Instant Messenger

OK....I will try once more asking for help! I uploaded the New version of
the IM, which was nothing short of blackmail, and although the download seems
successful...I can't use the damn thing. The new IM loads, sometimes with
contacts and sometimes without....but everytime it crashes after being
displayed for no more than a minute. I am using XP Professional and Internet
7. I am not going to pay Microsoft exhorbitant fees to fix something I
didn't break. The previous version worked great, so my guess is my settings
etc must be OK. Is there anybody out there that can advise....apart from
throwing this laptop out the window. The IM was not used for keeping contact
with Greedy Gretchen, but an important method of contacting remote work
colleagues (most are having the same problems). Before I resort to 2 tin
cans and a string....has anybody got a fix?