Vista - Vista RTM + Windows Live Messenger - ERROR 81000306

I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error every
time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the local
firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of our
XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage unless I
can make specific requests about what needs to change.

Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?

Thanks.

David,

Can you be more specific with the error? Is there anything in the event log?

Bill F.

"David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the local
> firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of
> our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
> guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
> our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage unless
> I can make specific requests about what needs to change.
>
> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>
> Thanks.

David McGown wrote:
> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the local
> firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of
> our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
> guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
> our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage
> unless I can make specific requests about what needs to change.
>
> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?

I am also unable to log into Live Messenger, but on XP SP2, so I would guess
that this is likely a problem with the service and not your Vista install.
--
Tom Porterfield

Hi,

My two cents, try this newsgroup as well:
microsoft.public.windows.live.messenger

PS: Cross post this to the live messenger newsgroup.

"David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the local
> firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of
> our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
> guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
> our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage unless
> I can make specific requests about what needs to change.
>
> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>
> Thanks.

Go to Start, run, then type "regedit"

Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\microsoft\MSNMessenger\Policies

Delete the key "contacts.msn.com"

Then just restart Messenger. That should do the trick.

Scøtt
Live Messenger FAQs - http://wlm.scottisafool.co.uk/
Personal Blog - http://scottisafool.spaces.live.com/
Developer Blog - http://scottisafooldev.spaces.live.com/

xfile wrote:
> Hi,
>
> My two cents, try this newsgroup as well:
> microsoft.public.windows.live.messenger
>
> PS: Cross post this to the live messenger newsgroup.
>
> "David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
> news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
>> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
>> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
>> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the local
>> firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of
>> our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
>> guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
>> our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage unless
>> I can make specific requests about what needs to change.
>>
>> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
>> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>>
>> Thanks.
>
>

While that is possible, I doubt it. As I said, all of our XP users here in
the office are not experiencing problems. It's only me and the one other
Vista user that cannot sign in to Messenger.

"Tom Porterfield" <tpporter@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:uDvy6iXDHHA.3212@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> David McGown wrote:
>> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
>> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
>> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the
>> local
>> firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of
>> our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
>> guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
>> our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage
>> unless I can make specific requests about what needs to change.
>>
>> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
>> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>
> I am also unable to log into Live Messenger, but on XP SP2, so I would
> guess that this is likely a problem with the service and not your Vista
> install.
> --
> Tom Porterfield

There's nothing in the event log that looks relevant to this.
The full error goes something like "We were unable to sign you in to Windows
Live Messenger, possibly because of a problem with the service of with your
internet connections. Please make sure you are connected to the Internet."
Then it gives the error code 81000306. Of course I am connected to the
Internet and when I use the Connection Troubleshooter in Messenger, it shows
that all test results passed. It makes no sense. Like I said, myself and the
one other guy in the office who are now on Vista are the only ones having
this problem here. The XP users are all signing in to Messenger with no
problem.

"Bill Frisbee" <wfrisbee@comcastx.com> wrote in message
news:0F33071A-A610-4264-88C6-1A0DDB457CB9@microsoft.com...
> David,
>
> Can you be more specific with the error? Is there anything in the event
> log?
>
> Bill F.
>
> "David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
> news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
>> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
>> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
>> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the
>> local firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since
>> all of our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of
>> Messenger, I am guessing that there is something different about the way
>> Vista works with our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at
>> this stage unless I can make specific requests about what needs to
>> change.
>>
>> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
>> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>>
>> Thanks.
>

Unfortunately, the Policies key doesn't exist in my registry. Thanks for the
suggestion though.

