I have a problem :(

[Anuan]

Said problem is with my Windows Live Messenger. It's been a few weeks now that I've been unable to sign on using Windows Live Messenger. I can use Windows Live Webmessenger, I can use meebo, and things like that, but I can't sign on using the actual Windows Live. It lets me on for anywhere between two to thirty-five seconds, then logs me out and tells me I've been disconnected, exactly as it would if, say, I lost internet connection.

I've uninstalled it, downloaded the installer and reinstalled it, but this has not helped. I seem to recall a friend telling me to format my computer, but I don't actually know how to do this. It's really bugging me, cause I've got a lot of friends who only use MSN, and I often like to use webcams, I like the convenience of being able to just send files through the messenger, etc. Help a guy out? D:

[thubby]

find the folder that has the program, uninstall the program, then empty the folder (even uninstalls leave behind files). then try a reinstall.
you'll basically lose all settings and whatnot but you should be able to replace those.

your friend is a jerk. formatting wipes out everything on the drive.

[SMEE]

Have you ever used regedit?
It's Windows registry editor, and something you must stay away from if you're not very computer Savvy.

If you know how to use it, run regedit, search for the msn account name and delete the live messenger data about that account from the register after you find it.

It'll look like this:
http://www.smeenet.org/images/msnregedit.jpg

At the red circled area, select the folder with your live account email and delete it.
Then run MSN again and you'll be able to login.

[Mordokai]

your friend is a jerk. formatting wipes out everything on the drive.

This is unnecessary hard. More often than not, format solves more problems than not.

[Anuan]

Thubby's method did not work, alas.
And I don't believe I'm tech-savvy enough to use Regedit...

Edit: I should mention, if I try to log back in, I immediately get logged back out, and after two or three tries it stops responding.

[742]

try installing another version or your account on another computer; maybe update your antivirus.

if your planning on a reformat theres no harm in trying a directed registry messing-with first.

[Zeb The Troll]

Have you tried using an alternative application, like Pidgin or Trillian? These let you use your MSN account to talk to people who are using MSN (and other chat programs) without having to actually use the Live Messenger client.

Try Pidgin. It's fairly simple to use and will help with diagnosis for us. If you can configure Pidgin and get it to work, at least for chatting, we'll know it's the client and not your account. If you set it up and you get the same results, it's likely your MSN account that is the problem.

As an aside, when was the last time you changed your MSN password? Is it possible that someone somewhere else is using your account and when you try to log in, it logs them off, so they then re-log in, thus logging you off? If so, changing your password will fix that.

[Anuan]

I don't think it's that, Zeb...I can use the official Windows Live webmessenger, I can use Meebo and E-buddy, stuff like that without getting logged off at all.

Smee walked me through the Regedit thing, that didn't help at all either. I can get trillian or similar, I guess, but I really want my actual MSN to work =/

[Zeb The Troll]

Are you running any kind of firewall? I did a quick search and found one place where someone was having the same problem and they fixed it by disabling Zone Alarm, another one shows how to configure McAfee's personal firewall to get it to work.

Also, see this link for another weird solution that may or may not help...

http://windowslivehelp.com/thread.aspx?threadid=4774c0ec-baf2-4d5c-b321-9dddbb2ef6a5&page=2

[Anuan]

My God. It was the custom group problem. I thought it was just coincidental timing.

That's really weird. But it appears to be fixed! :smallbiggrin: Thank you, Zeb, you awesome, awesome man!

<lollipop for puddin'-troll>