Running MSN/Windows Live Messenger using Wine

Written: 11th May 2025

This is an updated version of this guide created by RebMillenn(long time no see dude, wonder how you're doing nowadays).

Using the latest version of Wine(10.4 as of writing) install the following winetricks:

• corefonts
• gdiplus
• msls31
• riched20
• riched30
• tahoma

Don't install msxml3, MSN works without it and it makes the installer fail right at the end, deleting all progress.

For getting winks to work, Crosstalk hosts this old version of Flash Player, which can be installed by simply running the exe.

Now install Messenger. Patched installers will usually come in an MSI format so run wine msiexec /i filename.msi, replacing filename with the installer name of course.

8.1 and 8.5

These versions require an additional step in order to not crash at login: open winecfg and set the version to Windows 2000. MSN will complain 2000 is not supported, but after pressing Ok it will work anyway.

Finishing

After that open MSN. It should work fine, aside from some Wine-specific bugs.

I've tested and confirmed that MSN 5.0-8.5 work on Linux. No tests were made on macOS but I imagine these also work there if the steps here are replicated.