Shoutbox

Hey guys not sure if anyone has noticed this issue but with in the past day this bug seems to have popped up. Never has it happened once and I been using Windows Live Messenger pretty much from day one and never had this problem. What the problem I’m having is when I add contacts. They are added normally no issues there with the adding people it’s the fact that they cannot see you online when you add them. So I got them to add me and still the same. No pop up that asked you do you wish to add so and so blah blah blah. If you double click on the user or users you just added as they show up being offline it tell you up the top that they need to be added to your allow list. This is news to me never had to do it before and so I clicked it. Now they can see me online but yet I can’t see them. It says they need to be added to your contacts list. Um I already added them and you can see them on my list as offline. I can still send and receive messages but when it says click here to add them nothing happens. I though maybe its Plus! Live so I uninstalled that and tried again, nope its not. So I tried Trillian that worked fine was able to add them and accept them, I though why not try the web base MSN? So I did and same thing worked perfectly. So I uninstalled Windows Live and install good old MSN Messenger 7.5 and that worked like a charm so I uninstalled that and went back to Windows live and st and got 97 nowill the same. I tried clearing out my blocked user list and was able to remove like 75% of it but 25% of it I can’t remove, no idea why so I played around with the contacts list option and tried pretty much every combination possible and nothing seemed to work. I added 4 new users and same for all.

This is a list of every thing I done not in any particular order either:

Restart the computer (though might be a RAM issue)
Tried Trillian Pro
Logged into Web MSN
Repaired Windows Live
Reinstalled Windows Live
Uninstall Windows Live
Uninstall Plus! Live
Reinstall Plus!
Cleared out my Block List
Removed Some Contacts (I had less than 100 got 97 now)
Installed MSN 7.5
Uninstalled 7.5 to try Windows Live again
Changed the Contacts settings I every possible combination

Well its like 4 am here and honestly I’m tired as hell, don’t think I forgot anything. I hope I made that clear and easy to understand. I hope someone can shed some light on it or see if other has this very same issue. In thinking it could be related to once you reach so many contacts on your list this happens.

Thanks in advance.

Okay well I basically forwanded the last post to them a few hours ago and got this reply here:


Hello Zoidy,

Thank you for contacting Windows Live Messenger Technical Support. My name is Francisco, and I will be happy to help you with this issue. I understand and I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

According to your email, the issue is that if you add a contact appear as offline and you have Messenger Plus and Trillian installed.

Some third-party add-on applications may be available for integration with MSN Messenger such as Messenger Plus, SmileyCentral from FunWebProducts.com, Handwriting, or Hotbar, etcetera. MSN does not provide support for these add-ons.

Important: MSN has investigated reports that some third party add-in applications can cause the MSN Messenger application to suffer degraded performance and varying degrees of unstable operation.

In order to experience the best performance with MSN Messenger, you should uninstall third party MSN Messenger add-in applications you have installed which may be causing stability issues and report these issues to the third party application vendors.

To find the list of applications that MSN messenger support, please refer to http://messenger.msn.com/Help/authorized.aspx

We recommend that you uninstall unsupported third-party add-ons with MSN Messenger. To get the latest build of MSN Messenger, please visit http://messenger.msn.com.

I hope this information helps you to resolve your issue.

Thanks again for contacting Windows Live Messenger Technical Support and for using Microsoft products. Have a great day!

For questions or self-help with Windows Live Messenger, at anytime you may also visit: https://account.live.com/helpcentral.aspx?mkt=en-us

Best Regards,

Francisco
Windows Live Messenger Technical Support

With Windows Live Messenger, you can now talk to your Yahoo! Messenger friends.  To learn more, paste this link in your browser:
http://get.live.com/messenger/addyahoo

Find out how easy all-in-one PC care can be with the 90-day free trial of Windows Live OneCare. To get started, paste this link in your browser:
http://www.windowsonecare.com/purchase/trial.aspx?sc_cid=SPT_msgr


Clearly they did not really read my email that well as I already did what they suggested Oh well I relpied back to it and will see what they say now

And Plus! Live never made Windows Live Messenger Unstable as I been using it since the day it was released and no problems at all with it so this is a Windows Live Messenger Problem.

