Yahoo messenger problems: no messages, no sounds, no smileys?

it is possible that flash isn't installed. try installing adobe flash player at: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash which is the latest version and for more help, http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/messenger/messenger8/messenger/messenger-27.html that is the link for instructions to your "invisible IM" problem if that doesn't work, try reinstalling at http://messenger.yahoo.com