Windows Messenger has default background like picture below:

To change it with your own background, these are the steps:

1. The concept is you need to replace original lvback.gif file with your own. Because Windows Messenger background is saved in lvbank.gif.
2. Close the Windows Messenger first.
3. You can create your own picture or your can create a new picture. In this article, I try to create a new picture with my favorite picture editor (Painbrush) and you can to use your own favorite picture editor application. OK, I’ll open Paintbrush by click Start -> Run menu, enter pbrush in box and press Enter.
   
4. After Paintbrush is opened, you need to adjust the picture resolution to 160 x 140 pixels because the original background has that resolution size. To adjust the picture resolution, click Image -> Attributes menu.
   
5. Enter Width: 160 and Height: 140 and then click OK button.
   
6. Now, draw your picture in its workspace.
   
7. Before you save your picture, go to C:\Program Files\Messenger folder where Windows Messenger is installed. Find lvback.gif file and then rename it to lvback_old.gif.
   
8. Switch back to Paintbrush, save your picture by click File -> Save, navigate to Windows Messenger folder (the default is C:\Program Files\Messenger), enter lvback.gif as its file name and then click OK button.
   
9. Reopen Windows Messenger and if you did it right, your Windows Messenger background has been changed.
   

(Article no: 0107)