Messenger won't open

[av.watson]

So, my Messenger works fine at my connection at college, but now that I'm home every time I try to open Messenger I get a box telling me "Sign In to Microsoft Messenger failed because the service is not available or you may not be connected to the internet." It hasn't worked at home for the last three weekends I've come home, but worked lovely before that. I am connected to the internet (working off an airport but plugged into the wall just to check, and doesn't work that way either.)

Adium and Mercury Messenger spend forever and a day attempting to connect and never quite make it there. Just several hours of me cleaning my room and doing laundry and the "connecting" logo showing. Any help would be beyond greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Alican]

What about web browsing, can you do that? Also, it may work fine at college because your messenger maybe set to use a proxy. go to tools/settings/connection/advance options

 

[mad jew]

I agree that it may be proxy related. Create a new location form the Apple menu to get the default proxy settings and see if it now connects.

 

[av.watson]

So, stupid question. If it's at all possible to get these instructions dumbed down some. How does one change the proxy and how does one get there to change it? Sorry, I'm just looking for very explicit instructions so I don't mess this up.

 

[Alican]

Firstly I assume you're running windows natively (not under parrallels)

In windows, open messenger.
Click the small icon that looks a bit like the pointing down arrow
Select tools/options. In the left hand pain select connection, then select advance settings.

Note down all the settings in the boxes, these are the settings for college use.

For home use deleting everything that's in the boxes, but leave the number 1080 (or change it to 1080 if it's different). The 1080 box is the smaller one immediately to the right of the long 'socks' box.

Now I can't see a way of saving configurations so you'll probably have to manually change these settings each time you get home or get to college

 

[mad jew]

It's in the morning so I'm at my utmost stupidest, but where does Windows come into this?

I was thinking along the lines of the OSX system-wide proxy settings. To reset these, go to the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen. Head down to Location and then click on Network Preferences. From the Location drop down box, select New Location and follow the prompts. Hopefully one of these solutions will help you.

 

[Alican]

It's in the morning so I'm at my utmost stupidest, but where does Windows come into this?

Because microsoft messenger is referred to. And yes, I know there's a version of messenger for the mac the the OP has posted in the Windows on the Mac forum

The OP also refers to the OSX based messenger software not working, probably for the same reason as ms messenger

 

[mad jew]

*Slaps head*

Ahh, thanks mate.

 

[Alican]

I know what you mean about the early mornings - it was an 0530 start for me today

 

[av.watson]

Alright, I set up a new location with the default proxy settings and it's still not working. (Mac OSX by the way.) My sister came into town and Messenger works just fine on her Windows based laptop. Any other suggestions? (And sorry about the previous confusion.)

 

[britney5555]

This worked for me...

I was having this same frustrating issue, and what finally solved it was the following: At the top of the MSN messenger sign-in window it will say either "personal" or "corporate" contacts. In my case it was "corporate". Go to View, and choose "personal contacts". This will prompt you to sign in separately. For some unknown reason it let me in - and now I always make sure that I'm in the "Personal" platform. Hope this helps!

 

[mad jew]

So this is on the Mac? Okay, well do you have firewall(s) enabled that may be blocking the port? Check with your router's manual as to how the firewall is set up there, and also try disabling the OSX firewall momentarily (assuming it's on) to see if that helps.

 

[av.watson]

Already set on the personal contacts setting, and fiddled with the firewall...still no messenger.

 

[mad jew]

When you say you tried the firewall, did you turn them all off?

 

[av.watson]

As far as I'm aware I only have the one firewall that's built into my MacBook, and I did try turning that off and then operating Messenger, but it still wouldn't work.

New addition to the list of things that won't work, my Gmail Chat isn't working anymore.

 

[mad jew]

Well, most routers are coming with firewalls these days so maybe check your manual as to how this can be changed or disabled (if applicable). Thankfully, having more than one firewall is useless so if there is a firewall on the router then disable it and run simply with your OSX one.

 

[av.watson]

There isn't a firewall up on our router, and for some reason Messenger seems to work perfectly on the Dell that works off the same connection. Sorry about all the trouble this seems to be causing you, and thank you so much for the help!

 

[Oliver Barker]

Same Problem

I have a Macbook running 10.5 and only meebo will let me sign onto MSN, AIM etc. (http://www.meebo.com) yet no other applicatino like adium, MessengerX, Microsoft Messenger will sign into MSN!!! At some points i've been forced to use my ipod touch on meebo, lol.