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Me and my friend have just got a network of two computers working. We are connected through NTL cable broadband and had to buy an ethernet switcher to get it to work.

Now that it IS working... MSN 7.0 won't. Period. When it logs in, it instantly crashes and goes non-responsive. Neither of us can log into MSN 7.0, but the in built MSN messenger provided with Windows XP works fine. It's just that MSN 7.0 won't work.

Can anyone think of any suggestions to help?

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Dani AI

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Brief, practical troubleshooting (adds to 's suggestion about connection settings and addresses 's hang-on-connect symptom).

  1. Quick isolation steps (fastest checks)
  • Close any built-in Windows Messenger instance (Task Manager → kill msmsgs.exe) so only MSN 7.0 runs.
  • Temporarily disable any firewall/antivirus (Windows Firewall or third‑party) and test. Re-enable immediately after the test.
  • Verify proxy/IE settings: Internet Explorer → Tools → Internet Options → Connections → LAN Settings — make sure no unnecessary proxy is set (MSN uses IE proxy settings).
  1. If it still hangs, try these in order

  • Rename the local Messenger cache (resets local settings and cache):

    rename "C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Messenger" Messenger.old

  • Reset Winsock and check system files:

    netsh winsock reset
sfc /scannow

  • Create a new Windows user and test signing in there (isolates per‑profile corruption).

  1. Check logs and common causes
  • Use Event Viewer (Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Event Viewer → Application log) and look for errors referencing msnmsgr.exe or a faulting DLL; the faulting module and exception code will point to whether the crash is a corrupt local file, a driver, or an add‑on.
  • Typical culprits: third‑party firewalls or network utilities, corrupted local Messenger files, IE/proxy misconfiguration, or Winsock corruption. MSN sign‑in commonly uses TCP port 1863, so ensure outbound access is allowed.
  1. Last resort
  • Uninstall MSN 7.0, reboot, then install a fresh copy (keep a backup of custom emoticons/history). If available, try a newer MSN build or the Windows Messenger alternative.

These steps prioritize non‑destructive tests first (firewall/proxy/profile) and escalate to resets/reinstall only if needed.

Member Avatar for StandardsDT

Me and my friend have just got a network of two computers working. We are connected through NTL cable broadband and had to buy an ethernet switcher to get it to work.

Now that it IS working... MSN 7.0 won't. Period. When it logs in, it instantly crashes and goes non-responsive. Neither of us can log into MSN 7.0, but the in built MSN messenger provided with Windows XP works fine. It's just that MSN 7.0 won't work.

Can anyone think of any suggestions to help?

do you mean that when running msn 7.0 it just crashes all together as in the program crashes and the window dissappears or it gives you an error message saying it cant connect? be sure to check your connection settings in msn 7.0 to make sure it is set up for a lan connection. more info is needed though in order to help you out.

- Dave

Member Avatar for Kikoskia

Right. When I open it up, it claims to log in. But as SOON as it 'connects' it crashes. When i say crashes, I mean it goes onto 'not respsonding'.

And how do you configure it for LAN usage?

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