This problem occurs because one of the following conditions are true:

• A firewall is blocking connectivity of Messenger to the Internet. 

• Security libraries are corrupted. 

• Proxy settings are incorrect. 

• Spyware is blocking connection to the Messenger service. 

TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS

Note: Verify that you can connect to the Internet before you follow these steps.

1.  Visit the Windows Update Web site, and then verify that you have the latest updates installed:

1.a.  Verify that the computer requires updates, and then install the updates if necessary. 

1.b.  Restart the computer after you apply the updates. 

2.  Verify that Windows Live Messenger Messenger is enabled through the firewall:

2.a.  If you are using MSN Messenger, visit the following Web site, locate the FAQ section, and then click the How to enable MSN Messenger through a Firewall topic. This topic describes how to enable MSN Messenger through the most common firewalls. 

2.b.  If you are using Windows Live Messenger, visit the following Web site, locate the FAQ section, and then click the How to enable Windows Live Messenger through a Firewall . This topic describes how to enable Windows Live Messenger through the most common firewalls.

2.c.  If you disabled the firewall in the past, it still may be blocking Messenger, try to restart the firewall. After the firewall software is running, follow the steps in 1.a to make sure that Messenger is enabled through the firewall. Also try removing the firewall program that is installed to verify that it is not causing a problem even if it is disabled.

Note: This is only a temporary workaround and you may have to reinstall the firewall software again. 

2.d.  If you are not sure which firewalls you have installed on the computer, click Add Or Remove Programs in Control Panel, and then scroll through the list of installed programs. Some popular firewall vendors include Norton, McAfee, and Zone Alarm. 

 

3.  Clear the Domain Name System (DNS) Cache:

3.a.  Click Start, click Run, type cmd , and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start, and then type cmd in the Search box. This command will open the command window. 

3.b.  At the command prompt, type the following command, and then click OK:

ipconfig /flushdns

Note This command flushes all the DNS entries that have been cached. 

3.c.  Type exit , and then press ENTER to close the command window. 

4.  Clear the proxy settings in Windows Live Messenger Messenger to establish a direct connection to the Messenger service.

Note: If you are connecting from a private network either from a school or a company, ask the network administrator about the settings that are appropriate for the proxy settings in Windows Live Messenger.

• MSN Messenger version 7.0:

a.  Delete the entries under SOCKS Version 4. 

b.  Delete the entries under SOCKS Version 5. 

c.  Delete the entries under HTTP Proxy Server. 

d.  Click OK two times to save the settings. 

e.  Try to sign in to Messenger again. 

• Windows Live Messenger:

a.  On the Tools menu, click Options. 

b.  In the left Navigation Pane, click Connection. 

c.  In the Connection Settings section, click Advanced Settings. 

d.  Delete the content in the SOCKS field. 

e.  Click OK two times to save the settings. 

5.  Reset the proxy server settings for Microsoft Internet Explorer:

a.  Start Internet Explorer. 

b.  On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. 

c.  Click the Connections tab, and then click LAN Settings. 

d.  Clear the Automatically detect settings check box. 

e.  Click OK, and then click OK again. 

6.  Reregister the security .dll files that may be conflicting with Messenger. To do this, click Start, click Run, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

REGSVR32 softpub.dll initpki.dll wintrust.dll

Wait until you see three pop-up windows that state that the files were successfully registered. 

7.  We are aware that some spyware such as IMPlus may affect your connectivity to the Messenger service. To determine whether you have IMPlus installed on the computer, open Control Panel, and then select Add or Remove Programs. Scroll through the list of installed programs to find whether IMPlus is installed. If you find it, click Remove to remove the program. 

8.  If you cannot find an entry in Add Or Remove Programs, determine whether the IMPlus program is running on the computer:

8.a.  Click Start, click Run, type taskmgr , and then press ENTER. For Windows Vista, click Start, and then type taskmgr in the Search box. 

8.b.  In the Task Manager window , click the Processes tab. 

8.c.  Click the Image Name column header to order the list of program names. 

8.d.  Scroll through the list to determine whether IMPlus.exe is running on the computer. If you find the process, select the entry, and then click End Process. 

8.e.  Confirm that you want to stop the program. 

9. If you are connected through a router connection, please try to bypass it and directly connect your computer to your Internet modem. If you are able to connect to Windows Live Messenger without the router connection, you may need to update your router firmware or configure its settings such that Messenger connections are allowed. For further assistance on this, please contact the router manufacturer.

10.  Sign in to Windows Live Messenger again.