Archive for April 15th, 2006

15
Apr

Removing adverts from MSN Messenger 7

By admin 4 Comments
Categories: Programming

My hate for adverts is phenomenal.

So… here’s how to remove adverts from MSN Messenger if you’re really brave and have a copy of Visual Studio 2003 at hand.

1) Backup you existing MSN app

Copy and paste this: C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe
So that you have a “Copy of msnmsgr.exe” file.

2) Open Visual Studio 2003

3) Open msnmsgr.exe

You have to do this in Visual Studio, using the File > Open > File method.

4) Expand UIFile

This will give you a list of embedded files within the UIFile folder.

5) Edit file 920

This removes the text adverts at the bottom of the messenger conversation windows.

What you need to do is note that the window is split… hex on the left, text on the right. Copy all of the text column by clicking in there to get focus, then CTRL+A and CTRL+C.

Now go to Textpad, Notepad, or whatever you use to edit text files, and search for and delete the following:
<element id=atom(adbannercont) layout=filllayout() layoutpos=bottom>
<element height=25 layout=borderlayout() borderthickness=rect(0,1,0,0) bordercolor=ifhc(buttonshadow,rgb(68,96,151)) colorize=enabled/>
<textadbanner id=atom(adbanner) layout=verticalflowlayout(0,0,2,2) padding=rect(16,0,0,3) borderthickness=rect(0,1,0,0) bordercolor=ifhc(buttonshadow,rgb(68,96,151)) colorize=enabled>
<cmdbutton id=atom(adbannertextcontainer) padding=rect(4,1,4,1) layout=filllayout() background=argb(0,0,0,0) tooltip=true AccName=rcstr(85) colorize=enabled>
<wledit id=atom(adbannertext) class="ReadOnlyText" active=inactive/>
</cmdbutton>
</textadbanner>
</element>

Then copy it all again, and go back to Visual Studio, the text should still be highlighted, so CTRL+V to paste it… this changes the hex instantly.

Close file 920.

6) Edit file 923

Remove this bit to nuke the banner from the main window:
<element id=atom(adbannercontainer) layout=filllayout() borderthickness=rect(1,1,1,1)>
<element id=atom(msnlogo) layout=filllayout()>
<element width=234 height=60/>
<clipperh layoutpos=right>
<png flip=false layoutpos=right isbackground=false colorize=Disabled ImageEncoding=imageGIF idres=ifhc(0,415) contentalign=middleright background=argb(0,0,0,0)/>
</clipperh>
</element>
<adbrowser id=atom(adbrowser) width=234 height=60 layoutpos=none DefaultADTimerMS=5000 bordercolor=ifhc(buttonshadow,rgb(100,122,172)) DLControl=dlctlNoActiveX DocHostUIFlags=dhUIscrollno|dhUIopennewwin|dhUIno3dborder|dhUIactivateclienthitonly/>
</element>

Remove this bit to remove the tabs… it leaves a space there, which is less cluttered but not perfect.
<png resid=tabbutton class="TabButtonGroup" layout=filllayout() active=inactive colorize=enabled>
<element layout=borderlayout()>
<cmdbutton id=atom(tabbutton) layoutpos=top layout=filllayout() class="TabButton" fontface="Marlett" active=mouseandkeyboard|nosyncfocus contentalign=topleft>
<png flip=false isbackground=false id=atom(tabicon) active=inactive/>
<element layout=ninegridlayout()>
<gleam id=atom(gleam) layoutpos=ninetopleft/>
</element>
</cmdbutton>
</element>
</png>

7) Close all windows and save msnmsgr.exe

8) Run MSN Messenger

No adverts… no tabs… no banners

The principal can be used on other versions of MSN Messenger, though the above was written specifically for version 7.5.0324. If you want to try the above on other versions, then you should be searching the UI XML files for the word ‘adbanner’.

15
Apr

‘It’s the singer, not the song, that makes the music move along’

By admin 0 Comments
Categories: Cycling

And it’s the rider, not the bike, that makes the cyclist move along.

So today was my first team ride with London Dynamo and my legs were hurting before I’d even got out of bed. A quick shower at 7am and a banana for breakfast and then out to Richmond Park for 4 laps in small teams.

Lap 1: Easy peasy Japanesy.
Lap 2: Hmm… could’ve done with bringing some water, and my legs don’t like these uphills at 20mph.
Lap 3: My legs are really screaming now.
Lap 4: …

Thankfully screaming limbs were all welcome at the café where some coffee and scones helped return me to a feeling and thinking human being, which then had me think about how my legs felt… so perhaps not a good thing.

Met some lovely people though, and it’s inspiring to ride as a team… it seems a little more effortless to roll away the miles at a higher pace than usual.

Back home, a bath with The Who blaring out. Will definately get that tattoo I’ve been wanting at some point soon. Perhaps this will be something to do in Tijuana when I’m feeling the effect of alcohol and being egged on by T and K.

Tomorrow the Surrey hills beckon: Box Hill and Leith Hill. I can’t imagine how much it will hurt, but this time I’ll bring some lubrication for my parched throat. It’s a 50+ mile circle that starts 8 or so miles away… so a minimum of 66 miles, likely more. I’m not sure I’m ready for it at all, but want to do the damage so that I’m able to describe everything to Cycle Fit on Tuesday when I get measured for my Serotta.