Hello,

First off, I’d like to apologise if this is in the wrong topic section, I wasn’t very sure where to place it.

Ok, here's the problem...

I can usually sign onto MSN Messenger with no problem, and can stay on it for about half an hour to an hour before something goes wrong. the thing that goes wrong is that the program tends to freeze up and shut itself down saying "Program not responding".

I have been watching to see what’s been causing this and I have come to the conclusion that it happens when people send me animated smiles, which they have downloaded (I don't mean for me to download, I mean when they use them in conversation)...

A few weeks went by since this observation, and it now appears that MSN closes whenever it feels like it, regardless of whether someone has sent me an animated smile or not... I’m not too sure what’s going on.

I have 2 computers and 2 separate virus protection software - the one with Mcafee msn does not freeze, but the one with Norton it does, I have checked and made sure that the program is not blocked in any way from the virus programs.

I’m just not sure what to do, I emailed MSN directly and they were of no help, I have also tried uninstalling and re-installing the program... so far no luck.

If anyone has any ideas I’d be most grateful to hear them.

Thanks very much

coSTAR

Why don't you try another Anti-Virus program on the system you currently are runing NAV? Here are a couple of free programs that are very good: Grisoft's free AVG or AntiVir Personal Addition Classic.

Thanks for the suggestion Tecumseh,

however i'm afraid i can't do that - my dad has just bought a years subscription with Norton and he wouldnt be best pleased if i start changing the virus program

Thanks anyway,

coSTAR

Hi coSTAR,

Norton AV and Norton shields are tricky to set for some purposes, and it may be blocking something and freezing your system... You must take a look on Norton options one-by-one to see if there is some culprit setting.

(Norton shields may block some pictures, including animated ones)

Chris

Hey Chris,

Cheers for the reply, do you have any idea how i would go about this? What in particular am I looking for? I’ve looked at the programs list on Norton to see what ones are blocked and I have switched the HTML program from automatic to permit all, and the same goes with MSN Messenger.

Thanks again,

coSTAR

Unfortunately, I never used Norton AV, only made some config on other computers, and removed it when the owner let me do this

I do not like Norton stuff... too heavy, too complex.

You'll have to search by yourself... try temporarily disabling Norton shields (not the AV itself) to see if it's coming from it.

Chris

Yeh, i know what you mean - i hate Norton, its not very good. I tried to persuade my dad to get Mcafee, explaining how much better it was than Norton but he wasn't having any of it

i'll see what happens if i disable it.

Thanks for your help and time,

Kind Regards

coSTAR

AHA! Its been confirmed!

Norton Personal Firewall is the cultrate making MSN close. Now to find out how...

half way done coSTAR

Now you will learn a lot of things about Norton...

Norton Firewall, isn't the only thing that can give you a headache. I have to shut down ZoneAlarm Firewall, to see my thumbnails in my photo albums, it took me over two months working with it, and uninstalling, and reinstalling the photoalbum, then finding out it was ZoneAlarm that gave me the problems all along

Lorraine

isn't it always the same way!!

damn virus programs, they need to learn to work properly!!

May try unchecking the Norton AV option of having it monitor MSN Messenger. Somewhere in Norton there are options to monitor AOL Messenger, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. May need more installed memory, or disable some background apps in MSConfig that maybe you don't necessarily need running. Norton Security products (for the general publc) are big hogs. Norton Corporate does much better.