MSN displays e-mail address' rather than nicknames

[Roggan]

i searched through these forums and couldnt find an answer so decided to post

But I quite a few months back now installed MSN Plus (remembering the old versions to be good) but un-installed it as it had TONS of adware in it which was a real let down
had to use HijackThis to remove some of it and of course adware

Anyway after I un-installed it, it left my MSN Messenger so that it ONLY displays peoples e-mail addresses and not there actual nicknames.
I have looked for an option that could turn this on and off and have not found one, I have also looked through these forums but no one has seemed to have had this problem

Its really starting to annoy me now, is there anyway I can get nicknames back, is it something stupid im doing wrong (i hope so)

It works fine when I login from other computers but just not on mine.
I would be extremely grateful
thanks

Roggan

[ladie_vennom]

Open MSN Messenger -> Contacts -> Manage Contacts -> View Contacts by -> Display Name

[Roggan]

lol you are a genious
and I am an idiot

thanks alot

ive been suffering with that prob since like november last year

man I feel stupid lol

[EvilSeph]

Alright, multiple points need to be covered here. Just so you know, I'll cover the adware last, so it leaves an impression.

Firstly, to reset your MSN Messenger contact list to display by display name, do as ladie_vennom said:

1) Open MSN Messenger.
2) Go to your contact list, if you are not already there
3) Click Contacts on the menu bar (where File View etc.. are)
4) Then click on Manage Contacts
5) then View Contacts by
6) and lasty, click on Display Name

This will restore your MSN Messenger contact list to sort and display by display name.

Secondly, the reason your list was made to display by email is because Messenger Plus! enabled "Custom Contact Names" -- one of it's features, which REQUIRES your contact list to be sorted by email address, rather than display name, to function.

Lastly, the sponsor.


Greetings,

Following are instructions on how to remove the Messenger Plus! OPTIONAL sponsor:

Removing the OPTIONAL sponsor program bundled with Messenger Plus!

quote:*** NOTE: DO NOT USE AD-AWARE OR SPYBOT TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR, DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE BY YOURSELF, AND/OR DO NOT EDIT THE REGISTRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE THIS WILL DAMAGE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE AND MAY PREVENT YOU FROM REMOVING IT CORRECTLY. ***

The only official removal method is by uninstalling Messenger Plus! To do so, go to your Start menu, settings, control panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

*** NOTE: DO NOT USE AD-AWARE OR SPYBOT TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR, DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE BY YOURSELF, AND/OR DO NOT EDIT THE REGISTRY TO REMOVE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE THIS WILL DAMAGE THE SPONSOR PACKAGE AND MAY PREVENT YOU FROM REMOVING IT CORRECTLY. ***

Method 2: Removing the sponsor if you've attempted to manually remove it

quote:Method 2: Note: ONLY use this method if you have tried to remove the sponsor by using 3rd party applications or editing the registry.

Uninstall Messenger Plus! by going to your Start menu, settings, control panel. Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed (the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important). When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

Once done install Messenger Plus! WITH THE SPONSOR. Reboot
Next, Uninstall Messenger Plus! by following these instructions:

Click on Add/Remove Programs, scroll down until you find Messenger Plus!, double click it.

The "Messenger Plus! - Setup" is now displayed. Click on the Uninstall button. After a couple of seconds, the program will ask you if you want to keep your preferences, it is suggested to say "Yes" if you plan to reinstall Messenger Plus! in the future (this question is not related to the sponsor program).

After that the sponsor removal screen is now displayed (Note: If you can't see it, search for it in your taskbar). As a security measure against bots, you are required to enter the code that is shown on the sponsor removal screen. If you entered the code correctly, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to uninstall. You must answer "Yes" to this question, else, you won't have another chance of uninstalling.

To complete the uninstallation, follow the instructions that are displayed [u](the first one is to close all your Internet Explorer windows, that's very important)[/b]. When everything is complete, restart your computer. This should work, we've tried it loads of times and Messenger Plus!'s testers are required to test out the sponsor installation/uninstllation capabilities.

Reboot.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way..