Well yet another update This is what I got to the reply to the last email:

Hello Zoid,

Thanks again for writing to Windows Live Messenger Technical Support to confirm that this support issue is not-resolved. My name is Ruth and I will proceed troubleshooting with you from this point on.

According to your email, I understand that you keep being unable to add contacts which do not appear Online to you.

I realize it can be frustrating when a problem persists, so I will do my best to understand and address the issue for you in this response. However, I have inserted some questions for you at the bottom of this e-mail to help better diagnose the issue should additional troubleshooting be required.

General information
- The first name and last name of the caller:
- If the caller is not the account owner, the relationship of the caller to the owner:
- An alternative callback number, if one is available:
- An alternative e-mail contact, if one is available:

Important environmental/system information
- The Messenger client type and version number:
- The Messenger connectivity logs.

Note: Attach or paste these logs into the ticket.

- Whether the connection is wired or wireless:
- Whether the account uses a proxy server and the type of proxy server used:
- Whether the computer where the issue exists uses one or more of the following tools: router, NAT, or firewall:

Troubleshooting information summary

Note: Do not paste in case notes from previous L1 comments.

- Issue summary:
- The troubleshooting steps already taken:
- The steps that are required to reproduce the issue:
- The error message:
- The hexadecimal error code value:
- Whether you can reproduce the issue on a different computer and a different network type: (yes or no)
- Whether the issue occurs for all users on the local computer: (yes or no)
- Whether you can reproduce the issue with a test account on your computer or a lab computer when you use the same MSN Messenger version: (yes or no)
- The date that the issue first appeared:
- Whether the issue is constant or intermittent:
- A list of recent changes to the computer:

Software Information

Note: List the manufacturer and version number of the following types of software that is present on the caller's computer. Indicate "N/A" for the types of software that are not present.
- Antivirus software:
- Firewall software:
- Download enhancers:
- Pop-up blockers:
- Dial-up accelerators other than the MSN Dial-Up Accelerator:

To diagnose the problem, we must have access to your account. When we have access to your account, we can see everything in your account, such as you can when you use your account. After we diagnose the problem, we will reset your password, and then send you an e-mail message that explains what we discovered.

How this affects you
If you use a domain that is provided by Microsoft, such as @hotmail and @msn, please be aware of the following:

While we are trying to fix the problem, you cannot use any services that require your e-mail address to sign in. Before we sign in to your account, make sure that you have your secret question and answer ready so that you can reset your password and access your account again. You should also have an alternative e-mail address available so that we can contact you if we experience any problems when we try to access your account.

If you use an account from a domain that is not a Microsoft domain, you will not be able access any Windows Live or MSN services that use this account. However, you will still be able to access any other services that use this account that are not associated with MSN or with Windows Live. We will send the password reset e-mail and information to this address unless you provide us with an "alternate" address in your Windows Live ID profile.

For example, this issue occurs if you use  an account with one of the following domains: @yahoo, @gmail, and so on.

To give us your permission to access your Windows Live ID, reply to this e-mail message and include the following text in your message: "I grant you my permission to access my Windows Live ID."

Do not give us your current password.
Note: You can reset your password at any time by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the Windows Live ID sign-in page.

To verify the secret question and answer or to verify the "alternate" e-mail address that you must have to reset your password, follow these steps:
1. Visit the following Web site: http://account.live.com
2. Sign in by using your Windows Live ID.

If you see MSN Account Services in the upper-left corner, follow these steps:
a. Click "Credentials."
b. Click "Change your question and secret answer."
c. Type your password, select a question, and then fill in the answer.
d. Click "Continue," and then click "Done."
e. Click "Add or change your alternate e-mail address."
f. Type your password, enter your alternate address, and then enter it again.
g. Click "Continue," and then click "Done."

If you see Windows Live Account in the upper-left corner, follow these steps:
a. Click "Account Summary."
b. Click "Registered Information."
c. Type your address information to complete the "Home location" section.
d. Click "Save."
e. Under "Password reset information" and next to "Question", click the "Change" link to change your secret question and answer. After you set your secret question and answer, click "Save."
f. Next to "Alternate E-mail Address," click "Change" or click "Add to set an alternate e-mail address."

