In Yahoo! Messenger 9.0, we improved how Yahoo! Messenger works with a firewall—and upgrading will allow you to take advantage of these improvements.

Also, older versions of Yahoo! Messenger will no longer be able to connect through a firewall.

What is a firewall?
A firewall is security software that prevents unauthorized access to your computer. Many company networks and some home networks have firewalls to keep their computers more secure. Firewalls protect against viruses and other types of malicious software.

Will everyone that uses a firewall need to upgrade to the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger?
Almost everyone that uses a firewall is affected by this issue and will have better results with Yahoo! Messenger 9.0.

Upgrading to the latest version of Messenger also gives you access to some great new features! Here’s a partial list:

• Play videos directly in the conversation window—just IM the URL
• Enjoy photo sharing through Flickr
• Invite friends from AOL, Hotmail, Gmail, Facebook, MySpace, and Orkut
• Have friends talk to you from websites through the new Pingbox™ widget
• Play Games with friends
• See what your contacts are up to with Yahoo! Updates

What if I don’t upgrade to the new Yahoo! Messenger?
If you don’t move to the newer version, you won’t be able to access Yahoo! Messenger if you have a firewall.