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Soon after I downloaded the Windows Service Pack 2, I have had trouble signing into MSN Explorer, MSN Messenger, MSN Groups & MSN Hotmail.

Nutshell, anything MSN related that requires me to sign in.

I run AdAware and Spybot regularly, especially after my desktop was hijacked recently.

Please advise on what course of action should I take.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. :)

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Summary / context: after installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 the OP () reported that any MSN sign‑in (MSN Explorer, Messenger, Hotmail/Passport) failed on one PC only; AdAware/Spybot had been run after a recent desktop hijack and later posted an external fix link. The checklist below collects the most reliable, local fixes that typically solve a single‑PC sign‑in problem (ordered by quick checks first, then deeper repairs).

Quick local checks (hosts/proxy/cache)

  • Verify system date/time — certificate‑based sign‑ins will fail if the clock is wrong.
  • Confirm Internet Explorer proxy/LAN settings are not hijacked: Tools → Internet Options → Connections → LAN settings. Malware often sets a bogus proxy that prevents Passport/MSN sign‑in. (support.microsoft.com)
  • Inspect the hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) for suspicious entries redirecting msn, passport, hotmail, or msn.com; reset it to the default if altered (backup the file first). (support.microsoft.com)
  • Clear IE cookies/temp files or reset IE to defaults (cached credentials or broken cookies can loop sign‑in pages).

Network stack and firewall

  • SP2 turns up built‑in firewall/security behavior that can block applications until they are explicitly allowed; check Windows Firewall and any third‑party firewall and add exceptions for MSN/Messenger. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • MSN Messenger normally uses TCP port 1863 (and falls back to HTTP ports such as 80); ensure those outbound ports/HTTP are not blocked. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • When the TCP/IP stack or Winsock/LSPs are damaged (common after hijacks), perform these command‑line repairs and then restart the PC:
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt
ipconfig /flushdns

These commands reset Winsock and TCP/IP and often restore app sign‑ins. (learn.microsoft.com)

Deeper fixes and cleanup

  • Re‑register the cryptographic/security DLLs used for SSL/certificate validation if secure sign‑in components appear broken (examples often recommended: softpub.dll, wintrust.dll, initpki.dll, mssip32.dll via regsvr32). Back up the system and run these only as admin. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • After hosts/proxy/Winsock fixes, run a full, up‑to‑date anti‑malware scan (use current tools rather than dated definitions), and keep a clean restore point before making major changes.
  • If the above still fails, repairing or reinstalling the MSN client or using System Restore to a point before the hijack are reasonable final steps.

Note: ’s thread posts confirm the problem was local to one PC and that a third‑party article ultimately fixed the OP’s machine; the checklist above covers the common causes (proxy/hosts redirection, firewall/app ports, LSP/Winsock corruption, and corrupted crypto DLLs) and provides safe, Microsoft‑documented repair commands and references for each core action. (support.microsoft.com)

Member Avatar for Vixey69

Please Guys, I have browsed through the forums trying to locate posts with a similar problem as mine. And although I have found some but I can't seem to find replies that elaborates on how to go about rectifying it. And neither can I find posts from the people who had the same problem, say that its ok now and what they did to make it ok.

I have found out that its not an MSN problem as my hubby can access my hotmail account from his PC. Its MSN users on one particular PC here that is having problems.

Please can someone help? Anyone who has gone through something similar, please share what you did to rectify the problem. Please. :cry:

Member Avatar for Vixey69

Never mind guys. Got help elsewhere. If anyone else has this problem, please contact me and I will gladly share what I did.

:D

Member Avatar for Vixey69

Got alot of emails requesting how I got over this problem. This is what helped me, hope it does the same for you!

MSN Problems

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