Windows Messenger & DX9 Fix

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Hi guys! I know theres a bunch of people out there suffering the same problem as me after upgrading to DX9 under Windows XP: Windows Messenger goes screwy! Well, I've since figured out a temporary solution until Microsoft fixes the problem, so I thought I'd share!

Problem:

After upgrading to DX9, Windows Messenger takes a while to load and/or will intermittently freeze every 30 seconds or so for a few seconds before returning back to normal.

Click on Read More below to read what I believe the cause to be and the solution to it..

Cause: (or at least what I believe it to be)

Windows Messenger doesn't like the built-in XP Firewall after the DX9 upgrade. Every time Messenger freezes, it adds a new service entry in the Firewall advanced properties list. For some reason it keeps opening up ports.

I've triple checked this and it happens every time it freezes. I let Windows Messenger freeze a bunch of times, then went into the Advanced Settings, and Windows Messenger had created 20+ entries.

Solution:

Theres 2 solutions depending on how wary you are.

1) Disable Windows XP Firewall completely. You won't have any more problems.

2) If you want to keep the firewall on, but not have the freezing problem, what you need to do is:

Disable the firewall
Completely exit Windows Messenger
Run Windows Messenger
Turn the firewall back on

It seems that if the firewall is enabled AFTER windows messenger is started, everything will be ok.

Not really an ideal solution I know because its a pain in the butt, but it fixes the problem (at least on my computer). You'll need to repeat the process any time the firewall is loaded before messenger is. (ie. firewall enabled upon restarting/logging onto the PC)

This has worked for me and a few other people I've shared it with, so I hope this works for everyone else out there. :)

(2 replies) #1 Tom Servo on 05 Jan 2003 - 17:29

[quote]Windows Messenger doesn't like the built-in XP Firewall after the DX9 upgrade. Every time Messenger freezes, it adds a new service entry in the Firewall advanced properties list. For some reason it keeps opening up ports. [/quote] LOL. Might work the fix he proposed, but I still don't see a connection between DX9 and Messenger+Firewall.

#1.1 Mr magoo on 05 Jan 2003 - 17:31

me neither... but this is MS = and if it works who cares?!

#1.2 Brenniman on 06 Jan 2003 - 03:12

If XP's firewall is the issue here's a better solution: Disable the thing permanently and install Zonealarm.

(1 reply) #2 Fubar on 05 Jan 2003 - 17:31

neither does ms and thats why there trying to fiqure it out...... heh gotta be said that even ms can get confused on stuff they write lol

#2.1 Jason on 05 Jan 2003 - 17:37

Of course the coding of their programs is becoming more and more complex. It must be hard to alter a part with out breaking another part, beta testing helps to find these bugs but the odd one or so slips through still.

(1 reply) #3 lgeurts on 05 Jan 2003 - 17:45

Typical something M$ delivers. And users have the problems. I sometimes wonder why I did my MCSE...

#3.1 danlu on 05 Jan 2003 - 18:12

Yeah, only MS software have bugs

(4 replies) #4 Xci7e on 05 Jan 2003 - 17:49

i never used this fw before...cause it sucks.

i still use 4.7 of MS messenger and dx8.2...

#4.1 Drestin on 06 Jan 2003 - 00:03

The FW sucks? hmm... define "sucks" - how does this FW suck? Do you have even the slightest clue what you are talking about or are you just trying to be cool by acting anti-MS (even though you probably are using a ton of (stolen) MS products daily). This is an inward bound only FW and in that respect it works just as good as any other. It blocks ALL inbound traffic that wasn't requested from the inside. ALL. That's about the best proection you can ask for. AND it also supports UPnP which means that unlike other firewalls which will kill many of your applications dead - this one is smart enough to negoiate port openings with internal applications automatically. No other FW can do this. So - again, are you just being ignorantly anti-MS or could you actualy back up that "sux" comment with even the tinies bit of factum?

