Error 80040200: Msn Live Messenger unable to connect fix
In: Computer
Posted by Geries Handal
30 Mar 2009Every time I put my laptop (with Windows Vista Business) on hibernation, sleep or just lose internet connection, my MSN live messenger will not connect. Sometimes I will fix this by just killing the process and restarting the program. Still, is just big a pain to the point that I will go days without using it.
Like most of you visiting me from google or yahoo, I started by searching Error 80040200. While reading many results I found the following instructions from this blog post:
1) Close Messenger. Go into Task Manager and ensure that the “msnmsgr.exe” process is not there. If it is, kill the process.
2.) Navigate to C:\Users\<YourUserName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts and delete the entire contents of the folder.
For XP go to: C:\Documents and Settings\Users\Local Settings\AppData\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts (thanks to Mary for bringing this up)
3.) Restart Windows Live Messenger.
If that works… great!!!, no more error 80040200 for you. However, if you are stuck in step two trying to delete all files without success, then continue reading.
The reason we got stuck is because another process was using the files you can’t delete, one of them being contacts.edb. Just try to find the process wlcomm.exe in the Task Manager. This might be the process stoping you from deleting the file. So, if you can’t find it, proceed to download the Process Explorer. Once you go it, run it and press Ctrl+F or go to “Find” in the main menu and click on “Find Handle or DLL” button. Then you will have a pop up where you write the name of the file contacts.edb (which is the one you can’t delete), as shown in the image bellow. (If you think this is a bit advance for you or need any help, please write a comment and I will gladly help you)
Once you find the process kill it, delete all the files and restart the MSN live Messenger. Again, if you got any questions drop them in the comments and I will be back to you.
- Tags: live messenger, Microsoft, msn, Process Explorer, Vista
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- Leo: Thanks! This worked, but time will tell if I’ll have to keep doing this over and over and over… [...]
- Geries Handal: Hahaha I guess it will take some time to get those billion dollars. If I understood correctly you [...]
- David: Get your billion dollars yet? :) Anyways, I have a cousin with this same error code issue for we [...]
- Geries Handal: Your very welcome! and thanks for your kind comments. ;) [...]
- Donell KoolbreezeUK: Dear Mr Geries Handal, May god bless you a long healthy life and may he install a billion dollars [...]
26 Responses to Error 80040200: Msn Live Messenger unable to connect fix
Jim
May 7th, 2009 at 12:27 am
Thanks! This worked, but time will tell if I’ll have to keep doing this over and over and over…
mike
June 24th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Well. to be honest. It worked by just killing wlcomm.ece process, then resigning. No need to delete files normally.
Geries Handal
June 25th, 2009 at 8:02 am
A couple of days ago, it happened to me and I just killed the process and worked. However it could be that doesn’t work, so it’s good to try to delete the files.
pollo
August 27th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
que buenooo muchas garcias me ayudo jodido
May
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
What about WindowsXP ? I dont have Vista but I still have that error in my MSN Messenger .. What I should do ?
Geries Handal
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:59 am
Hello,
for Windows Xp try to go to (I think the path looks something like this) C:\Document and Settings\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts and delete the entire contents of the folder.
Is the same process but some names in xp may vary. It will be cool if you can try and post back.
cheers
Matt
October 21st, 2009 at 7:46 am
Can anyone state categorically whether this fixes the problem for good – full-stop? Or does it re-occur at the next suspend/resume cycle?
For a one-off fix, killing the msnmsgr.exe process tends to do the trick. Or using Trillian instead…
Michael
November 5th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
hey well i get stuck on step two but i can make a new account and it works whats up with that?
Geries Handal
November 5th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Try this three things to be albe to do step 2:
Look for the wlcomm.exe process, kill it. If that doesn’t work try restarting the computer and then closing the program from the tray Icon and deleting the folder. Last resort, try uninstalling Windows Live Messenger and then deleting the folder in step 2.
