Windows Live Messenger New Version Prompt Is *Skype*

 

Summary:

1. Windows Live Messenger program informs users that  ‘A new version of Messenger is available’

2. The new version of Messenger is Microsoft Skype

Comments:

• Effective April 8, 2013 Microsoft will start mandatory upgrading Windows Live Messenger users to Microsoft Skype
• Current users of Windows Live Messenger when opening the program will be presented with the following prompt -  ‘A new version of Messenger is available’:

 

• Clicking on ‘Get it now’ will generate the following dialog box

• Clicking ”OK’ with Yes’ enabled **will not** install ‘A newer version of Messenger’ but will initiate the download and subsequent installation of Skype
• Clicking on ‘What’s New’ will redirect to a Skype url (web page) with additional details on upgrading Messenger to Skype and an option to download Skype

 

• The terminology that ‘A newer version of Messenger is available’ may be (is) a bit misleading but the requirement for Windows Live Messenger users to upgrade to Microsoft Skype is mandatory since the end of life (and ability to use) Messenger will start to occur globally (except mainland China) on April 8, 2013.
• If you wish to continue to use a Microsoft product to Instant Message, Share (Photos, Videos, Files), Group Chat, and Video calls with your Messenger contacts then installation of Microsoft Skype is necessary.

Links:

Skype Home Page – http://www.skype.com/en/

What is Skype – http://www.skype.com/en/what-is-skype/

Skype for Windows Desktop – http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/

Skype Support – https://support.skype.com/en/

Microsoft Answers Support (Messenger/Skype FAQs) – http://goo.gl/rQ69Q

 

Revisions:

April 1, 2013: Original Draft Date

April 2, 2013: Original Publish Date

Windows Live Messenger End of Service – Volume 2

 

Summary:

Effective April 8th, 2013 Microsoft will begin upgrading customers for Windows Live Messenger to Skype

Comments:

1. April 8, 2013 is the first day you may be required to update from Messenger to Skype
2. Microsoft previously announced that existing Messenger service globally (except mainland China) would be retired effective March 15, 2013. The April 8th date preempts the earlier March 15th date.
3. Upgrading to Skype using an existing Microsoft account (currently used for Windows Live Messenger) will migrate that same Microsoft account’s Messenger contacts into Skype.
4. Messenger contacts  ‘Categories and Groups’ ***Do Not*** migrate to Skype
5. Custom Emoticons (including animated gifs) are not supported in Skype
6. End of Service in the simplest terms means Windows Live Messenger will cease to function (sign-on with username/password will fail/no longer functions) – i.e. upgrading to Skype is mandatory!

Notices:

Two recent email notices (Feb 2013 and March 2013) are shown below. 

Note: If you’ve not seen these notices (more than two email reminders have been sent to all Messenger accounts) it might be prudent to look in your email client’s Junk Mail folder

Feb 2013 Notice:

March 2013 Notice:

Links:

• Messenger to Skype for Windows Desktop – https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12246/i-used-to-use-messenger-what-do-i-need-to-know-about-skype-for-windows-desktop
• From Messenger to Skype – http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/windows-live-messenger/
• Download Skype – http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-windows/downloading/wlm/

 

Revisions:

February 19, 2013: Original Publish Date

March 23, 2013: Updated (added additional email notice)

April 1, 2013: Updated (added Skype Download link)

Windows Live Messenger – End of Service

Summary:

  Windows Live Messenger will be retired on March 15th 2013 globally everywhere (except mainland China)

Comments:

1. Microsoft Skype is the client replacing Windows Live Messenger

2. Updating to Microsoft Skype will retain your Contacts and the ability to:

• Instant message
• Video call
• Call phones from your devices (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, Android mobile, Kindle)
• Share your screen
• Video call and IM with Facebook friends
• Group video call with up to ten friends at once (requires a Skype Premium account)

Subscriber Notification:

• Email notice on January 8, 2013

Additional Information:

So, what’s happening between now and 15th March?

Messenger will continue to work as you know it today. If you are signed in with Messenger on your desktop** you will see a banner notification to upgrade. When you click on the banner, an installer window will open with the request to upgrade. This will take you through our installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger.

So, what’s happening after 15th March?

Messenger users on desktops** will not be able to sign in and will only be able to upgrade to Skype. If you attempt to sign in, a notification will appear, and if you continue, you will be taken through our installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger at the same time. ** Newer versions of Messenger will be able to receive the optional upgrade notifications. Older versions will not receive the notifications and you will have to download Skype manually.

Links:

• Update Now 
• Download (Latest version) – http://www.skype.com/go/getskype/wlm

Revisions:

Jan 8, 2013: Original Published Date

Windows Live Messenger – Alternate Email Address Status Prompt

Summary:

• Windows Live Messenger prompts to use or update an existing alternate email address for Password Reset

Background Information:

• Windows Live Messenger users may notice a dialog box prompting them to keep their current alternate email address or update (change) their alternate email address.
• This is a valid prompt in Windows Live Messenger (confirmed and deployed by Microsoft/Windows Live)
• Note the yellow dialog box in the picture below (captured while using Windows Live Messenger 2011)

For discussion purposes the yellow dialog box in the above picture was edited to remove a valid email address in favor of a generic email address and text inserted explaining the source of the email address

• An alternate email address is one of the available account recovery proofs/security tools provided by Live services for a Password Reset
• An alternate email address can be configured at http://account.live.com by clicking on the ‘Manage’ item adjacent to the  ‘Security Info:‘ option. (see picture below).  (Fyi – the ‘Security Info’ and ‘Manage’ option are recent modifications to the Live ID account page’s GUI permitting users the ability to manage all account recovery proofs (Alternate Email, Mobile Phone Number, Trusted PC, and Secret Question) on a single page.

Comments:

• Advance notification of this change does not exist on the Microsoft Live Team’s  Inside Windows Live blog or elsewhere (Windows Live Solution Center Messenger Portal ) though other articles have been written on improving the security and feature updates for Live services and products - e.g. Messenger, Hotmail, etc.
• As noted earlier, this is a valid prompt (i.e. not malware/phishing) – confirmed and deployed by Microsoft/Windows Live
• Clicking ‘Yes’ will close the dialog box and accept the current alternate email address
• Clicking ‘Update Now’ will allow one to update their Live ID account’s alternate email address and/or other account recovery proofs/security tools (Mobile Phone, Trusted PC, Secret Question).
• The prompt shown in the above example was captured while using Windows Live Messenger 2011 (earlier versions may or may not perform the same)

 

Revisions:

November 8, 2011: Original Publish Date (D.S.T)