messenger service in server 2008?

[bastonc]

Does anyone know why Microsoft got rid of 'messenger' in the services of server 2008?

Also, is there anyway of bringing it back?

[FN-GM]

Net Send is also gone in Vista. They disabled it by defult in XP, they have been trying to get rid for a while. I doubt it will come back to be honest.

[srochford]

In earlier operating systems it could cause problems in schools and such like - it only needs one kid to find out how to do "net send" (or to download something which uses the messenger/alerter service) and you can have chaos.

Vista and Server 2008 changed the way services interact with the desktop - if you have UAC control turned on then anything which is not running as "you" (and that includes most services) can't just "do stuff" on your screen - it has to pop up a message saying "application X wants your attention" You then get to see what it has to say and you can OK etc. This makes it much, much harder to have something doing a trivial pop up on the screen.

What are you trying to do? Would some kind of instant messaging be easier?