Lydia
January 1st, 2010 at 5:59 am
Thanks! This work marvelously!
Thanx
January 18th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Thank You Step 1 Worked For Me
Liz
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:46 pm
thank you very much your advice was so much simpler and easier to understand than other answers found via google search. woo hoo can now get onto msn sorted
Dan
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:44 pm
mike
June 24th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Well. to be honest. It worked by just killing wlcomm.ece process, then resigning. No need to delete files normally.
Thanks Mike, that worked for me too
Mary
June 14th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Fir those who has trouble finding the Windows Live Contacts folder in XP. Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Users\Local Settings\AppData\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts.
jazzz
June 15th, 2010 at 1:24 am
it wont let me remove the files ones ive gone through all the steps??
Geries Handal
June 15th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Did you close the process wlcomm.exe ?? Try bring up the Task Manager (by right clicking on bar where all the programs minimize and selecting Start Task Manager). Then look for the process wlcomm.exe. If you already did this and it didn’t work, just restart your computer, exit from MSN Messenger and then try again to delete the files. Post back if you have more problems and I will see what else we can do.
Emanuela
June 26th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Ho seguito tutti i procedimenti, allora, su Gestione processi windows (ho windows vista) non c’è wlcomm.exe perciò ho proseguito, nel “Search” di ProcessExplorer ho trovato contacts però non posso eliminarlo né terminare il processo, insomma non posso farci niente, ed inoltre la lingue è inglese! Mi servirebbe il vostro aiuto! Vi ringrazio moltissimo!
Geries Handal
June 27th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Ciao Emanuela,
Ho già parlano spagnolo, così ho scritto questo messaggio in spagnolo e in italiano si tradurrebbe con google-translate.
Prova a riavviare il computer e cancellare i file. Se quello non riesce quindi chiudere il MSN Messenger e riprovare. Se ciò non riesce anche, quindi rimuovere il MSN Messenger sul proprio sistema, quindi eliminare i file e reinstallare il Messenger. Inviate se funziona.
Jubin
July 15th, 2010 at 7:33 am
Thanx a lot!! worked fer me..
Eleanor
July 29th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I’ve tried this, but I get as far as ‘Documents and settings’ and their is no Users option – only mine, anouther user’s, all users, and all users.windows but none of these have any of the sub folders that are up there! HELP!
Geries Handal
July 30th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Then try looking for it on your user. what windows are you using, XP?
Donell KoolbreezeUK
August 1st, 2010 at 2:54 am
Dear Mr Geries Handal,
May god bless you a long healthy life and may he install a billion dollars into your bank account…
THANK YOU, THANK YOU
i have tried everything, and the MSN website is CRAP !!!!!!
Your a genius and i love you !
Geries Handal
August 1st, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Your very welcome! and thanks for your kind comments.
David
August 25th, 2010 at 1:05 am
Get your billion dollars yet?
Anyways, I have a cousin with this same error code issue for weeks now. She cannot log onto her MSN from any PC (Windows 7 at her home, nor other versions elsewhere.) I am attempting to help her, but she has already tried most of the info I have come across on the web so far regarding the error code, such as the one you posted here.
She can log on to her account through the WLM webpage, but not WLM itself. Her husband can log onto his account on the same PC. Are there any other tricks you might have heard of?
Geries Handal
August 25th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Hahaha I guess it will take some time to get those billion dollars.
If I understood correctly your cousin’s husban can log to WLM in the same computer. That is due WLM creating specific folders for each user that logs there. In the case of your cousin, one of her folders is the one that is giving problems, that is why her husband can log in. I’m guessing here since I dropped MSN from my computer long time ago.
For windows 7 try going to
\Users\[your cousins user]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\
and
\Users\[your cousins user]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\
and delete all the content in the Windows Live Messenger and MSN Messenger folders.
cheers
Leo
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Thanks! This worked, but time will tell if I’ll have to keep doing this over and over and over…