Installing Windows Live Messenger 2009 on Windows Server 2003

When I tried to install the new Windows Live Messenger 2009 on my Windows Server 2003 machine, I got the "Couldn't install programs" error message, and the detail is "os_check: 0x8028004".



Apparently, Windows 2003/2008 and 64bit XP systems are not supported by the new Live Messenger.

Thank goodness I came across the following site:
http://www.gtalkme.com/development/install-windows-live-wave3-on-windows2003-or-2008.html
It's about "Windows Live Wave 3" and it's in Chinese, but the hack is identical.

1. Download the messenger wlsetup-custom.exe.
2. Open it with Resource Hacker.
3. Open the resource tree to "CONFIG -> CONFIG0 -> 0".
   
4. Find the XML tag: workstation" />

Change "workstation" to "server" and recompile the script in the Resource Hacker.

Remember to save the modified installer file.

The installer should work properly on the Win2003 system now.