I'm using MSN Messenger 7.5 and I don't want to use another IM client if I can solve this.

My settings (Tools/Options/Connection/Advanced Parameters):
TCP - // Cannot be changed, tested - OK
SOCKS - 127.0.0.1:9050 // Changed to this setting, tested - OK
HTTP - 127.0.0.1:8118 // Privoxy+Tor, inherited from IE settings, cannot be changed, tested - OK

The problem is that the client uses the tunnels for some traffic, but the conversations are still sent in clear.

How can I force the client to use SOCKS (or HTTP) settings and not direct TCP connections so that the privacy of my conversations is ensured?

Thanks a lot for your help.

George Orwell wrote:

How do you know this?

If the client you're talking to is telling you that your IM
"conversations" are coming in unencrypted then he's right. There's nothing
at all Tor can ever do about it because Tor only encrypts to the end of
the Tor network. From that point on everything is in the clear. Change
clients all you want, fiddle with Tor for the rest of your days, it
doesn't matter a bit.

Tor isn't a privacy tool, it's an anonymity tool. The two sometimes
overlap, but the problems can be very different. In your case you
apparently need to hide some sort of content from prying eyes along the
connection between IM clients. For that you need end to end strong
encryption, and in theory no anonymity at all. Tor is simply the wrong
tool. It can not give you what you want. Sorry.