• 0

Can't connect to MSN messaging service

Asked by Darrian,

 Share

Question

Veteran

Darrian

Posted
Posted

Not sure this is the right place to post this. If not, sorry.

A while ago I stopped being able to connect to MSN on my Windows Phone (HTC Trophy). At first I thought it was an issue with the phone, but today I noticed some weird things. The messaging button wasn't click-able in outlook.com. When I opened up Skype for Windows 8 only my Skype contacts showed up, not my MSN contacts. Trillian doesn't display any of my MSN contacts as being online. The Skype desktop app shows all my msn contacts, but their service icon is red. I'm not even sure what it means.

Does it mean that I have a contact on my list that isn't authorized (or in this case, have all my contacts "de-authorized" me)? Does it mean that it's not connecting to the MSN servers anymore due to the changes they made to Windows Messenger that supposedly made it so that Skype was the only app that was actually SUPPOSED to work and something has backfired with my account. This is incredibly frustrating, I haven't been able to talk to anybody via MSN for more than a month now, and that's where 90% of my contacts are.

Has anybody else had this issue, and have you been able to fix it? I've looked everywhere I can think in my Microsoft Account settings and Skype settings and come up with nothing. All my contacts do show up via "People" on my phone, the Windows 8 app, and the outlook.com web app, I just can't talk to any of them unless they have facebook or I want to email or text them.

7 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0
Grand Master

goretsky Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

Hello,

The following blog post was recently linked to in Neowin's News section.

Use Messenger Reviver 2 to bring back Messenger and beat Skype

Perhaps you will find it of use.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

  • 0
Veteran

Darrian

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I think you guys are completely missing the point. I'm not using MSN/Windows Messenger. I'm using Windows Phone. I'm using Skype, the official Microsoft chat client now. I'm using the chat service built into Outlook.com. This is not an issue with Windows Messenger; I don't even have it installed.

  • 0
Grand Master

Tha Bloo Monkee

Posted
Posted

Hello,

The following blog post was recently linked to in Neowin's News section.

Use Messenger Reviver 2 to bring back Messenger and beat Skype

Perhaps you will find it of use.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

lol, the 2nd line states it's on Windows phone.

  • 0
Enthusiast

j2006

Posted
Posted

Hi there,

Messenger and Skype now use the same backend. Therefore people still on the Messenger network and on the Skype network can chat seamlessly with each other. However, the Windows Live Messenger CLIENT has been discontinued.

The "Messaging" Hub on Windows Phone, Windows 8, Outlook.com and Xbox still works as usual since it's the same backend.

When you login to Skype, you need to click "Microsoft account" and then login with your Messenger username and password (Hopefully they change this soon, so you don't have to click that first).

You should then see all your Messenger contacts there. You'll need to merge accounts if you don't see your past Skype contacts there.

If you're unable to login to the Messaging hub on your Windows Phone anymore, there may be an issue with your account or your phone, since it should still work perfectly fine.

Also, since you said 90% of your contacts are there, it could be an issue with them as well. But really, it all should work perfectly fine as long as you are using your Microsoft account still and not a separate Skype account.

Hope this helps :)

  • 0
Veteran

Darrian

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ok, well, ****. At some point, it appears, 100% of my contacts were blocked. Going through the list with Trillian I was able to see that they were blocked and easily unblock them. Still haven't confirmed on my phone, but everywhere else people are appearing online, so I assume it will work there, too. I wonder wtf happened there? I know I didn't block them myself.

  • 0
Grand Master

goretsky Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

Hello,

Ah... I thought that Skype for Windows 8 and Trillian meant a desktop problem and you were just confirming on the smartphone. Sorry for the incorrect advice.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to question listing