#4.2 outofcoffee on 06 Jan 2003 - 01:32

rofl.. harsh but fair ;-) i've found since upgrading to win xp that i keep going back to the built-in fw, even after buying zap 3.0 (which has a tendancy to kill games by popping up in the background..

) i think ms should push forward with adding anti-virus software into the os (hold on, hear me out..) i seem to remember paul t mentioning they were looking into a 'modular' plan where 3rd party vendors could plug-in their own software a la xp firewall

problem is, as soon as an ms "feature" gets good, people start complaining... wonder how much more 'useful' the xp fw has to get before it has other manufacturers complaining it's suddenly "anticompetative" [..that it's good..]

#4.3 JaggedFlame on 06 Jan 2003 - 06:42

Drestin, how can you assume so much from his post? He just said that he runs older versions of his software and that he doesn't like the built-in firewall. I don't see anything "anti-MS" or suggesting of pirated software anywhere in that post.

#4.4 outofcoffee on 06 Jan 2003 - 10:11

The judgement "it sux" isn't representative of a viewpoint that's founded on actual use.. by Xci7e's own admission he's "never used" the fw, so the inference is that he has some other motivation for voicing dissatisfaction. perhaps it *is* reading too heavily into it, however, to stereotype the guy as an effective $cr1ptk1dd13

(3 replies) #5 raid517 on 05 Jan 2003 - 18:11

Messenger is just an MS ploy to spy on all your Internet activities. Why would you use this spyware crap anyway? Q

#5.1 Fubar on 05 Jan 2003 - 18:14

[neoquote=#5.0 by raid517]Messenger is just an MS ploy to spy on all your Internet activities. Why would you use this spyware crap anyway? Q[/neoquote] lol if that was the case then id be in jail by now :/ theyd know all about my software that i havent paid for they would also find out im using a cracked xp lol

#5.2 brew crew on 05 Jan 2003 - 18:20

All Instant Messaging programs are monitered and have been for quite some time. Welcome to The New World Order

#5.3 JaggedFlame on 06 Jan 2003 - 06:43

Yes, Microsoft has so much free time that it has nothing better to do than spy on millions of users.

#6 Tikimotel on 05 Jan 2003 - 19:03

[quote]Might work the fix he proposed, but I still don't see a connection between DX9 and Messenger+Firewall[/quote] Directplay ? maybe?, does that make the connection?

(1 reply) #7 FuseWerx on 05 Jan 2003 - 19:05

I suspect that UPnP is part of DirectPlay now, and Messenger uses UPnP to tell the firewall what ports to open if memory serves.

#7.1 creamhackered on 05 Jan 2003 - 21:00

[neoquote=#7.0 by FuseWerx]I suspect that UPnP is part of DirectPlay now, and Messenger uses UPnP to tell the firewall what ports to open if memory serves.[/neoquote] Thats exactly it. There is a conflict between UPnP trying to open its ports with the ICF Service. This hangs whilst messenger creates log entries which then causes Windows Messenger to hang.You could just open the ports it wants?

(2 replies) #8 CheeseCow on 05 Jan 2003 - 19:42

OMG. They can't even get their own software to get along. It is like they didn't test it on their own systems before releasing.

#8.1 bangbang023 on 05 Jan 2003 - 23:31

[neoquote=#8.0 by CheeseCow]OMG. They can't even get their own software to get along. It is like they didn't test it on their own systems before releasing.

[/neoquote] lmao! funniest thing i've heard today.

#8.2 Drestin on 06 Jan 2003 - 00:07

Perhaps they did and noticed that only a very tiny fraction of people are having this problem?

#9 Qba73 on 05 Jan 2003 - 20:26

upgrading my linksys firmware fixed my issues

#10 Mystical112 on 05 Jan 2003 - 20:27

oh well....i guess i'll just use msn 5...

