Hi all,

After upgrading to Windows Live Messenger (WLM), I had an issue where the status tooltip of the messenger icon in the system tray gave a 'connection error', although I was really connected, signed in and could chat.

After a long search on the internet I found a solution (from a Microsoft WLM tech guy) to solve a slow sign in by cleaning out the WLM cache, but it also solved my 'connection error' problem. So, I thougt I'll copy it in this forum so it get's found faster by plus! users. Here we go:

1. Change Windows Explorer settings

a. Right click on the Start button and chooseExplore from the short-cut menu to open theWindows Explorer window.
b. In the Windows Explorer window, click on the Tools menu followed by Folder Options.Click on the View tab. In the Advanced settings list, check Show hidden files and folders and uncheck
the option Hide extensions for known file types under Hidden files and folders. Click on OK to close the Folder Options window.
c. In the Windows Explorer window, click on the View menu followed by Explorer bar and ensure that the Foldersoption is checked. This will ensure that you are able to see the folder list on
the left side of the Windows Explorer window.

2. Try to delete the Contacts Cache folder to resolve the issue by following the steps below:

a. Right-click on the "Start" button, choose "Explore" from the short-cut menu to open the "Windows Explorer" window.
b. In the "Windows Explorer" window, go to the Folder list on the left pane and navigate to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Windows logon name>\Contacts\<Your Messenger
email address> where <Windows Logon name> is the login name you use to sign into windows and <Your Windows Live Messenger email address> is the address that you use to sign into
Windows Live Messenger.
c. Delete all the files that are within the <Your Messenger email address> folder.
d. Right click on the "Start" button, choose "Explore" from the short-cut menu to open the "Windows Explorer" window.
e. In the "Windows Explorer" window, go to the Folder list on the left pane and navigate to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Windows logon name>\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts\<Your Messenger email address> where <Windows Logon name> is the login name you use to sign into windows and <Your Messenger email address>
is the address that you use to sign into Messenger.
f. Delete the "real" and the "shadow" folders that are within the <Your Messenger email address> folder.

3. Try to sign into Windows Live Messenger again.

PS: the original location of this solution is here: http://www.planetamd64.com/index.php?s=c3bf59c15e...7d&showtopic=24632

Also mentioned here

Oops, sorry for the dupe. Well anyway, now there is a topic that directly gives the solution rather then having to wade through 3 pages for a solution which you finaly find on page 4...

By the way, the solution in the other topic says

quote:

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"(!! your profile, winks and all the personal settings and data will be lost!!)"

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In that case, I'll link the other thread to this, if I can easily do so.
Edit: And I don't have a post in any of the first 50, so I'll leave it.