  • Posts

    • Microsoft confirms Recycle Bin bug across all versions of Windows

      By snowy owl · Posted

      I'm still on Windows 10 22H2 because I didn't want to deal with all the issues in Windows 11, so I waited almost a week before installing the latest Patch Tuesday update (KB5094127), I went ahead and did it, and it was a huge mistake—ever since then, my File Explorer has seen a performance drop of about 30% when transferring large files... Once again, Microsoft has outdone itself! This update cannot be uninstalled, either through the Control Panel (via Settings) or by accessing Advanced Startup Options. The only possible alternative would be to use system restore points, but I’d have to reinstall all app and driver updates (and there’s no guarantee it would work). Or there’s the “nuclear option” of a in-place repair without losing files or apps, but even then, all my customizations would be lost! Microsoft just can’t help but mess everything up! Way to go, Microsoft! But I still don’t want your c****y Windows 11!
    • Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs by Sayan Sen While Microsoft has been trying to improve it, Windows 11 is definitely not flawless, as even today some issues are taking a year to publicly acknowledge. However, one area of trouble that may finally see much better results soon is graphics driver crashes. Work on graphics driver timeouts, also called Timeout and Detection Recovery (TDR), is not new as the latest WDDM 3.2 also has specific improvements regarding it. Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version 3.2 is supported on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. However, with the upcoming version 26H2, TDR crash diagnosis could go to the next level as Microsoft is introducing a new DirectX 12 API feature called "DirectX Dump Files". Similar to how system memory dump files work when a system crashes or freezes or encounters any such major issue, DirectX Dump Files (DDF) will essentially record a snapshot of the GPU execution right at the moment a graphics-related crash or hang or freeze occurs, so that developers can better understand and diagnoze these TDR and timeout detection errors. The dump will be available as a .dxdmp file for analysis and it will be a comprehensive dump file generated with detailed insights about the hardware, drivers, Windows, as well as the affected application. This should be another welcome change in this department. Earlier at GDC 2026, when the technology was first debuted, Microsoft had shared more details regarding it. The company had explained how DDF is designed to gather data from every layer of the graphics stack into a single file, eliminating the need for developers to manually correlate logs from multiple tools. As mentioned above, the dump can contain a lot of useful details like GPU hardware state information such as register values, shader program counters, page fault virtual addresses, shader memory data, and command buffers. Alongside that, it also captures DirectX runtime and kernel information, including D3D objects, pipeline state objects, device error data, adapter details, and CPU call stacks. Microsoft says the feature has been built around two primary use cases: retail device removals and local device removals. The former allows developers to collect crash information from end users' systems in the field, while the latter helps QA teams and developers investigate issues on test machines. Developers will also be able to include up to 2 MB of custom application data through new D3D12 APIs, providing additional context for troubleshooting. In addition, Microsoft is introducing three dump collection modes ranging from zero-overhead capture, which has no runtime performance impact on supported hardware, to higher-detail modes that collect more vendor-specific debugging data. On compatible Tier 2 hardware, zero-overhead dumps will be enabled by default, meaning developers may begin receiving useful crash diagnostics without making any code changes. The table below explains the three tiers: Tier Description NO_OVERHEAD Enables crash capture with no runtime cost and is suitable for broad deployment MEDIUM_OVERHEAD Provides a balance, capturing additional diagnostic data with moderate impact HIGH_OVERHEAD Collects the most detailed GPU and driver state available, enabling deeper investigation at the cost of higher runtime overhead In terms of availability, the company expects broader release to be around the fall of 2026, which should be right around the time when Windows 11 version 26H2 lands. Right now, DirectX Dump Files are available as a preview and currently, only AMD has the compatible AgilitySDK Developer Preview driver version 26.10.07.02. You can find the official announcement post here on Microsoft's website.
    • My favorite file manager for Windows 11 finally gets a long-requested feature

      By Malisk · Posted

      And with SO much better perf than the laggy mess that is Files.
    • The official Funny Pictures thread

      By Steven P. · Posted

    • BrowserOS 0.46.0

      By Copernic · Posted

      BrowserOS 0.46.0 by Razvan Serea BrowserOS is a free, open-source Chromium-based browser that runs AI agents natively, offering a smarter, more productive browsing experience. It supports Chrome extensions and integrates AI agents to automate tasks, fill forms, and streamline workflows. Your data stays on your computer: you can use your own API keys or run local models via Ollama, making it a privacy-first alternative to tools like Perplexity, Comet, or Dia. With built-in productivity tools and app integrations, BrowserOS boosts efficiency while keeping control firmly in your hands. Being Chromium-based, BrowserOS lets you effortlessly import your bookmarks, passwords, and Chrome extensions in just a few clicks. BrowserOS works with OpenAI GPT models, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, and local AI models via Ollama or LMStudio. You can use your own API keys and effortlessly switch between providers. BrowserOS Agent Your AI productivity assistant that organizes and manages your browsing effortlessly Quickly list, group, or close tabs Save and resume browsing sessions Search your history and organize bookmarks Switch instantly to the tab you need BrowserOS Navigator – Automate web tasks with ease Navigate websites and search automatically Interact with pages without manual effort Handle repetitive tasks in seconds What makes BrowserOS special Feels like home - same familiar interface as Google Chrome, works with all your extensions AI agents that run on YOUR browser, not in the cloud Privacy first - bring your own keys or use local models with Ollama. Your browsing history stays on your computer Open source and community driven - see exactly what's happening under the hood MCP store to one-click install popular MCPs and use them directly in the browser bar (coming soon) Built-in AI ad blocker that works across more scenarios! BrowserOS 0.46.0 changelog: Run Claude Code & Codex right in your browser — We've extended the agent harness to bring full coding agents into BrowserOS. Claude Code and Codex now come bundled and plug straight into the assistant, so you can drive your browser with the agent — and the subscription — you already use. A brand new experience — A redesigned new tab, a calmer composer, and a rebuilt command center for switching between agents. The whole assistant is cleaner, faster to reach, and easier to live in. New MCP tools — We rebuilt the browser tool surface from the ground up — a tighter, more reliable set of tools for agents to drive the browser. Plus one-click install of BrowserOS as an MCP server into the agents you already run, with automatic URL sync. Chromium 148 — Updated to the latest Chromium base with all recent upstream fixes and security patches. Streamlined — We've pulled back a few features that weren't getting much use — Skills, Soul, and Memory — so we can focus and ship better versions of them soon. Download: BrowserOS 0.46.0 | 181.0 MB (Open Source) Download: BrowserOS for macOS | 485.0 MB Links: BrowserOS Homepage | Github | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware

  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Jordan Smith earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      BizSAR earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • First Post
      AndreaB earned a badge
      First Post
    • Week One Done
      Huge Trailer earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      Classifyskilleducation earned a badge
      Week One Done

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      594
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      187
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      79
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      74
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      67
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!