Vista - After suffering for months, I finally yield and seek your help :-)

I'm not sure if this has been covered before, but I've run out of solutions.

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 MACHINE :
Very good HP computer, purchased recently, running XP SP3.

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 (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.

Every week, I uninstall the damn 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?

Thanks!

Greetings,

What you're describing can happen in some cases if there's a router on the network that isn't
responding correctly. If there is a router on the network, you might try resetting it or
even unplugging the network cable, rebooting and seeing if it'll at least come up (for
testing purposes).

--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Live Messenger
MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
MessengerGeek Blog: http://www.messengergeek.com
Messenger Resources: http://messenger.jonathankay.com
(c) 2009 Jonathan Kay - If redistributing, you must include this signature or citation
--


"mjs" <no@newsgroup> wrote in message news:O4E5SYPSKHA.1796@newsgroup

I'm not sure whether she's using a router or not... I'll check next time I
go. If she is, and that's the problem, then consider it solved. But on the
off-chance she's not... what Plan B do you recommend, so that I don't have
to come back here asking for one after having already gone through the
trouble of heading over there? ;-) Where would you look next, if the router
isn't the problem?



"Jonathan Kay [MVP]" <msnewsreplies@newsgroup> wrote in message
news:eFVTN9USKHA.4048@newsgroup

I don't think the router is the problem because we have 3 computers and mine
is the only one that does not work. I mean MSN.

"mjs" wrote:

The computer isn't using anykind of router.

Any other recommendations, Jonathan?

mjs

"Jonathan Kay [MVP]" <msnewsreplies@newsgroup> a écrit dans le message
de news: eFVTN9USKHA.4048@newsgroup...

Earth to Jonathan Kay... :-S

"mjs" <nospam@newsgroup> wrote in message
news:OzodCwRTKHA.504@newsgroup