After we diagnose the problem, we will use your alternative e-mail address to notify you of our findings and to send you a password reset message.

Follow the steps that appear in the e-mail that you received to your alternate e-mail address to reset your password.

Ben, thanks again for contacting MSN Messenger Technical Support, and for your use of Microsoft products. Every customer is valuable to us, and we are sorry you have experienced problems.

For questions or self-help with Windows Live Messenger, at anytime you may also visit:   https://account.live.com/helpcentral.aspx?mkt=en-us

Best Regards,

Ruth
Windows Live Messenger Technical Support

With Windows Live Messenger, you can now talk to your Yahoo! Messenger friends.  To learn more, paste this link in your browser: http://get.live.com/messenger/addyahoo

Find out how easy all-in-one PC care can be with the 90-day free trial of Windows Live OneCare. To get started, paste this link in your browser: http://www.windowsonecare.com/purchase/trial.aspx?sc_cid=SPT_msgr

Yet another person Im dealing with -_-

Well if they access your account, they should be able to see the problem for themselves, in which case they should fix the problem hopefully.

See what they have to say after...

i've actually been having the problem as well.... my contact has me on her list but i cant see her at all on my list

i m facing this problem too.. if you guys have a solution for this.. please kindly post it here to share.. thanks.. and a qns for u guys.. r both of u using Yahoo Instant Messenger?

Yeah, I'm having the same problem... :/ The added contacts appear as blocked, and one contact that I added can see me and we can talk, but I can't see him, and if I click on the "Click here to add him or her now" link in the convo window, nothing happens. Well obviously, cause he's already in my list...

I am currently working with Microsoft to figure this out. I never though I'd see the day that I would say that LoL

here is the latest on it and sorry if it a bit big:

Hello Zoidy,


Thank you for writing to Windows Live Messenger Technical Support to confirm that this support issue is not yet resolved, and for providing this additional information. My name is Charles, and I will be assisting you with this issue. First, I would like to apologize for the delay in response to you. We have received an unusual high number of e-mails in the past few days, making it difficult to respond as quickly as we would like.

Ben, there is some important information missing that we require in order to continue troubleshooting your issue, please provide us with the connectivity logs.

Please follow these steps in the order they appear to help resolve this issue:

To generate connectivity logs for Windows Live Messenger:
1. Install the latest version of Windows Live Messenger:
a.  Go to http://get.live.com/messenger/overview
b.  Click "Get it free" or "Download Now" and step through the wizard to install Windows Live Messenger.

2. Delete the already-existing connection log file.
Note: If connection logging is not already enabled, you will not see the MsnMsgr.txt file. If you cannot find this file, go to step 3.
a. On the "File" menu, click "Open Received Files" to open the My Received Files folder.
b. Exit Windows Live Messenger if you are already signed in: Right-click the Windows Live Messenger icon in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar, and then click "Exit".
c. Go back to the My Received Files folder. Select the MsnMsgr.txt file, and then press DELETE.
Note: If connection logging is not already enabled, you will not see the MsnMsgr.txt file. If you cannot find this file, go to step 3.

3. Turn on connection logging, if this feature is not already turned on.
a. Start Windows Live Messenger but do not sign in.
b. On the "Tools" menu, click "Options".
c. In the "Options" dialog box, click "Connection".
d. If you are using Windows Live Messenger, click "Advanced Settings".
e. Under "Connection Logging", make sure that the "Save a log of my server connections to help troubleshoot connection problems" check box is selected.
f. Close the "Options" dialog box.

4. To sign in to Windows Live Messenger again, click "Sign In". The new connectivity log file, MSNMsgr.txt, is generated in the folder described in step 2.

To generate IDCRL Logs:
IDCRL logs can be used to identify Windows Live Messenger service connection issues. To generate IDCRL logs, follow these steps.

Important: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986

Warning: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Click "Start", click "Run", type "regedit", and then click "OK" to open Registry Editor.

