I recently installed Windows Live Messenger 2009 but was consistently getting the error:

“Unable to sign into Windows Live Messenger ? Error 80004005″

With no resolutions in my mind, I tried other ID’s also but all failed. I googled the error and got quite a number of results including the one being referred by the error box.

I had actually not downloaded/updated it from Windows website rather I had downloaded the standalone installer from SoftPedia

After googling the error, I got couple of websites asking to delete the contacts from the system and also clear the cookie to make it work.

• Locate the following folder, and then delete all the files that are in this folder.
  C:\Documents and Settings\Contacts\<loginname>where loginname is the login name you use to sign into windows.
• Locate the following folder, and then delete both folders contained inside it.
  C:\Documents and Settings\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts

I deleted both the folders but it did not work even then.

I even downloaded Microsoft XML Parser as suggested but in vain.

Then I read somewhere that it is a bug with this version of Messenger and better update it from the Live’s website.

I decided to download it directly from the website even though it takes comparatively more time.

I now needed to uninstall the Live Messenger I had just installed but wonder it does not exist in the Add Remove Programs then how to uninstall it and clear the registry. I wanted to do the fresh installation.

Googling it again I found the woraround. Run the un-installer giving it the registry key to uninstall. It works for sure.

msiexec /x {0AAA9C97-74D4-47CE-B089-0B147EF3553C}

It got uninstalled. I then installed it from Live site and it worked straight away. Wowowwww!!

Good experience.

-NKJ

NitiN Kumar Jain

Nitin works in an IT MNC professionally but blogs and owns NKJ Live. He is also the co-owner of a professional start-up ARGHAM BYTES

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts