deselecting it. Nudges usually result in a sound or window shake, but perhaps in the newer version, this setting also pop-ups the message?  

Next, go to Alerts and adjust your alert settings. For example, if you don't want to be alerted every time one of your contacts comes online, remove that option. In fact, you may want to restrict alerts to when a message is received.

It may take a bit of trial and error to get Windows Live Messenger to fully cooperate.