#11 Yvo on 05 Jan 2003 - 20:33

woah and i thought it was because i was using a p4 because thats when these problems started. everytime i started outlook it too forever to load and i found out it was windows messenger (the event viewer helped me on that one). so i disabled windows messenger in outlook and bye bye went all the problems.

#12 R3dF0X on 05 Jan 2003 - 21:22

didnt work for me

(1 reply) #13 Ravager on 05 Jan 2003 - 21:53

Just get rid of the POS WinXP firewall and get yourself something else like ZoneAlarm.

#13.1 Drestin on 06 Jan 2003 - 00:06

Why? Zonealarm doesn't do a damned thing more than the XP FW as to incoming traffic. Sure, Zonealarm DOES block outgoing traffic too. How often is THAT an issue? In fact, you probably have become so numbed to the constantly annoying requests for outside access that you now just blindly authorize programs to go outbound on zonealarm The only reason to use zonealarm is if you consider it likely that you'll be affected by a trojan behind your firewall - aren't you running AV software and practicing safe-surfing?

#14 warr on 06 Jan 2003 - 02:46

this is your expected eXPerience. LOL....

(4 replies) #15 BiLLy_BloggZ on 06 Jan 2003 - 08:32

how is it that M$ cant find out how to fix 1 small insgnifficnt problem even though they find out some new security hole that no one knows about every couple of hours... meybe there MSN Messenger staff is a little underfunded or shor of staff, plus you would think these software pros wouldve figured out how to fix this small issue already...

#15.1 CoolShady2002 on 06 Jan 2003 - 11:30

They have figured out the issue allready. The solution is to upgrade the firmware of the Linksys Router to 1.44.2

#15.2 JaggedFlame on 06 Jan 2003 - 14:10

There you go. The problem isn't even Microsoft's, and people are laying it on thick already. "IT'S M$ BUGGY LOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLO!~!~!!!111"

#15.3 Jason on 06 Jan 2003 - 14:44

People are too quick to blame MS now if all I did was blame MS for everything in my job I would get booted out pretty quick.

#15.4 CoolShady2002 on 07 Jan 2003 - 00:21

I should have said this previously, but obviously not every DirectX 9 and Windows Messenger issue is related to a Linksys router, though this does seem to be the most common Issue. If you do have problems with Windows Messenger and DirectX 9 and you also have a linksys router then the obvious course of action is to upgrade the firmware to version 1.44.2.

#16 SouL2kEEp on 06 Jan 2003 - 12:43

thats why i dont have a problem with Windows Messenger and DX9... i simply dont use windows xp's firewall....

#17 Parallax Abstraction on 06 Jan 2003 - 15:46

I am running into this problem, however I don't and have never used the XP firewall. I also tried upgrading the firmware in my Linksys router and that didn't seem to solve it. Windows Messenger still won't start and Outlook Express takes like 30+ seconds to load. Does anyone know of any other potential solutions that could cause this problem? Thanks all

#18 Cideman on 06 Jan 2003 - 19:11

:disappoin

#19 OSS TheSaint on 06 Jan 2003 - 21:47

If anyone is having problems like the following: 1. Messenger won't Start. 2. Outlook takes a while to start. 3. Messenger takes a while to start. And you have recently installed Directx9 then here is the fix. Basically whats going on is Directx9 has updated/upgraded some UPnP code for better and more stable online/multiplayer play. If you have a router/firewall installed on your internet connection then you need to update your firmware on your router/firewall. The router/firewall is choking on the UPnP code causing Msgr not to run. Also Outlook tries to start msgr when you run it, and since msgr won't start outlook times out for about 30sec-1minute. So download the lastest firmware for you specific router/firewall and make sure the firmware has updated UPnP code with should be with the firmware release notes. If your manufacturer does not have an updated firmware contact them and let them know whats going on so they can provide one for you.

#20 Paulnc on 06 Jan 2003 - 22:04

Thanks Spyder, We will hold off on installing DX 9. I love this site.

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