Use Messenger Reviver 2 to bring back Messenger and beat Skype

Download Messenger Reviver 2

Version 2.4.9 SHA-1: 508216587726DC0DA62ED4DE97BE2DDDBBC191BA SHA-256: A4DAACF866B9E14BD6613CEECE1C58DA9AC308A457A940E655372AC52FBD0C1D

May 19, 2017
Microsoft’s Messenger server is no longer operating.  Please read about the discontinuation, and download the farewell release.

March 12, 2015
Now Windows Live Messenger 2012 only
With the removal of the last servers supporting the older version of the Messenger protocol, versions of Messenger prior to Windows Live Messenger 2012 will no longer work.

If you’re using Windows XP, Mac OS X, Linux, or any other non-Microsoft Messenger client, you will need to either use Skype or the web-based Messenger client in Outlook.com.

Windows Live Messenger 2012 current issues:

• When you sign in you will briefly see a message indicating that your e-mail address is not verified. This started on on March 5th. It can be ignored.
• Hyperlinks will need to be copy/pasted to a browser as they presently don’t show up as a hyperlink.

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Messenger Reviver 2 automatically installs, repairs and/or modifies Windows Live Messenger 2012, 2011, 2009, and 2008 as well as Windows Messenger to continue signing in despite being blocked by Microsoft.

Reviver 2 supports modifying all language versions and can automatically install either 2009 or 2011/2012 versions in 47 different languages.

You will receive one of the following messages if you’re being forced to upgrade to Skype:
A newer version is available. You must install the newer version in order to continue. Would you like to do this now?
A newer version has been downloaded and is available. You must install this newer version in order to continue. Would you like to do this now?

To bypass the forced upgrade, download my Messenger Reviver 2 utility and run the application. As this requires changes to Messenger you may receive a message asking you to allow Reviver to make changes to your computer.

Reviver will automatically attempt to detect if Messenger is still installed, which versions are eligible for modification and if you need to run a repair or new installation to bring Messenger back (if Skype has removed it).

Download Messenger Reviver 2

Also available: Messenger Reviver 2 zipped if you are experiencing problems with running Reviver.

Requirements
Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10

To revive Messenger, click Start and the process will automatically modify Messenger and restart it.

If Windows Live Essentials is not installed, you will presented with options to either install Messenger 2009 or 2012 in the language of your choosing. Reviver will attempt to guess which language you prefer based on your prior Windows and Essentials language settings.

Additionally if Essentials is still installed, but Skype has removed it, you will be offered to repair your Essentials installation.

Advanced
If you wish to do a manual re-install or repair, you can select these options by clicking the Advanced button and choosing the function you would like.

If you are attempting to revive Windows Messenger on Windows XP and do not have Windows Live Messenger already installed, use the Patch Messenger option in this menu to revive it without further Live Essentials installation.

Easter Eggs
As Messenger Reviver 2 will probably be my last exclusive Messenger project, I have added a few small Easter eggs into the application for fun.

Animated MSN butterfly
When you open Reviver, you’ll find an animated MSN butterfly in the main window. This is the original butterfly that flew around from MSN Messenger 5.0. Based on highly advanced software engineering, the butterfly will fly around, flaps its wings or just sit quietly. If you click the butterfly when it’s not busy, it will react accordingly.

Messenger spinner
If you click the About button, you’ll find the original Messenger signing in spinning animation in the top-left hand corner.

The MSN sound
Back in 1996, MSN had a sound they used for their advertising which accompanied the various letters of M-S-N. I was fairly fond of it, and I’ve included it in Reviver. Single-click the above mentioned spinner to initiate the sound and watch the letters light up.

There’s one more small addition, but I’ll let you find that one yourself 🙂

If you need help…
Please leave a comment here, visit the forum, the live chat, or contact me directly.

