There have been many users having problems signing in for the last few days. Reports claim that Windows Live Messenger doesn’t complete the sign in process, instead just sitting there with the messenger sign in buddies continuing to spin until you cancel. One of the most likely causes is this month’s round of security updates for Windows.
Among all the posts for help in the newsgroups, Jimmymac posted (6th post down) explaining he fixed it by deleting messenger’s registry settings. Jonathan Kay created a .reg file that will automatically delete the settings for you, remove_msgrsettings.reg.
Before running the .reg file, completely exit Windows Live Messenger by right clicking the buddy icon near the clock and clicking Exit. Once you have run the file and clicked Yes, try signing in again.
One of the side effects of this solution is you will lose some customised settings, but hopefully you’ll find it’s worth it!
Leave a comment if this does or doesn’t work for you.
This solution works, but you lose all your settings. I found a way around this, but it is more complicated.
-Open regedit and go to current_user\software\microsoft\msnmessenger
-Right click msnmessenger and hit export, save it to your desktop
-Delete msnmessenger from the registry, keep regedit open
-Sign into msn live and sign out
-Go to regedit and hit F5, you should have msnmessenger in the registry now
-Right click msnmessenger and export it to desktop, different filename
-Delete msnmessenger from the registry again
-Open both those registry files in notepad
-Copy from second file to first appsettings, cachedpolicy0, and machineguid
-Delete server, avenable, and antivirus
-Save your changes to the first file then double click to update the registry
-Sign in and enjoy
Reconfiguring all my settings only took a few minutes, but it saved me the headache of having to use the stupid web messenger (which is abnormally slow/laggy, by the way). I appreciate the post!
thanks so much!!! you are the f’ing best!!!
nice one microsoft…
The post was the biggest help. I spent 2 days trying to uninstall and reinstall everything to do with WLM and then with one click you’d helped me solve it. So I just wanted to say thanks!
Thank you! IT worked. I don’t know what was wrong, but you fixed it. Very quick, very easy. Again thanks for that little program that worked extremely well.
THANK YOU!!! It worked!!! I’m saving your site as my laptop WAS working fine on WLM, but I imagine if its a result of a windows update, it will soon lose function as well.
Omg ty…….this has driven me nutty for days!
it didn’t work for me!
I was wrong!! It worked nicell! Thanks man!!
Thanks, it worked - however after a while it signed me out again and started doing the same thing, and I can’t be bothered to reset all my settings AGAIN.
Any advice please?
I spent hours when i tried to find a solution! THANKS! =)
Thanks a lot! I spent the evening trying to log on. Then I searched on the internet and found your program!
it didnt work for me! =(
PLEASE help i cant go on forever using e-buddy!
please
I wasn’t able to open the .reg file, so I had to manually delete the registry settings. If you are having the same problems, follow these steps:
Click the start menu, click run, type in ‘regedit’ and hit OK.
Minimize any folders that are open on the left.
Open HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then Software, then Microsoft.
Right click the MSNMessenger folder, and hit delete.
i don’t understand what you have to delete?and on my.reg idont have machineguid :s
It didn’t work for me, unfortunately. I continually get the same error message (81000306) but only with one particular account: I can sign in with a different hotmail account. This eliminates any chance of a firewall problem. When I run the connection wizard, it tells me that my “gateway appears to be offline”. Can anyone offer me advice on how to fix this problem?
Thanks so much! I’m definitely bookmarking this whole site. I spent the entire weekend trying to figure out what was wrong with my WLM, what was stopping me from completing my sign-in, and I ended up frustrated and with a massive migrane. You guys cleared up all the problems in a single click–that’s fantastic! (Well, everything but the migrane that is… but that’s what Advil’s for.)
ACK! None of the above suggestions are working for me.. I just downloaded live tonight on the advice of a friend.. hmmmph. Any other suggestions?
It doesn’t work for me. I still can’t sign in. I get the same pop-up every time about the server temporarily being down.. If anyone can help, it’d be much appreicated. I’ve spent a week trying to figure out something…
It’s not working for me… unluckily
Still getting 8004882c error code… then trying to sign in forever…
It seems to be something to do with the contact list? For some reason email alert was still working when the little green man is trying to sign in. Bizarre!
