This solution involves switching to the Chinese servers uploading a photo to the Yahoo profile and then switching back to your home server. I have tested several other servers including UK, Canadian, French, Mexican etc. and the only ones that I found that would work were the Yahoo! U.S. in Chinese and the Yahoo! China servers.

The instructions below will walk you through the steps. Please note there are screenshots included so that you can find your way around uploading a photo when everything is written in Chinese. You could also open another Yahoo ID in My Account Info so you can compare this one which would be in English to the other that is now in Chinese. But there are some differences.

1. At the top of Yahoo messenger click on the Messenger Menu and choose My Account Info and Sign in with your name and password. Now you will see your account information page with your Yahoo ID card.

2. Click Edit where it says Member Information. See the first very pale yellow bar (Click for Screenshot Step 2)

3. On the Edit Member Information Page under General Preferences you will see Preferred Content. Click what is written in blue and underlined. (Click for Screenshot Step 3A) On mine it says Yahoo! U.S. if you are in another country this might be different. A new page will open up and this is where you choose the Chinese server under New Setting. Choose either Yahoo! U.S. in Chinese or Yahoo! China. Click Finish.
(Click for Screenshot Step 3B) Closeout this window. (Important: make note for later what position in the list your original setting is under New Setting, for when you switch back, since it will be written in Chinese). If you choose Yahoo! U.S. in Chinese setting it will may be easier later because this drop down menu will still be written in English.

4. There will be a page that pops up where you need to agree to the Yahoo TOS. Click the "I accept button." This will be written in Chinese and it is the button on the left. (Click for Screenshot Step 4)

5. Go back to the Messenger Menu at the top of Yahoo Messenger and click on My Profiles. Follow the prompts to sign in and select the profile to which you wish to put a photo and click Edit. (Click for Screenshot Step 5). Do not be alarmed if everything is written in Chinese. It is helpful if you use the screenshots.

6A. This is where things can get a little tricky and is why I have included three screenshots. Once you have signed in and see your profile page click the Edit Picture button. Since they are labeled in Chinese look at the screenshot (Click for Screenshot Step 6A)

6B. A new window will open up. This window is where a person can choose to use one of the provided cartoonish pictures or to go to the page to upload your own picture. See the screenshot. There are two links near the bottom of the page. Choose the top one (Click for Screenshot Step 6B)

6C. A. page will open up where you can browse to find the picture on your hard drive that you wish to upload. First click browse and once you have that picture selected click the upload button. (Click for Screenshot Step 6C). Your picture should now upload okay to your profile and all that is left to do now is to go back to your original server that is in English.

7. Go back to the messenger menu again at the top of Yahoo messenger. Open My Account Info again. Basically here you are going to repeat steps 1,2 and 3. But this time you are going to choose your home server in Preferred Content. If you chose Yahoo! U.S. in Chinese this drop down box for New Setting will be in English but if you chose Yahoo!China it will be written in Chinese so it is good to know where in that list your original setting is. Yahoo! U.S. is the first choice on the list. Refer back to (Screenshot Step 3B). Click finished.

Okay you are done! And your photo should still be showing now that you're back on your home server. This may seem complicated but once you navigate through it a couple times it becomes much easier.
(Click here for Final Screenshot) that shows that I was successful.

Please note, the reason I have you go back to the Messenger Menu on Yahoo Messenger to open My Account Info and My Profiles is because when I try to navigate on the Chinese server when I was on My Account Info page I often got messages such as no profile exists, you are not the owner of the profile, or the profile just would not open. Reversing the steps was just too difficult and finicky when on the Chinese server so it is best to just go back to the Messenger Menu.

If at any time during this process you get error messages, try using the back button on your browser and then try again or close out the window and go back to the Messenger Menu and start over. For a couple people the picture didn't seem to upload, but it really had and when they went back to look at their profile, the picture was showing. Also, sometimes it is necessary to click the refresh button at the top of your browser if it seems that no progress is being made. I do not know if this solution will work for the error when uploading a picture to your profile and it takes you to a Yahoo photo page or if it will work for everybody with the 999 error, but it worked for me and others I know.

(Text and screenshots by christi.dove)