Where is NET SEND command in Windows 10, Windows 7, Vista?

Guys, today I'm going to talk about something that many people asked in the forums in which I participate.

What is NET SEND command?

The  Windows XP "Messenger" service became so famous, that many users use it by command line. Who has never seen someone click on "Start", "Run" and type "NET SEND username "Where are we having lunch today?". The NET SEND command is part of the Windows XP messenger and only works if this service is activated. Many companies have abolished the use of NET SEND just for this reason. I once saw a coworker typing "NET SEND * Hello! 

When entered, the command simply sent instant messages to all users who are connected to the same network. Imagine about 500 people received the message. Lucky for him he wasn't fired after that event, but NET SEND option was deactivated.

NET SEND is not only used for play. By the way, using it as a joke is just one of its uses. Several software apps use it as a way to exchange messages, even with database servers, as I witnessed.

The question, on Windows Vista and consequently on Windows 7, 10 is: Where is our dear friend NET SEND? Try typing the command and you will have a surprise: the "NET" service still exists, but the SEND function has been removed.

MSG command is successor of NET SEND command

And now? Don't be sad: Microsoft has implemented a replacement for NET SEND: MSG command. That's right: MSG. Just type this command at the command prompt and you will see that there are several ways to use it, including the simplest being similar to your grandfather NET SEND. Here is just one example, typed at the Windows 7 command prompt with the simplest syntax possible:

MSG <user> <message>

Example: "MSG Alex Hello World" 

(where "Alex" is the name of the target user, on the network)

Result of using the "MSG" command

As simple as that? Absolutely. The syntax reminds me of the old NET SEND. It is also possible, as in NET SEND, to send a message to a user with a specific server name. See the syntax below:

MSG <server>>user>>message>

Just type "MSG" and see all the available options:

Anyway, If the company where you work allows the use of MSG, you can go back to the old command-line conversation: "MSG Alex when lunch?" 

Note: MSG does not need the active messenger service.

Possible errors when sending messages:

After some comments on functioning problems, I made new tests and came to the solution of some common errors.

"Error 5 getting session names".

Possible reason: if you are on a domain network and the message is not sent, you may need to change the "AllowRemoteRPC" registry key to "1″" on each local machine in the following REGEDIT path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server

<user> does not exist or is disconnected

 The machine that would receive the message needs to have the source user as the administrator of the destination machine. Example: user "john" wants to send a message to user "fred". The machine used by the "fred" user must have the "john" user as an administrator. I am trying to find more information in case the user cannot be the administrator.

 Problem of messages sending between Windows 10 and Windows Vista/7, XP machines, or vice versa.

I did not find ways of integration for sending by "MSG" command from Windows 10, 7, XP machines to Windows XP machines as well as NET SEND from Windows XP machines to Windows Vista/7/10 machines.

Other errors: always check the firewall. In some situations, I noticed that the firewall was the problem that blocked the exchanges of messages. Some network security policies can also block sending. In this case, it is necessary to check with the network administrator.

Can I use any simple LAN messaging application without typing all these boring commands?

Yes, there are lot of applications that could replace these commands. And they works perfect between different Windows systems. You can send messages between old Windows XP and latest Windows 10 easily.