""Scøtt Lovegrove [ScottIsAFool]"" <wlm@nospam.scottisafool.co.uk> wrote in
message news:45631C7D.5020305@nospam.scottisafool.co.uk...
> Go to Start, run, then type "regedit"
>
> Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\microsoft\MSNMessenger\Policies
>
> Delete the key "contacts.msn.com"
>
> Then just restart Messenger. That should do the trick.
>
> Scøtt
> Live Messenger FAQs - http://wlm.scottisafool.co.uk/
> Personal Blog - http://scottisafool.spaces.live.com/
> Developer Blog - http://scottisafooldev.spaces.live.com/
>
> xfile wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> My two cents, try this newsgroup as well:
>> microsoft.public.windows.live.messenger
>>
>> PS: Cross post this to the live messenger newsgroup.
>>
>> "David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
>> news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
>>> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
>>> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
>>> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the
>>> local firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since
>>> all of our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of
>>> Messenger, I am guessing that there is something different about the way
>>> Vista works with our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything
>>> at this stage unless I can make specific requests about what needs to
>>> change.
>>>
>>> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
>>> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>

I found the option to turn on the WLM logging feature. After one login
attempt I now have a log file that is 35KB. I can attach the whole file but
here's a few lines from around where the error code shows up:

[08:44:21.788] Zone_HotmailService CreateReducedPolicy: policy -
lc=1033,id=507,tw=40,ru=http%3A%2F%2Fmessenger%2Emsn%2Ecom,ct=1164126509,kpp=1,kv=9,ver=2.1.6000.1,rn=sLheLC6U,tpf=1d9d535752bace3f218da4e4ebf293c5
[08:44:21.788] Zone_HotmailService CreateReducedPolicy: This is a PPM
policy
[08:44:21.788] Zone_HotmailService CreateReducedPolicy: reduced
policy - ?id=507&tw=40&kpp=1&kv=9&ver=2.1.6000.1&rn=sLheLC6U
[08:44:21.788] Zone_HotmailService
CHotmailService::FireLocalStateChangeResult@01A30268BUGBUG: Whidbey link
progress, 0x0001)
[08:44:21.798] Zone_SDrive SDriveLifetime::OnLogonResult
(0x81000306)
[08:44:21.798] Zone_SDrive SDriveLifetime::OnServiceLogoff
[08:44:21.798] Zone_SDrive Buddy's not online - Cannot get root
paths

Does this kind of log info help?


"Bill Frisbee" <wfrisbee@comcastx.com> wrote in message
news:0F33071A-A610-4264-88C6-1A0DDB457CB9@microsoft.com...
> David,
>
> Can you be more specific with the error? Is there anything in the event
> log?
>
> Bill F.
>
> "David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
> news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
>> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
>> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
>> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the
>> local firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since
>> all of our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of
>> Messenger, I am guessing that there is something different about the way
>> Vista works with our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at
>> this stage unless I can make specific requests about what needs to
>> change.
>>
>> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
>> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>>
>> Thanks.
>

I found the procedure below in another group, and it solved my problem with
Vista and Live Messenger. Apparently Vista's "auto-tuning" networking
feature doesn't play nice with some routers. Not sure if it is a bug in
Vista, a bug in Messenger or a bug in the router firmware but anyway this
looks like a possible workaround that might help other people who have the
same problem.

Try this:
- Click start
- Type: cmd
- Right-click cmd.exe when it appears under Applications
- Click Run As Administrator
- Type the following: netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
- Press enter
- Restart your computer


"David McGown" <dmcgown(nospam)@apriso.com> wrote in message
news:9DF2DE6F-2644-43A0-BCEC-C6421ED2DDE1@microsoft.com...
> I've installed Vista (Build 6000) and Windows Live Messenger (Build
> 8.0.0812) and cannot get Messenger to sign in. It gives the same error
> every time - 81000306. This is a fresh & clean Vista install and the local
> firewall is disabled but there is a firewall on our router. Since all of
> our XP SP2 users have no problem with the same version of Messenger, I am
> guessing that there is something different about the way Vista works with
> our router. My IT guy is reluctant to change anything at this stage unless
> I can make specific requests about what needs to change.
>
> Any ideas what to change that might fix this? Is this a known
> incompatibility with Vista and Messenger?
>
> Thanks.