Shoutbox

Thank you for contacting MSN Messenger Technical Support.  My name is  Sandra,  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 unusually high number of e-mails in the past few days, making it difficult to respond as quickly as we would like.

According to your email, the issue is that you are experiencing some difficulties signing in to messenger, and you are receiving an error number 80004005.
Please try the following steps in the order they appear to help resolve this issue.

When you try to sign in to Messenger, you receive the following error message:
- Sorry, we were unable to sign you in to the Messenger service at this time. Please try again later. 80004005

MSN subscription customers only: The Details section of the Status and Support page may display the following error message:
- 80004005: Sorry, we were unable to sign you in to the Messenger service at this time. Please try again later.

This error message is a common error message that represents various connection problems in Messenger.

1. Follow these steps to uninstall the existing version of Messenger:

a. If Messenger is running, right-click the Messenger icon in the notification area, and then click "Exit."
b. Click "Start," click "Run," type the following command, and then click "OK":
control appwiz.cpl
c. In the Add/Remove Programs window, click "Windows Live Messenger" or "MSN Messenger," and then click "Remove."

2. Uninstall any third-party add-ons to Messenger, such as Messenger Plus or Smiley Central.
3. Follow these steps to delete the Messenger registry keys.

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, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
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.

a. Click "Start," click "Run," type "regedit," and then click "OK."
b. If all users of the computer cannot sign in to Messenger, locate the following subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MSNMessenger
c. If only one user account cannot sign in to Messenger, locate the following subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MSNMessenger\PerPassportSettings\<<Passport hash key>>
d. On the "Edit" menu, click "Delete" to delete the registry entries.
e. Locate the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\MSNMessenger
f. On the "Edit" menu, click "Delete" to delete the registry entries associated with the installation of Messenger.
g. Exit Registry Editor.

4. Delete the Listcache.dat file for all accounts that sign in to Messenger on the computer:
a. On a Microsoft Windows 2000-based or Windows XP-based computer, click "Start," click "Run," type "CMD", and then click "OK."

Note: On a Windows 98-based or Windows Millennium Edition-based computer, instead type "command".

b. At the command prompt, type the following commands. After each command line, press ENTER:
cd\
cd %appdata%\microsoft
cd "msn messenger"
del /s listcache.dat

5. If you are using Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger version 7.5, follow these steps:
a. Delete files that may be causing a conflict. Click "Start," click "Run," type "cmd," and then click "OK."
b. At the command prompt, type the following commands. Press ENTER after each command line:
cd %allusersprofile%\application data\microsoft\identitycrl\*.*
del *.dll
cd %appdata%\microsoft\identitycrl\*.*
del *.dll

Note: If any files are in the folder, you will be prompted to confirm. Press Y to confirm.

c. Follow these steps to delete some user-specific registry entries.
i. Click "Start," click "Run," type "Regedit," and then click "OK."
ii. Locate the following subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\IdentityCRL\Creds
iii. You will see keys for every user account that signed in from this computer. Select the user account that cannot sign in, and then click "Delete" on the "Edit" menu.
iv. Close Registry Editor.

6. Make sure that you are using the latest version of Messenger. To download and install the latest version, follow these steps:

a. Start Internet Explorer, and then visit the following Web site:
- For Windows Live Messenger: http://ideas.live.com
- For MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com/download

b. Under "Registered User," click "Go." The download automatically starts, and a download progress indicator appears.
c. Follow the instructions in the MSN Messenger Setup wizard to complete the installation.
d. Click "Finish."

7. Try to sign in to Messenger again.


____, I am hopeful that the issue is now resolved. However, if the issue persists please feel free to write back, we will be more than glad to assist you again.

Additionally, any other details or information you could provide might help us to resolve this issue more quickly with more refined instructions.

Thanks again for contacting MSN Messenger Technical Support. Every customer is valuable to us, and we regret you have experienced difficulties.

Best Regards,
Sandra,
MSN Messenger Technical Support Team

For questions or self-help with MSN Messenger, at anytime you may also visit:
http://messenger.msn.com/help or http://support.msn.com