I followed the step by step instructions and I also still get the 8004882c error code. I’ve tried adding the msnmsgr.exe file to my firewall exception list.. this is quite frustrating. . .
I have also follwed the step by step instructions, and also cannot get in. Error code also comes up. Not just frustrating, but irritating. I also got a headache from this nonsense and still have it. If anyone has any other solutions….please?
i get the alerts (new email), but it always says im signing in. I get the alerts for the right email but still says signing in. Any advice??
I saw this solution at wlm’s site
I can’t find the policies thing it’s talking about though.
Still, it might help some people?
Here’s the site
http://messenger-support.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!8B3F39C76A8B853F!6969.entry
It works, but not instantly… if you got the same error messege try to delete some more times it from registry… for me it showd up again some three times.. after that trye a few times to close an sign in.. with seccond i’m in…
Those of you still having trouble, please contact me. I would like to use Remote Assistance with someone who is having this problem to find out what’s causing it. I can’t find out why it’s doing it if I can’t create the problem on my computer.
Thanks a bunch! I’ve been unable to sign in since Saturday (most likely due to those updates) but have been getting by on the old Messenger that comes with windows. I was baffled as to why my friends could sign in and I couldn’t, but problem solved now. Thanks again!
I’ve tried all this and it still doesnt work!
I can’t log on to msn Live on my computer or my friends’ computers, but they can log on using mine. I can get to my hotmail account through the internet but no matter what I try I cannot get my msn to work!
Any Ideas?
Oh yah I checked all my firewall things and msn is allowed, and I dont have that zone alarms thing. I cannot log on to web messenger either.
It works!!! thanks!
Nope. Didn’t work here either - either fix. All firewall stuff is correct. So, probably have to wait for MS to fix…
WOW - this has been driving me NUTS since Saturday. The reg file did not work for me but i used the suggestion from Marcus above:
Marcus Says:
October 17th, 2006 at 8:46 am
I wasn’t able to open the .reg file, so I had to manually delete the registry
settings. If you are having the same problems, follow these steps:
Click the start menu, click run, type in ‘regedit’ and hit OK.
Minimize any folders that are open on the left.
Open HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then Software, then Microsoft.
Right click the MSNMessenger folder, and hit delete.
Finally… up and running again. What a pain…
Thanks!!!
Thanks so much!, works like a charm now, been trying to fix this problem for several days now.
Deleting the section under PerPassportSettings in the registry finally worked for me.
Thanks it workes now! One quick question…does anyone know how to make it so the contacts that are online are on top and the ones signed off are at the bottom in like sperate categories…i had it b4 but i had to delete the settings and idk how to do it thanks
i have done all the above and still have the problem- its not specific to a particular pc or ISP. i have tried 3 different ones. none have zone alarm. Error code is 81000306/314/395
Other people can log-in using the same machines. I also cannot log-in from the web version of messenger.
any ideas?
Cool, thanks for this i have been messing with this all day. then i found this and fixed it one click w00t. thanks again
my problem is the same as what Ricki said: “i have done all the above and still have the problem- its not specific to a particular pc or ISP. i have tried 3 different ones. none have zone alarm. Error code is 81000306/314/395″
my log-in works but my wife’s doesn’t - and she’s the one who uses it…
I too have the same problems as Ricki. Try’d all the solutions and nothin works. Is this Bill Gates way of getting back at copyright infringers?!?!?!
i think its probably a sign of things to come with VISTA. apparently release date of that has blown out as there are still over 3000 issues to fix.
My live is back “alive”.
I pretty much gave up after last night. Attempted again four hours ago on a workable live (one which someone else was able to log on with a different account) and didn’t work.
Then I just saw this post, http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windows.live.messenger&tid=4e79db92-bfe7-4d3a-9ba1-15ecb5cba02c&p=1
Decided to try again. Deleted my 3rd redownload file and redownloaded from msn website again. It’s all functioning fine now. I guess I should have just waited and no work would have been necessary
Hope it’s working out for everyone!
i have tried all of the above, went to the link rainfox has provided. followed the instructions to delete the registry keys suggested and it still will not work.