2. Expand "HKEY_CURRENT_USER", expand "SOFTWARE", expand "MICROSOFT", and then click "IDENTITYCRL".

3. On the "Edit" menu, point to "New", and then click "Key". Type the name "Trace".

4. Select the key "Trace". On the "Edit" menu, point to "New", and then click "Dword value". Type "Level". The key "Level" will be created in the right pane of Registry Editor.

5. In the right pane, double-click "Level".

6. In the "value data" box, type "99", and then click "OK" to save the changes.

7. Restart the computer.

8. Sign in to Windows Live Messenger again to let the issue occur again. When you sign in, the log file is generated in the My Documents folder.

9. If you are using Windows Live Messenger, look for the file MSIDCRL.txt; If you are using Windows Live Messenger look for the file Msidcrltrace{7108E71A-9926-4FCB-BCC9-9A9D3F32E423}.txt.

10. Verify that the file has been created, and then follow these steps to turn off IDCRL logging:
a. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
b. In the right pane of Registry Editor, click "Trace".
c. On the "Edit" menu, click "Delete".
d. Make sure that the "Level" value registry value has been deleted.

To generate File Replication service (FRS) logs for file-sharing issues:

If you have trouble with replication and cannot transfer changes to your contact, send us the FRS logs. The logs are located in the folder C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows user account>\local settings\application data\Microsoft\Messenger\<Messenger e-mail address>\SharingMetadata\Logs folder.

"To continue to help you, I may have to access your account. If I have to access your account, I will have to reset your password. If you do not give me permission to access your account, I may not be able to continue to help you. May I have your permission to access your account if I must? If the answer is yes, please reply by saying, 'You have my permission to temporarily access my account.' As soon as I complete my troubleshooting, I will reset your account back to your original password, and then let you know that the issue has been resolved."

After you send the answers to the forms, I would like to ask for your patience in waiting for our reply. We will need some time to investigate this matter thoroughly. I assure you that we will get back to you once we determine the appropriate resolution steps.

We look forward to receive your reply soon. The more specific details you include, the better our chances of understanding and resolving your concern.  We are always at your service

Kindest regards,

For questions or self-help with Windows Live Messenger, at anytime you may also visit:   https://account.live.com/helpcentral.aspx?mkt=en-us

Best Regards,

Charles
Windows Live Messenger Technical Support

With Windows Live Messenger, you can now talk to your Yahoo! Messenger friends.  To learn more, paste this link in your browser: http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=...-81cc-685ee3e858fe

Find out how easy all-in-one PC care can be with the 90-day free trial of Windows Live OneCare. To get started, paste this link in your browser: http://www.windowsonecare.com/purchase/trial.aspx?sc_cid=SPT_msgr

This might not be the solution, but it is worth to try:

Delete your Contacts Cache folder...

You will loose nothing with this. The only thing which you might notice is a slightly longer delay in logging in the next time you start up Messenger (since the cache list needs to be rebuild).

In order to do this you first need to make sure you can see hidden files and system files in Windows Explorer:

1. Start Windows Explorer (or press <WIN>+<E> for quick shortcut)
   
2. Go to Tools > Folder Options > View tab
   
3. in the Advanced Settings list, tick "Show hidden files and folders"
   
4. in that same Advanced Settings list, untick "Hide extensions for known file types"
   
5. Press Ok.

To delete your cached directories:

1. With Windows Explorer, navigate to:
   C:\Documents and Settings\your_windows_login\Contacts\your_msn_mail
   
   
2. Delete the entire subdirectory named your_msn_mail.
   
   
3. Now navigate to the folder:
   C:\Documents and Settings\your_windows_login\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts\your_msn_mail
   
   
4. Delete the entire subdirectory named your_msn_mail.

Hmm good idea but not so sure that would be a issue as I not long reinstalled but its worth a try so I'll do it now and let you know how it turned out

Well things worst as I cant login no more as a lot of people been having this problem.


Update:

Well ignore what I said before, I fixed it and not sure how but I think removing the cach as you suggested screws MSN up as I restored the cach as I cut and pasted it elsewhere just in case this happen. And it worked fine now. So I dunno what the heck happened lol