Net Send

Use Net Send to send a short message to another computer.

Net Send uses the Windows Messenger service. (Don't confuse the Windows Messenger service with MSN, they are two different things.) This part of the Windows operating system must be started on both the sending and receiving computer. Net Send can start the service when needed and schedule it to start with Windows. It remembers the last 10 destinations, can browse the network for a computer, supports broadcasts, adds your signature to each message, and can clear the System event log on exit.

Please note: the Windows Messenger service is no longer part of Windows (disabled by default since Windows XP SP2 and removed since Windows Vista). On Windows 10 and 11, Net Send reports at startup that the service is not running and closes, so it cannot send messages there. Start Net Send with the parameter /Test to view the window and the settings without the service check; in this test mode nothing is sent and nothing in Windows is changed.

Installation

If necessary, you will be prompted to install the required .NET Desktop Runtime when you launch the app. When you launch a newly released version, Windows may display a warning. If you see the message "Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting." you can click "More info" and then "Run anyway". Alternatively, open the properties of the .exe file and select the "Unblock" checkbox. Read more...