What Is Needed on a Windows XP System to Install Yahoo Messenger?

Basic System Requirements

On a Windows XP computer, Yahoo! Messenger requires at least 512MB of RAM and a 700MHz processor for best performance. Although the program functions with a dial-up Internet connection, a broadband connection is recommended. Your computer's hard drive must have at least 100MB of storage space available to install Yahoo! Messenger.

Yahoo! Messenger has slightly higher requirements if you would like to initiate a voice or video chat. To use these features, your computer should have at least a 1GHz processor and 256MB of RAM (512MB for video chats). A broadband Internet connection is recommended for voice chats and required for video chats. A high-end video card with at least 96MB of video memory can also enhance the video chatting experience. Your computer also must have a microphone or webcam.

To chat online with Yahoo! Messenger, you must have a Yahoo! ID. You can create a Yahoo! ID after installing Yahoo! Messenger by launching the program and clicking the "Get a new Yahoo! ID" link on the sign-in screen. Follow the instructions to select your user name and password. You can also use your Yahoo! ID to access the Yahoo! Mail service.

Download Yahoo! Messenger for free from Yahoo! at messenger.yahoo.com. Click the yellow "Download Now" button and save the installation utility to the desktop. Double-click the installation utility and follow the instructions to install the Yahoo! Messenger software on your computer. This creates a shortcut on the desktop and on the Start menu that you can double-click to launch the program.