This problem can also often be solved by doing the following:
quote:
1. Change Windows Explorer settings
a. Right click on the "Start" button and choose "Explore" from the short-cut menu to open the "Windows 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 "Folders" option is checked. This will ensure that you are able to see the folder list on the left side of the Windows Explorer window.
2. Delete the Contacts Cache folder 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 Messenger email address> is the address that you use to sign into 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. Sign into Messenger again.
Obviously the file structures are a bit different from the ones above if you have Vista.
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