i backed up my contact list from my old email and installed the new wlm, once done i logged into my new email and tried to import contacts but there is no option available, i signed into my old email and there is no option available again. is there any way of getting my contact list from my old email onto my new one? thanks

In regards to importing/exporting contacts, please see 'CookieRevised's reply to: How can i save all the emails on my messenger to computer'.

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In regards to making a new Windows Live ID: Why did you do that? Is there a specific reason for that? I ask this because one of the biggest reasons people do this is to combat spam or because they simply want a new email 'addy'. But consider that changing your Windows Live ID will not neccesairly reduce spam. It simply depends on how you handle your Windows Live ID and many times spam will simply return after a while.

Also, it is also troublesome for your contacts if you switch Windows Live IDs, especially if you don't do it 'right' (eg: removing everybody from your contact list before you close your old account). Not to mention all your settings of your Windows Live ID which you need to configure again, and all the other services connected with it.

Also, you do not need to export/import contacts and all the hassle it brings with it (for you, but also for your contacts themselfs). Depending on what type of Windows Live ID you have you can simply change it and all your contacts, all your settings, and all connected services will be migrated automatically. Please read:
'CookieRevised's reply to: i have made a new email address'

i changed my wlm id because it was a childish and unprofessional email adress, i wouldnt want my uni profs emailing me there since i made years ago and i need a new one. i tried exporting my contacts using hotmail and i imported them to my new email using hotmail again but the contacts do not appear on my new wlm when i sign into messenger. any ideas?

Go to your Windows Live Contacts page (link shown in those posts I linked to), and make sure your contacts are listed there and are marked as Messenger contacts too. Also, check your privacy settings on your Windows Live Account.

how would you mark them as messnger contacts? thanks for all the help so far

When you click on the 'Messenger' category, you should see a list of all the contacts who where invited to use Messenger.
I haven't found a way yet to re-add contacts in bulk from the 'Contacts' section on the Windows Live pages though.

But you can do it one by one by clicking on the contact's name/email.
This will take you to that contact's information page where you can edit its profile etc.

If the contact isn't added as a Messenger contact yet, you'll see "You're not friends with x in Messenger. Add as friend" in the top header:



So, go to the 'All Contacts' category and click on a contact's name/email.
Then click that link, showed above, to send an invitation.
This should send an invitation and should mark the contact as a Messenger contact.
(the contact needs to accept the invitation before you can chat of course)

Note that when you change stuff on the 'Contacts' section, it can take some time before the changes take effect.
So give it some time before clicking on other categories only to find your contacts aren't listed there yet.