Concise version history (full history)

May 19 2017	2.4.9	Farewell release of Messenger Reviver 2
May 17 2017	2.4.8.55	Support for Windows 10 16199 Includes support for Windows 10 update KB4019472 14393.1198 Includes support for Windows 10 15063 (Creators Update) Includes support for Windows 10 update KB4013198 15086.839 Includes support for Windows 10 update KB4012606 10240.17319
May 10 2016	2.4.8.0	Support for Windows 10 14342 Starting to remove old 2009 code and user interface
Feb 12 2016	2.4.7.0	Patches Messenger to a new Messenger server host as the existing one was resulting in “can’t connect” (error 80072efd) messages in some locales
Jan 27 2016	2.4.6.3	Support for Windows 10 10586.71-10586.494 Support for Windows 10 14251
Oct 3 2015	2.4.5.4	Fix for Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB3093266 (was causing 8004882a/800488fe errors)
Aug 10 2015	2.4.5.0	Fix for Windows 10 32-bit versions Support for Windows 10 10162 Better Windows 10 detection Better handling of pending reboots
Jul 29 2015	2.4.4.0	Fix for Windows 10 (10240) and the 8004882a error, workaround no longer needed
Mar 21 2015	2.4.3.0	Fixes for installing Messenger 2012 on 64-bit Vista and full Windows Server 2008 support
Mar 17 2015	2.4.2.0	Windows Vista support for installing/reviving Windows Live Messenger 2012 and the other 2012 Essentials
Mar 12 2015	2.4.1.0	Automatically brings up upgrade window if you don’t have 2012 installed Installation of versions other than 2012 is disabled by default
Dec 20 2014	2.4.0.0	Patches Windows Live Messenger 2011 to use the correct Messenger servers Patches Windows Messenger (all versions) to use the correct Messenger servers New support for Windows Messenger 4.7.3000 (Windows XP SP2) and Windows Messenger 5.1.0715 Bug when detecting if Live Messenger 2008 has been re-revived fixed Automatically enables TLS support (as now required for Messenger) if it has been turned off
Dec 5 2014	2.3.5.0	Patches Windows Live Messenger 2008 and Windows Live Messenger 2009 to force them to use the correct Messenger servers Fixed a bug when upgrading to Messenger 2012 on Windows Server when the .NET Framework 3.x isn’t installed
Nov 13 2014	2.3.0.0	Fixes both Windows Live Messenger 2008 and Windows Live Messenger 2009 (solves error code 85ae0010 sign in issue)
Apr 16 2014	2.2.5.0	Support for new Messenger 2012 16.4.3528.0331
Feb 19 2014	2.2.4.0	Support for new Messenger 2012 16.4.3522.0110
Sept 09 2013	2.2.3.0	Messenger 2011/2012 has been blocked from being installed on Windows 8.1 due to a compatibility problem with Windows 8.1 I’ve yet been able to fix. (This version has been withdrawn as Microsoft has fixed the error in update KB2903939)
May 13 2013	2.2.2.0	Support for new Messenger 2012 16.4.3508.0205
May 07 2013	2.2.1.0	Changes to the detection of Messenger to allow weird modified Program Files folder configurations on 64-bit Windows Fixed a rare crash that would happen on new Messenger installs on XP
May 04 2013	2.2.0.0	Now scans all running applications for Messenger file in use Also supports patching the file and rebooting for the change to take effect Added some code to avoid broken Windows Installers
Apr 25 2013	2.1.0.0	Added support for Windows Live Messenger 2008 (8.5.1302.1018) More aggressive in shutting down services that might hold on to the file, hopefully should resolve some of the “waiting” issues
Apr 25 2013	2.0.1.0	Changed how XP clients work as Reviver was trying to patch Windows Messenger and required advanced settings to install Live Messenger again, it should now be automatic on XP
Apr 24 2013	2.0.0.1	Switching the self-extractor to Microsoft’s iexpress to solve some issues, this should prevent the application from not exiting when it’s done its work and hopefully better with security software
Apr 23 2013	2.0.0.0	First release of Messenger Reviver 2