Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Messenger 5 for Mac
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Gah. I hate how Messenger 5 for the Mac (1) gets disconnected from the service so easily and (2) doesn't have the ability to automatically sign itself back in, like the Windows version does. Every single day, at least once, I am confronted by the bouncing Messenger icon and a dialog box saying "You've been disconnected from the service".
Believe it or not but im starting to like msn, i have not had it disconnect me as of yet and love the ease of use of the photo icons. Does the job.
Microsoft Response
As earlier stated in this post I sent the problem to Microsoft ages ago when version 5 first came out, describing all these problems.
They have only just got back in contact with me, stating that they usually respond within 24 hours but have received an usually high number of messages (hmmm, go figure!).
Unfortuntately as you may expect the steps they give to go through are long and tiring, and aim to elliminate problems with everything else but messenger. These include the usual tech support tests like:
- Your firewall blocking/not configured properly
- Your proxy server wrong
- Your NAT not configured or working properly
- Your ISP having problems/unusual high traffic, system instability, down-time, other ISP problem
- Your ISP blocking certain data packages
- Your Internet connection may be too slow, please upgrade your modem.
- Contact's firewall blocking/not configured properly
- Contact's proxy server wrong
- Contact's NAT not configured or working properly
- Contact's ISP having problems/unusual high traffic, system instability, down-time, other ISP problem
- Contact's ISP blocking certain data packages
- Contact's Internet connection may be too slow, please upgrade their modem.
- Check status of the messenger service
- Messenger service as a whole may be slow in your area
- .Net not functioning correctly
- Please contact your ISP for technical assistance
- Please contact your Contact's ISP for technical assistance
I know that unfortuntately and as frustrating as this is, these are logical steps that have to be gone through. But they were at least polite, saying they understood my problems and the inconvenience this is causing me. I shall do as much of the list as I can as they say (only fair, work in Tech Support myself) and get back to them.
I can only hope that the large number of messages they received were to do with messenger 5 and that they are working on patches and newer versions etc.
Just so you all know!
As earlier stated in this post I sent the problem to Microsoft ages ago when version 5 first came out, describing all these problems.
They have only just got back in contact with me, stating that they usually respond within 24 hours but have received an usually high number of messages (hmmm, go figure!).
Unfortuntately as you may expect the steps they give to go through are long and tiring, and aim to elliminate problems with everything else but messenger. These include the usual tech support tests like:
- Your firewall blocking/not configured properly
- Your proxy server wrong
- Your NAT not configured or working properly
- Your ISP having problems/unusual high traffic, system instability, down-time, other ISP problem
- Your ISP blocking certain data packages
- Your Internet connection may be too slow, please upgrade your modem.
- Contact's firewall blocking/not configured properly
- Contact's proxy server wrong
- Contact's NAT not configured or working properly
- Contact's ISP having problems/unusual high traffic, system instability, down-time, other ISP problem
- Contact's ISP blocking certain data packages
- Contact's Internet connection may be too slow, please upgrade their modem.
- Check status of the messenger service
- Messenger service as a whole may be slow in your area
- .Net not functioning correctly
- Please contact your ISP for technical assistance
- Please contact your Contact's ISP for technical assistance
I know that unfortuntately and as frustrating as this is, these are logical steps that have to be gone through. But they were at least polite, saying they understood my problems and the inconvenience this is causing me. I shall do as much of the list as I can as they say (only fair, work in Tech Support myself) and get back to them.
I can only hope that the large number of messages they received were to do with messenger 5 and that they are working on patches and newer versions etc.
Just so you all know!
Gil, I used to WORK for Microsoft, as a tech support guy (I supported Excel, Office Setup, and Outlook for Windows and wrote a TON of KB articles while I was there), and while it's nice that they sent you that laundry list of potential issues, I can trump the entire list with one solid fact:
My Windows machines and my Macs are on the SAME network, with the SAME router. But the Windows Messenger DOESN'T get disconnected, and the Mac Messenger DOES, and the Windows Messenger CAN automatically sign itself back in. The Mac Messenger CAN'T.
I think it's rather obvious that they didn't just port over the code and slap a new UI on it. For a while, they used to have a shared code base for Windows/Mac apps like Excel... this was nice for me as a support guy, because if a problem occurred on one side, there was a good chance it would also occur on the OTHER side.
At any rate, automatic re-sign in needs to be #1 on the list of priorities.
My Windows machines and my Macs are on the SAME network, with the SAME router. But the Windows Messenger DOESN'T get disconnected, and the Mac Messenger DOES, and the Windows Messenger CAN automatically sign itself back in. The Mac Messenger CAN'T.
I think it's rather obvious that they didn't just port over the code and slap a new UI on it. For a while, they used to have a shared code base for Windows/Mac apps like Excel... this was nice for me as a support guy, because if a problem occurred on one side, there was a good chance it would also occur on the OTHER side.
At any rate, automatic re-sign in needs to be #1 on the list of priorities.