Rick:
I’ve tried quite a few things myself.
I wrote an email to the msn help team though, and got a reply after I was able to log in again. I usually have my msn 24/7, and the problem only started when I logged off to sort my contact list 48 hours ago.
My only suggestion would be to email them with your error code, or check the ms discussion board, since it would seem the ms and messenger programmers etc have looked into it.
I seriously don’t have a clue to why mine went back alive, but I was able to use 5.0, 5.1 and 7.5 while my live was not working. I’ve tried the methods of changing registry, delete some of my msn searched files, reinstall (try delete the old ones and install with one downloaded online), and http://www.asksomeone.net/forums/index.php?s=2f32ab9c054b523aa0d215e45c12b835&showtopic=5167
this method. Tried all that and nothing worked then. The email replied I got from the help team didn’t really make sense, it was in different coding, and I had to kept on refreshing to get my hotmail email pages to work, so there’s obviously some problems…. I didn’t reboot, so don’t think that was the issue. Maybe just keep on looking at http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?pg=1&cat=&lang=&cr=&guid=&sloc=en-us&dg=microsoft.public.windows.live.messenger&fltr=
first two pages… and try the methods which apply to your error code rather than the ones which don’t. One of the posts suggested there have been several different sort of problems. I don’t really know, but wish you and everyone else who’s having a nightmare with their messenger best of luck!
Worked great thanks guys!
After trying all the suggestions (more than once) I finally removed (via add/remove program function) and reinstalled from MS. Works fine now - at least so far.
I delete the registry and logged in again.
I took 2 tries but the second one worked fine.
Thank you very much for the post.
My msn live is still not working.
I have tried everything, tried deleting the reg. more than 5 times.
I reinstalled msn live
I have restored it to an earlier point, and then undid the restoration on my computer.
I don’t know what to do. This problem started yesterday morning (Tues, October 17th)…and is still going on.
My other Msn account signs in fine, just the one I would like to use is not working.
HELPPPP
I’ve been looking for a solution to this issue for about a week now. Thank you very much, the registry solution worked perfectly.
This worked GREAT!! Thanks and sooooo simple. Love YA
mine is working great now too- it just came right. i gave up trying to fix the issue and about 3 hours later i just attempted to log-on and it worked.
Hope everyone else finds theirs just starts working again soon too.
THANK YOU AGAIN!! GRRRR sometimes i hate microsoft for being stupid and not actually testing their stuff out.
This stuff does work…cheers mates
This has been driving me nuts for two days!! One click and you solved my problem, even the so called experts at microsoft were of no help. Thanks so much!!
Report of success (via add/remove) was vastly overstated. On computer reset the problem recurred. Now the ‘old’ fix won’t work. Something’s screwed up some where at MicroSoft….
Thanks so much for your help…. keep up tha good work.
This fix is awesome…it works great…thank you so much
remove_msgrsettings.reg works great. I have been trying to fix for a week.
Doesnt work , have the latest version of Zonealarm, still no go.
When Zonealarm is disabled ,it signs in perfect.
I also tried to remove msn from Zonealarm and start from scratch.
but no go…..
Finaly i solved the 81000306/314/395 error problem.
I downloaded msn 8.1 beta.
Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger) 8.1.0068 Beta :
Download:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Chat/Instant-Messaging/MSN-Messenger-8.shtml
Works great now with Zone Alarm.
Well, it seemed to work for me. I’m a complete comptuer illiterate so not sure exactly what these “settings” are you are referring to, but I’m just happy it worked. I’ll let me daughter figure out what was deleted if anything since it was her log-in that had the problems. I find it weird that it would let me log-in using my e-mail but not her even though she’d been using it for a week. Bizarre. Oh well, thanks for the help.
Worked for me. Thanks.
Thanks so much, I have been trying everything to get msn to work again and finally this worked!
nothin worked for me
the buddys just spin around till i cancel .. i tried everythin can any1 help me ? mail me at: tareksnow@gmail.com
thank you so much for that file! didnt work untill the 4th try but now fixed!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
For some reason, whenever I try to sign in, a message pops up that says “Windows Live Messenger has encountered a problem and needs to close” and it closes. This sometimes unexpectedly happens randomly when signed in already too. Any suggestions?
