MESSENGER TIPS

Who has you as a buddy?
Launch MSN Messenger
hit Tools
select Options
hit the Privacy tab
hit View

this will bring a up a sometimes fickle list of the people that you have on their buddies list



Change the Background Image....
Stored in your Messenger folder is a file called lvback.gif


and it's this file that creates the background image of your messenger so if you want to replace it just create a new graphic, save it as lvback.gif and drop it in the messenger folder. I strongly suggest you rename the original msn graphic first in case you ever want to use it again... the best way to do this is to keep it in the folder but just rename from lvback.gif to lvback.OLD


Font Colors, Size etc....

Launch MSN Messenger
on the control menu select Tools
select Options
hit the Personal Tab
select Edit Font

in Set My Message Font..
select the Font, Font Style, Size, Effect, Color and Script....



Editing Font Colors (Registry)....

NOTE: this involves delving into your registry.. DO NOT try it if you don't know what your doing.. you have been warned

go to windows folder
then open REGEDIT.exe
then open the key:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1214440339-113007714-1202660629-500\Software\Microsoft\MessengerService


then go to the "IM color" key and open it...
you can then change your font color to whatever you like using HEX...for
example:
"FF 66 00 00"
would be orange.

addition:
Windows ME users your key is located..
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\MessengerService
colors...
use any hex color code.. the last set of two numbers remains 00



Sounds, Std, Changing....
Changing sounds in MSN Messenger is a little different to most IM programs and you don't actually do it from MSN Messenger itself... that's Windows for you ;-)
open My Computer
then Control Panel
then Sounds and Multimedia

scroll down to MSN Messenger Service

the std sounds for are as follows...
Contact Online: online.wav
New Alert: newalert.wav
New Mail: newmail.wav
New Message: type.wav

these wav's are stored C:\Program Files\Messenger

you can change to sound files to any wav you like...
hit the name of the action (Contact Online, New Alert etc)
hit Browse
then navigate your way to sound file you wish to use, C:\Windows\Media is a good place to start for stock std windows sounds and it's also a convenient place to store your downloaded wavs.
when you've made your choice simply click once on the file, hit OK and your done. Do this for each action you wish to change. 



Profile Name Scripts....
everyone has no doubt seen profile names as shown below..


but what you might not have seen is how to do them..
First off you need to access My Display Name..
then hit Tools, Options, Personal Tab, once there just enter the script you wish to display 


to access My Display Name..
Hit Tools, Options, Personal Tab

Big Messenger Font
Before you type your message type in alt 3692