Shoutbox

hey guys
i have a very annoying problem on windows live
for quite some time i've been trying to add new contacts - but i'd never see them online
i had A LOT of contacts - almost a thousand altogether - so i thought maybe i'm reaching the max limit or exceeding it
only today i actually found that error message
if i right click a contact who i've recently added and select edit
it reads (at the top of the window in yellow): this contact cannot be added because you have exceeded the maximum number of contacts. to add this contact, please remove a contact from your contact list.

so now i've been trying to remove contacts - but i'm not sure if they're really being removed - i have a group called other contacts - which has 600+ contacts
but it's one of those groups that u can't right click or anything!
anyway i can remove contacts knowing they'll be gone..so i can add new ones
also once the limit is balanced again..will the contacts i've added automatically be added again?
sorry for the confusion..
Thanks

Try this way.

but wont blocking just stop the contact from seeing me etc?
it wont remove it completely from the contacts..therefore wont free up any space
what counts as having totally removed a contact? - to free space
right click contact-->delete-->check both boxes ?
i think so - and that's sooo long
anyway to increase number of contacts?
or maybe find them stored somewhere on the pc where i can delete them
Thanks

quote:

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Originally posted by prettyrick_y
but wont blocking just stop the contact from seeing me etc?

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Indeed, that wont do any good and wont solve anything...

Instead I suggest to install the addon Messenger Plus! in case you don't already have it.

Then you could open the Plus! Contact List Clean-Up window (main menu > Plus! > Contact List Clean-Up).

There you make sure that the option "Show contacts in your list" is selected (it's the first and default option).

When it is, you need to sort the list by the last column "Has You". Do this by clicking on the header of the column.

Now highlight all the contacts which have "No" in the last column and click on "Delete". This will remove all the contacts who don't have your Messenger email anymore.

If you whish, you could also sort on the time you've last chatted to the contact. For example, if you've not chatted with someone since 2 years, maybe it is also time to remove that contact...

Anyways, after doing all that I suggest you log out and exit Messenger. After that restart Messenger and sign in again, so the local cache can be updated, just to make sure.

quote:

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Originally posted by prettyrick_y
what counts as having totally removed a contact? - to free space
right click contact-->delete-->check both boxes ?

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nope... that will not completely remove the contact.

What that does is just removing the contact from your Contact List and the Other Contacts group.

But there is another list, the Reverse List. This list has all the contacts who have added you.

And it is only when they are also removed from this Reverse List, that the contact is truely gone from all your lists. But, the problem here is that in order to remove a contact from your Reverse List, that contact must remove _you_ from _his_ contact list first.

Als long as that contact doesn't do that, you can not completely remove the contact from all your own lists (Contact List, Allow List, Block List). This is also the reason why you should never change accounts without first completely removing everybody from your Contact List and Block List. Because otherwise  your contacts are stuck with your email in their Reverse List.

The Reverse List can also be seen in Messenger itself by going to Tools > Options > Privacy > View. And from there you could also delete contacts by right clicking a contact and choosing "delete", but it can only be done one by one. Using the Plus! Contact List Clean-Up window is much more convenient.

quote:

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Originally posted by prettyrick_y
anyway to increase number of contacts?

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Other then removing contacts? nope.

quote:

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Originally posted by prettyrick_y
or maybe find them stored somewhere on the pc where i can delete them

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They are not stored on your hard disk. The lists are pulled from the servers each time you log in.

many thanks for that reply! - i'll try out what you suggested
msgplus! - wont that install spyware or something - i'm sure i ran a spyware scan a while ago on spybot..and it found msgplus to have spyware - still it was a while ago
anyway i'll do anything to clear these contacts
one other question
say if i use the option to delete whoever doesn't have me on their contact list..and then it removes a lot of contacts so i'm within a safe zone in terms of contact space
will the contacts that haven't been able to be added add properly on their own? - or do i have to readd them?
i'm better off trying and seeing!
Thanks again
just tried out the cleanup - and it says to wait a couple of days first - so it can gather info accurately
i think i'll do that
because the 'has you' option has some contacts who i do have and i know have me (well i think)
so if i wait a few days is it all depending on whether if that contact comes online?
or does it gather the info another way (without the contacts having to come online)
Thanks
edit - i just did a cleanup but it doesn't seem to have got rid of anything - there's no delete option so i just pressed delete and then ok to confirm - it took it's time but then the names and everything were still there
is there a way of completely deleting all contacts that i have in 'other contacts'?
also..is it guaranteed that when it says 'no' - they do'nt have you on their list that it just hasn't updated yet?
i'm looking to completely remove certain groups - unfortunately you can't right click other contacts and delete (it has 600+ contacts in there) - and i just want tto clear it - it's all gathered in one place..just needs deleting!
Thanks!
msg plus is cool ;p

It doesn't contain spyware, but rather an optional sponsor that shows "targeted advertisements" periodically. If you do not wish to install the sponsor, simply choose the relevant option during installation.

kl i've installed it
some contacts can be added now
i'll just wait and see - maybe all will be good
thanks for the help guys