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MSN Messenger emoticons may stop working for you even though your friends may still be able to see them. Here is a straightforward solution to that problem.

Emoticons stopped working for me in MSN Messenger ... but my friends see them just fine. Why?

I'd simply check the emoticon option: Tools, Options, Messages tab, and make sure the emoticons options are checked.

Article C2005 - June 8, 2004

Leo Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed. After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.

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Recent Comments
146 Comments

well my problem is this===>>>i had the version of msn the one before the messenger essentials..i didnts like it and i installed the last one i had.i kept my emoticons and put them in the file but since then i cant use them is like they dont appear any more.msn doesnt recognise them any more.but even when i had again than version i never had that problem.i took a look at the box that says show emoticons and it is checked.so what i have to do know??

Posted by: nia at October 8, 2011 6:28 PM

I had this issue for a couple of months, where MSN Messenger would uncheck emoticons after I went in and checked the box. I had installed Messenger again, and my computer was fully updated, including Flash. What finally worked was checking show emoticons, uncheck show custom emoticons, and it finally worked.

Posted by: Peggy at October 13, 2011 8:44 PM

my msn messenger will not check in, hit apply, then ok ,I , go back in and it is unchecked again, this keeps on going on, though others can see my emotions and copy them I see none of mine or theirs

Posted by: Frances at December 10, 2011 10:40 AM

Frances: I had your problem too and I fixed by:
1. go into settings , uncheck 'Show Message Timestamps', click ok.
2. go into settings again, check 'Show Message Timestamps' and 'Enable emoticons' etc.
3. click ok.

Posted by: Pak at March 8, 2012 2:30 AM

I faced this problem and I solved it in this way I went to tools then options then messages now the problem was that every time I check show emoticon and press apply then okay I back to messages and find the mark disappeared so the solution was in this way I removed all marks in messages and only pressed mark on show emoticon then I pressed apply then okay so
my emoticon worked correctly then I back to messages and marked the other choices then apply and okay I hope my answer was useful

Posted by: almas at March 25, 2012 2:52 PM
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