This worked awesome thank you very much been driving me crazy the last couple of days.
a most amzing tip, Brilliant!
Thanks!! New contacts i added, or added me, didnt appear as online or didnt appear at all at my contact list. After running the .reg i can see them again! Have searching the past 3 weeks, and luckily found this site
I cant sign in still
i have tried these fixes aand by manually deleteing everything to do with MSNMessenger from the Registry!
I am getting error message
8100030d
which even the microsft site does not recognise
Can anyone help me PLEASE
thanks
Jeremy
i have the same problem with anfunny
For some reason, whenever I try to sign in, a message pops up that says “Windows Live Messenger has encountered a problem and needs to close†and it closes. This sometimes unexpectedly happens randomly when signed in already too. Any suggestions?
Thank you guys.That fucking live did not sign in but this helped.10000x thanks
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.1.0106 Beta
http://g.live.com/1rebeta/Mess80_EN (english)
http://g.live.com/1rebeta/Mess80_NL (dutch)
problem solved
Its beta but atleast it signs in
Worked for me thanks and btw Microsoft really has to keep up with the fixes for their products. This bug has been known for weeks and no solution from Microsoft still..
how do u sign 2 the newest msn messenger????
HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!
Same with Jeremy
I cant sign in still
i have tried these fixes aand by manually deleteing everything to do with MSNMessenger from the Registry!
I am getting error message
8100030d
which even the microsft site does not recognise
Can anyone help me PLEASE
thanks
Jeremy
I tried all them and still couldn’t get it to work however this did:
run “regsvr32 MSXML3.dll”
First it said messenger service not available but second attempt at running and all was good.
Thanks, worked
[quote comment="4822"]This solution works, but you lose all your settings. I found a way around this, but it is more complicated.
-Open regedit and go to current_user\software\microsoft\msnmessenger
-Right click msnmessenger and hit export, save it to your desktop
-Delete msnmessenger from the registry, keep regedit open
-Sign into msn live and sign out
-Go to regedit and hit F5, you should have msnmessenger in the registry now
-Right click msnmessenger and export it to desktop, different filename
-Delete msnmessenger from the registry again
-Open both those registry files in notepad
-Copy from second file to first appsettings, cachedpolicy0, and machineguid
-Delete server, avenable, and antivirus
-Save your changes to the first file then double click to update the registry
-Sign in and enjoy[/quote]
hey, this did work for me, for about 2 weeks now i am having the same problem but this no longer helps. i also manually deleted everything to do with msn from the rgistry and still nothing. error code 80072745 after about 5 mins. PLEASE e-mail me at steve_o_619@hotmail.com thanks!
Using Gmail with Messenger Live
Hi everybody, try to reset the “live id account”. It worked for me, https://login.live.com/ppsecure/secure.srf?lc=1055&id=10&ru=https://accountservices.passport.net/default.srf?vv=450&lc=1055&tw=1200&fs=1&kv=7&ct=1165536719&ems=1&seclog=10&ver=4.500.6241.0&tpf=4c21af3ab209aec5a5c2e0baee0dfc94
I had the same problem and got very annoyed. i then read that these errors occur especially if you have downloaded new Security updates for Windows (you know the automatic one that pops up just when you are to turn off your computer and tells you to download and then it will turn off computer by it self)…anyways so i realised that i had done this the day before my problems started and did a system restore to an earlier date and VOILA!!! Problem fixed and gone!
How to do a system restore is easy go to: Control Panel
Switch to Category view,(in left column)the go to Performannce and Maintenance, 2nd down in left column again is Sytem Restore, click there and follow simple instruction.
I promise this helped me!!
none of this does not work for me… have tried all… with versions 8.0 and 8.1 beta…. still doesnt work…. FUCK!!!
TELLL ME WHAT TO DO!
