Messenger Help & How-to
If you're having problems signing in to Windows Live Messenger, first check to make sure you entered the correct Windows Live ID and password. If both are correct, try checking the connection, firewall, antivirus software, and proxy settings.
The connection settings in Messenger might be preventing you from connecting to the Messenger service.
Sign in with your Windows Live ID.
Click Options, click More options, click Connection, and then click Advanced Settings.
In the HTTP section, click Test. The Connection Tester shows whether or not you're connected to the Messenger service.
Click OK.
Open your web browser and go to a website to make sure you're connected to the Internet. If you can't connect to the Internet, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) for assistance. If you previously connected to the Internet using a dial-up connection, try checking the Internet connection settings.
Open Internet Explorer.
Click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
Click Connections, and then select the Dial whenever a network connection is not present option.
If the firewall is set up to block Messenger, you won't be able to sign in on the computer. Try signing in on the web instead.
Go to your Windows Live profile.
You might need to sign in with your Windows Live ID.
Click Messenger near the top of the of the page, and then click a friend's name to start a conversation.
If you can sign in to Messenger on the web and start a conversation with a friend but still can't sign in on the computer, Messenger might be blocked by the firewall. Try adding the Messenger file MSNmsgr.exe to the allow list of the firewall, and then try to sign in to Messenger again. For more information on how to add a program to the allow list of the firewall, see the firewall's documentation or website.
the antivirus program might prevent you from signing in to Messenger. Turn the antivirus program off and try to sign in to Messenger. If you can sign in, turn the antivirus program back on, and then read the program's documentation or contact the manufacturer for help on how to prevent the program from blocking Messenger.
It's not recommended to use Messenger while antivirus software is turned off.
Try clearing the proxy settings in Messenger and adjusting them in Internet Explorer.
Delete any entries that are in the SOCKs field
Click OK, and then click OK again.
Click Connections, and then click LAN Settings.
Clear the Automatically detect settings check box.
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