Yup, I'd agree with that totally. I used my old pc for a couple of hours the other day - connection sharing with my wireless powerbook and it didn't disconnect once... So what can it be? Do you think they've written a random disconector into the code to try and frustrate us back to windows?clayj said:
j_maddison said:
dontpanic said:yes i had that problem too
It seems an "!" triggers this with certain convos on my system.. When some people type a "!" it comes up with a blank line. Weird.
Programs that crash on my Mac: Microshaft
MSN messenger, Internet explorer, Powerpoint, Word, excel, entourage.
Crash frequently on my new mac, my old mac and my mates old macs.
Hmm, what do they have in common, let me think, hmm, MICROSOFT!!!
One other thing that crashes and freezes is PCSX (a PSX emulator for PC ported to Mac), everything else seems to work
Microshaft Turd (MS Word) is crap anyway. I use Appleworks 6, and occasonally Adobe Indesign for documents.
Skype me (smegbromavich the 3rd)
MSN messenger, Internet explorer, Powerpoint, Word, excel, entourage.
Crash frequently on my new mac, my old mac and my mates old macs.
Hmm, what do they have in common, let me think, hmm, MICROSOFT!!!
One other thing that crashes and freezes is PCSX (a PSX emulator for PC ported to Mac), everything else seems to work
Microshaft Turd (MS Word) is crap anyway. I use Appleworks 6, and occasonally Adobe Indesign for documents.
Skype me (smegbromavich the 3rd)
Yes I know. I know exactly. I'm in tech support myself as well. To be honest I was just trying to sound polite to the guy, (try anything once!) Just being friendly and trying to avoid arguement!clayj said:
Nothing lost!
OOOO, the deadly conspiracy! Makes you think!hob said:
I think I'll replace Adium with this, now. I got very sick of the was Adium crashes every time I send or recieve a file.
Adium crashes for me if i accept a file after the other user has canceled it... thats rather annoying. also, it is incredile slow for sending files... good job mail is only in the dock away no reason to use Microsoft Messenger / MSN Messenger / Windows Messenger for Mac... though. be happy with adium...
no reason to use Microsoft Messenger / MSN Messenger / Windows Messenger for Mac... though. be happy with adium...
I haven't had any of the file transfer errors that I read so much about with Adium. Very occasionally I won't notice the file transfer window - if I have heaps of other windows / apps open... so the file gets cancelled at the other end... but I have received files no problems.
Is it with any particular service that people encounter problems? (e.g. MSN, ICQ?)
Is it with any particular service that people encounter problems? (e.g. MSN, ICQ?)
Well, when all is said and done, I like this version of messenger!
It's shockingly none-up-to-date with the PC version, but then it does do the job at least, and thats the main thing.
The only thing I personally wish that they'd get off their hiney and fix is the disconnects. Adium doesn't disconnect, and neither did any other IM program that Ive encountered. It also seems to be entirely random, with nothing particuarly "setting it off". It could well be a small piece of malicious code...who knows!
Also would be useful, is the ability to have tabbed messaging like in Adium. I'm not sure if there is a way to employ this, but I haven't found it as yet...
Still, a reasonably solid effort from Microsoft - if we have updates every couple of months, we should be up to date by 2007!
It's shockingly none-up-to-date with the PC version, but then it does do the job at least, and thats the main thing.
The only thing I personally wish that they'd get off their hiney and fix is the disconnects. Adium doesn't disconnect, and neither did any other IM program that Ive encountered. It also seems to be entirely random, with nothing particuarly "setting it off". It could well be a small piece of malicious code...who knows!
Also would be useful, is the ability to have tabbed messaging like in Adium. I'm not sure if there is a way to employ this, but I haven't found it as yet...
Still, a reasonably solid effort from Microsoft - if we have updates every couple of months, we should be up to date by 2007!
I have a few questions with MM5.
- Is there any way to change the location that it saves the Microsoft User Data folder? It currently locates itself in Documents, and when I move it somewhere else, whenever I use MM5 it comes back to Documents.
- Is there any way to remove the thing that says 'Never give out your credit card, etc.' message from conversations? Its annoying as hell.
- Is there any way to change the location that it saves the Microsoft User Data folder? It currently locates itself in Documents, and when I move it somewhere else, whenever I use MM5 it comes back to Documents.
- Is there any way to remove the thing that says 'Never give out your credit card, etc.' message from conversations? Its annoying as hell.
tikibangout said:
I'm pretty sure you can't remove that...
I don't think it's that annoying anyway...
tikibangout said:
DarkNetworks said:
It's true that you can't completely remove the warning message, however it is possible to change it to something far less obtrusive.
Here's how to do it :Open the Microsoft Messenger package and navigate to the following folder : Contents:Resources:English.lproj
Open the file called "InstantMessageWindows.strings" using TextEdit and scroll down to the last few lines, they should read something like this :
/* IM warning message */
IMWarning = "Never give out your...";
You can change the value between the quotation marks to something far shorter, like this :
/* IM warning message */
IMWarning = "Enjoy Microsoft Messenger 5.0 !";
Hope this helps.