I’ve just update my window to Window Vista…and my msn never works again..i have tried everything and it still doesnt work
does anyone know what i should do?
msn messenger was working fine for me during around 6pm. and then i went out for dinner and came back and i couldnt sign in! ive tried all the solutions offered above. but noo! it just states that im unable to connect to server. ive tried my email acc on my sister’s computer, but it doesn’t work either, while hers does! SOMEONE HELP. my firewall is not interfering with it as well. and i can log into hotmail using the same email address.
I recently installed the latest MSN and it works fine for me no problems (I’m using the Administrator Log in) if other users log on they get all the problems mentioned above. Very odd but may be worth knowing for some of you techies to work out why MSN live is so shite…
where that file
You da man…
Thank You
Question from a Mac user. When I download the reg file, it asks me what application I want to open it with. Which application do I use? Thank you.
Still not working.
I don’t even get an error code myself - just the constant spinning/twirling of the litte character and the “Signing in” message. It only happens with one account though - the rest are fine…
i keep trying to log in the two small guys are spinning but nothings happening its not logging in like what the hell man whats wrong with this thing man!
i need help i cant log in the two chracters are spinning but nothing happening all it says is that error:81000306 plz tell me what that means ok.
Thank you! Been looking for a solution for a long time. No problems with logging in now and i didnt even lose my custom settings. Many thanks
Well… I Can’t Sign in For Msn Messenger For Some Reason!
I Dont know Why!
Hope it’s going to work.in any case thank’s for the effort.Alain
when i go to audio/video setup, messenger crashes.. help?
I can’t get this to work, i’ve tried everything u guys have listed, uninstalled reinstalled, when I do that step by step thing i dont have machineguid or trhe other one, only cache, I really need help because im ready to throw this thru the wall, W0147146@NSCC.CA is my email, also R_yates69@Hotmail.com Try them both if u have a quick fix, also when i click trouble shoot, it says Default Gateway is offline? Someone please help me, Thanks
Ryan
none of the above methods work for me..
pls help
the registry removing doesnt work…
reinstall doesnt work….
regedit doesnt work…
the 2 buddies keep spinning for like 1 hour and stil spinning when i try signing in my account, the rest of the accounts can sign in properly…
only my account cant sign in, the other accounts of my family can sign in…
i can log in via msn 7.5 but now msn 7.5 cant be used and is required to update…
pls help mi solve the problem …
mail me @ yinghufox@hotmail.com
Hey, still doesn’t work for me. This is very frustrating. If anybody thinks they can help me out, email he at HumansAreDead@hotmail.com
hey anyone can help me with this recent problem? my msn account has been locked out and i am unable to sign in at all to reset my password or stuff, i suspect a bot is doing it. if it is how do i remove it? if it is not could anyone whu had the same problem tell me whats wrong??
oh my email is benjamin.ng.wei.jie@gmail.com. pls do reply me asap ty!!
Hi.
Good design, who make it?
Hi there, i have a mac 10.4.11 and my msn messenger just wont let me sign in for the last 8 days!!I already dowlnoaded the last version for mac and i tried to install it many times but nothing…it keeps saying to me that my password is not correct although i reset it at least 5 times!!!Please please HELP if you have any suggestions or had the same problem solved…:)
ohh god it didnt work wut shall i do now????
i did the remove_msgrsettings.reg. thing but i dont know how to restore the default settings its too complicated…… pleeez help me and if you want to contact me i wont be able to check my email?? u can contact me on facebook my name their is faisal ghazi faisal!! pleez help me i cant live without my msn massenger………
oh thank u thank u thank u..
remove_msgrsettings.reg. worked for me.. thx.
This works !! Thank you very much, you’re the man!
OMG this still isnt working i tried everything.
Dude you saved my shit twice now I saved the link in my documents incase shit happened again and it did. I fuckin love, just wanted to say thanks
still stuck at the sign-in screen after trying several times of deleting registry or contact cache. but, got a funny finding, the email alert (pop up window on right bottom) works fine even though the buddies spinning
Hey,
it didn’t work for me and I also tried a few thinks you have above. My problem is that it freezes at sign-in and it never signs in, it doesn’t reply in any way… I don’t even receive any error messages.
Someone who knows a solution to this, please, email me at ladyyellowviolet@gmail.com