This is a common problem I'm seeing reported on these forums, for which
there has yet to be a fix for. So I'm re-posting it.

Windows Live Messenger will simply not run on my parents' computer. They've
been living with this problem for months, and I've tried everything I can
think of to resolve it. Hours upon hours of Googling and trying different
ways to make it work.

Installing. Un-installing. Looking for potential conflicts. Unloading
whatever doesn't need to be loaded, just in case... nothing works.

THE PROBLEM :
It'll install just fine. But then it won't load. When the installation is
over, nothing happens. Usually it loads by itself. When I click on the icon
to load it, you hear the HD react briefly, then nothing. Nothing happens.
The process is in the process list, but the main Messenger window never pops
open, the icon never appears in the running applications tray, and for all
intents and purposes, it's just not working.

THE MACHINE :
Very good HP computer, purchased recently, running XP SP3. Direct high-speed
connection to modem (no router).

THE (FAILED) SOLUTIONS :
Listen, I've been using PCs and Windows for 15 years, and believe me, I've
tried everything. Clean removals, re-installs, shutting down processes one
by one and trying to load Messenger after each one to try to find the
potential conflict... turning off the firewall for a brief moment... nothing
worked. Jonathan Kay suggested it might be the router requiring a reset, but
turns out there's no router in the chain. The connection is direct from the
modem. I asked him for additional help, but he appears to be as stumped as
everyone else.

Every week, I uninstall the **** thing and re-download it from
messenger.live.com, hoping whatever's faulty with the program gets fixed.
But the problem persists.

I have it running fine at home, but my parents completely gave up on it.
It's a shame, too, because they used it to keep in touch with family back in
Italy.

Could anyone help me find a solution to this? I see more and more people
continue to report identical troubles. Surely the problem is now widespread
enough for the help gurus to roll up their sleeves and help us tackle it.
;-)

Thanks!

Excerpt from Windows Live Messenger website :
Windows Live Essentials require the following:
Operating system: Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32-bit edition only),
Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit editions), Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit
editions), or Windows Server 2008.

" XP --- 32-bit edition only. " Is that relevant in your case ?

t-4-2

"mjs" <no@thanks.com> wrote in message
news:enDNpztUKHA.1792@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> This is a common problem I'm seeing reported on these forums, for which
> there has yet to be a fix for. So I'm re-posting it.
>
> Windows Live Messenger will simply not run on my parents' computer.
> They've been living with this problem for months, and I've tried
> everything I can think of to resolve it. Hours upon hours of Googling and
> trying different ways to make it work.
>
> Installing. Un-installing. Looking for potential conflicts. Unloading
> whatever doesn't need to be loaded, just in case... nothing works.
>
> THE PROBLEM :
> It'll install just fine. But then it won't load. When the installation is
> over, nothing happens. Usually it loads by itself. When I click on the
> icon to load it, you hear the HD react briefly, then nothing. Nothing
> happens. The process is in the process list, but the main Messenger window
> never pops open, the icon never appears in the running applications tray,
> and for all intents and purposes, it's just not working.
>
> THE MACHINE :
> Very good HP computer, purchased recently, running XP SP3. Direct
> high-speed connection to modem (no router).
>
> THE (FAILED) SOLUTIONS :
> Listen, I've been using PCs and Windows for 15 years, and believe me, I've
> tried everything. Clean removals, re-installs, shutting down processes one
> by one and trying to load Messenger after each one to try to find the
> potential conflict... turning off the firewall for a brief moment...
> nothing worked. Jonathan Kay suggested it might be the router requiring a
> reset, but turns out there's no router in the chain. The connection is
> direct from the modem. I asked him for additional help, but he appears to
> be as stumped as everyone else.
>
> Every week, I uninstall the **** thing and re-download it from
> messenger.live.com, hoping whatever's faulty with the program gets fixed.
> But the problem persists.
>
> I have it running fine at home, but my parents completely gave up on it.
> It's a shame, too, because they used it to keep in touch with family back
> in Italy.
>
> Could anyone help me find a solution to this? I see more and more people
> continue to report identical troubles. Surely the problem is now
> widespread enough for the help gurus to roll up their sleeves and help us
> tackle it. ;-)
>
> Thanks!
>