Patchou decided to bundle an EXTREMELY modified lop.com sponsor with Messenger Plus! Note, I said EXTREMELY modified. Patchou vigorously negotiated with lop.com to remove the "explicit" content in their sponsor (although some anti-virus and anti-spyware software may still give FALSE warnings, details below). I would just like to take the time..to make you see that Patchou has no obligation to continue production and/or development of Messenger Plus!...and by including a sponsor, he can continue to distribute Messenger Plus! to the public for free. He's done all this for you..please..just cut him some slack.

When using either custom install or automatic install, Messenger Plus! will always prompt you with the sponsor agreement. Only when you click one of the two options, the install will go to the next step... It is completely at your discretion that the sponsor does what it does. When you've agreed to install the sponsor, no one but yourself is under any obligation. Thus, the sponsor is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL; Patchou has given you the complete choice of installing the sponsor or not, whilst still installing Messenger Plus! without any limitations whats-so-ever.

Furthermore, just to clear things up. The sponsor is in no way a trojan or spyware. Anti-Virus vendors have classified lop as a trojan whilst Anti-Spyware vendors have classified lop as spyware, this is in no way true for the lop package that comes with Messenger Plus!. As I have already informed you Patchou is using a HIGHLY modified sponsor package with Messenger Plus! He has also fought vigorously to have Messenger Plus! re-labeled from trojan and spyware to harmless software..but most vendors have refused (in mock ignorance).

I assure you my instructions above work. As I am an official Messenger Plus! tester (contacting me about it will result in a blatant ignore), I install the sponsor with EVERY build I recieve to insure no one suffers from any possible sponsor-won't-install bug. And contrary to belief, those steps above work flawlessly.

No offense intended, nor do I wish to provoke anyone with this post. If it does provoke anyone or offend anyone, I apologise. However I request that the staff contact me first before removing or editing my post..thanks.

Regards,
EvilSeph
- Concerned Messenger Plus! support channel staff and user(s)..

[Eagle_Kiwi]

Hi all.
I've searched FAQs, and searched this forum, finding heaps of BASIC queries about View Contacts By, but mine is different! (sorry if I've missed a post.. BBB is taking around 30sec to load each page, on my dialup speed, and I haven't got all day).

Are there ONLY the 2 options available ?
This is #1 of my 50 item "MSN Bugbears" list - it is the ONLY IM prog I know where *I* cannot control how *I* see friends' names. (Well, AIM is not perfect, but there's a workaround for that).

It seems that EITHER I choose email address, which of course means nothing to me for most of my friends.... OR I choose Display Name - but gee, maybe I have some JERKS on my list, but many or most are unrecognisable to me!
e.g. I have a friend Jenny. I also know her as Foxy_Lady some places. But for some reason she may choose display name on MSN today to be "May God Bless My New Job!" (WITH perhaps assorted hearts, rainbows, gumboots, and I dunno WHAT all silly smilies!) And that's all *I* see.

I have a LOT of people on all my IM lists... but with YM, ICQ, PalTalk, etc at least *I* can override whatever THEY choose to use, so I could ensure that (e.g.) this friend always shows TO ME as "Jenny/Foxy-AZ,USA".

Have I missed something here ? Do I malign MSN unjustly ?

[fishlips20]

Originally Posted by EvilSeph

Alright, multiple points need to be covered here. Just so you know, I'll cover the adware last, so it leaves an impression.

Firstly, to reset your MSN Messenger contact list to display by display name, do as ladie_vennom said:

1) Open MSN Messenger.
2) Go to your contact list, if you are not already there
3) Click Contacts on the menu bar (where File View etc.. are)
4) Then click on Manage Contacts
5) then View Contacts by
6) and lasty, click on Display Name

This will restore your MSN Messenger contact list to sort and display by display name.

Secondly, the reason your list was made to display by email is because Messenger Plus! enabled "Custom Contact Names" -- one of it's features, which REQUIRES your contact list to be sorted by email address, rather than display name, to function.

GENIUS!!!!
Thank you... Somehow, when i downloaded IMTiger, I had the same buddy on my list 3 times... once from AIM, once from ICQ and once from MSN...

I must have changed his name, enabling MSN Plus' custom name feature...

When i uninstalled IMTiger, and tried to sort by display name, it would work only until i minimized the screen... then it returned to e-mail addresses.

Thank you for identifying this issue... for a while there I thought I would need to reformat (I had already reinstalled MSN and MSN plus like 3 times).