On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:58:56 -0400, mjs wrote:

> This is a common problem I'm seeing reported on these forums, for which
> there has yet to be a fix for. So I'm re-posting it.
>
> Windows Live Messenger will simply not run on my parents' computer. They've
> been living with this problem for months, and I've tried everything I can
> think of to resolve it. Hours upon hours of Googling and trying different
> ways to make it work.
>
> Installing. Un-installing. Looking for potential conflicts. Unloading
> whatever doesn't need to be loaded, just in case... nothing works.
>
> THE PROBLEM :
> It'll install just fine. But then it won't load. When the installation is
> over, nothing happens. Usually it loads by itself. When I click on the icon
> to load it, you hear the HD react briefly, then nothing. Nothing happens.
> The process is in the process list, but the main Messenger window never pops
> open, the icon never appears in the running applications tray, and for all
> intents and purposes, it's just not working.
>
> THE MACHINE :
> Very good HP computer, purchased recently, running XP SP3. Direct high-speed
> connection to modem (no router).
>
> THE (FAILED) SOLUTIONS :
> Listen, I've been using PCs and Windows for 15 years, and believe me, I've
> tried everything. Clean removals, re-installs, shutting down processes one
> by one and trying to load Messenger after each one to try to find the
> potential conflict... turning off the firewall for a brief moment... nothing
> worked. Jonathan Kay suggested it might be the router requiring a reset, but
> turns out there's no router in the chain. The connection is direct from the
> modem. I asked him for additional help, but he appears to be as stumped as
> everyone else.
>
> Every week, I uninstall the **** thing and re-download it from
> messenger.live.com, hoping whatever's faulty with the program gets fixed.
> But the problem persists.
>
> I have it running fine at home, but my parents completely gave up on it.
> It's a shame, too, because they used it to keep in touch with family back in
> Italy.
>
> Could anyone help me find a solution to this? I see more and more people
> continue to report identical troubles. Surely the problem is now widespread
> enough for the help gurus to roll up their sleeves and help us tackle it.

I have not encountered the problem, personally. I've got Windows Live
Messenger 2009 (Build 14.0.8089.726) running on two HP Pavilions running
Windows XP MCE 2005, SP3, and a Compaq running Windows XP Home Edition, SP3,
and on an HP Pavilion running Windows Vista Home Premium, SP2. All are
working. Have you checked the Event Viewer on the affected system? You might
find some clues there.

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

I have had this problem before, what firewall and Anti-Virus are you
running, When I had the problem a couple of years back, it was the
fact that I was running an out of date firewall, and my virus defs
were also out of date. I uninstalled Messenger Live, and went about
installing a new firewall (Comodo), and anti-virus (Symantec), then
once I had the old off my machine and the new up-to-date software
installed, I went about installing Messenger again. This time it
worked. It turned out that MSN Messenger Live was not being allowed to
load, due to the firewall. The Anti-Virus that I has may not have had
anything to do with it, but I am not totally sure on that... If that
doesn't work for you please feel free to contact me directly on my
email at aressler2k4@(remove)hotmail.com or aressler2K5@(remove)
gmail.com we can talk about it more and you can tell me what is going
on more.

Scorpion2k5

Yes. And it was working fine for an entire year before it stopped working.

"t-4-2" <dhuang1@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
news:%235Kct4tUKHA.4704@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Excerpt from Windows Live Messenger website :
> Windows Live Essentials require the following:
> Operating system: Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32-bit edition only),
> Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit editions), Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit
> editions), or Windows Server 2008.
>
> " XP --- 32-bit edition only. " Is that relevant in your case ?

Windows Firewall and AVG, same setup I have on the computers of everyone in
my extended family, and they all work except my parents'.

"Scorpion2k5" <aressler2k5******.com> wrote in message
news:12a04499-9eb5-48ec-a73a-e5d89a073a12@m20g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
>I have had this problem before, what firewall and Anti-Virus are you
> running,

Well, is the XP a 32-bit or 64 ?

t-4-2

"mjs" <no@thanks.com> wrote in message
news:#R9uhWyUKHA.4816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Yes. And it was working fine for an entire year before it stopped working.
>
> "t-4-2" <dhuang1@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
> news:%235Kct4tUKHA.4704@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Excerpt from Windows Live Messenger website :
>> Windows Live Essentials require the following:
>> Operating system: Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32-bit edition only),
>> Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit editions), Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit
>> editions), or Windows Server 2008.
>>
>> " XP --- 32-bit edition only. " Is that relevant in your case ?
>
>

On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:42:05 -0400, mjs wrote:

> "Scorpion2k5" <aressler2k5******.com> wrote in message
> news:12a04499-9eb5-48ec-a73a-e5d89a073a12@m20g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...

>>I have had this problem before, what firewall and Anti-Virus are you
>> running ...

> Windows Firewall and AVG, same setup I have on the computers of everyone in
> my extended family, and they all work except my parents'.

And what about my question? ******EVENT VIEWER******

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

"N. Miller" <anonymous@msnews.aosake.net> wrote in message
news:1r1w39uy2itk0$.dlg@msnews.aosake.net...
>
> And what about my question? ******EVENT VIEWER******

I don't live with my parents. As such, it's not something I can check until
the next time I go over there. ;)

32.

"t-4-2" <dhuang1@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
news:O%23bt%238yUKHA.5208@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Well, is the XP a 32-bit or 64 ?

I am having nearly the same problem as this, my messenger worked for 18months
and then four the last four months everytime I start it up I get a message
that says the program has an error and has to close you will be notified if a
solution is found. I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it 7 times. I have
the same running system, and anti virus and windows defender. I don't know
what an event viewer is though.

> Could anyone help me find a solution to this? I see more and more people
> continue to report identical troubles. Surely the problem is now widespread
> enough for the help gurus to roll up their sleeves and help us tackle it.
> ;-)
>

Prob just started for me out of the blue last night. It was working
perfectly on the newest version, and then just stopped. For me I
can't sign in at all. Even with firewall / AV disabled. Like you
have been using PCs for years, and have never run into an issue like
this. Followed clean install procedure that MS reccomends, connected
my pc direct to modem, no AV no Firewall, still no luck.

I did find a work around for you. there is an instant messenger
client called Pidgin: http://www.pidgin.im/
it allows you to sign into any of the messengers, including MSN. It
even pulls your contact list and everything.

Since you rely on MSN to stay in touch with your family, it will work
well for you until MS gets their act together..

Sandy Jackson wrote:
>> Could anyone help me find a solution to this? I see more and more people
>> continue to report identical troubles. Surely the problem is now widespread
>> enough for the help gurus to roll up their sleeves and help us tackle it.
>> ;-)
>>
>
> Prob just started for me out of the blue last night. It was working
> perfectly on the newest version, and then just stopped. For me I
> can't sign in at all. Even with firewall / AV disabled. Like you
> have been using PCs for years, and have never run into an issue like
> this. Followed clean install procedure that MS reccomends, connected
> my pc direct to modem, no AV no Firewall, still no luck.
>
> I did find a work around for you. there is an instant messenger
> client called Pidgin: http://www.pidgin.im/
> it allows you to sign into any of the messengers, including MSN. It
> even pulls your contact list and everything.
>
> Since you rely on MSN to stay in touch with your family, it will work
> well for you until MS gets their act together..

Another multi-protocol IM program is Trillian and can be downloaded here
http://www.trillian.im/download/.