Hi - thanks reading this. My MSN Messenger does not recognise whether I am online or not. Even when I connect to my ISP it will still not connect and I continue to get the following error message; "Signing into MSN Messenger Service Failed because the service could not be found. Please make sure that you are connected to the internet." Can anyone suggest anything? I have tried; 1) Setting up a new passport id/password 2) Un-installing and reloading the software 3) I have the latest release. 4) I have tried connecting to MSN Messenger via another ISP. I have a Win98 PC and my normal ISP is AOL. Thanks, Stuart.

You need to establish a passbook account. Just open a Hotmail e-mail account (you don't have to use it) and use that sign in and password for the MSN messanger. Should work. LOL

I agree with Clark, but on the hotmail account you must log in once after creating the account or they will de-activate it. Also you must log into it once every 60 days or they will declare it in-active. After 6 months they will close it. Logging into the MSN messenger does not count as logging into your account. This much I do know. I have 7 hotmail accounts that I can remember the user names/passwords to so I can check them. But the hotmail account should solve your problem. The MSN messenger program only recognizes hotmail and passport accounts so if you don't have either of those MSN won't work even if you are on line. The program cannot see your ISP, just hotmail or passport.

I have very limited knowledge or should I say almost zero, but wasn't there and issue sometime back regarding AOL and MSN incompatability of messenger services, not joining to use each others.This may not have anything to do with what you are experiencing but it sure does make one wonder. You use AOL yet want to use MSN messenger and cannot get correct logins etc.Well the above folks know what they are talking about sorry to bother anyone. I am curious, you have AOL which provides a messenger service but you don't use it?

To JohnT: I have AOL, MSN, and Yahoo instant messengers on my computer and yes have had all 3 going at the same time. No incompatibilities with them. But I can share a secret with you. You were saying about using AOL but not liking their messenger service. Well I have seen it, and it isn't much worth desiring to use. But here is my trick: I run the Netscape browser, but the Netscape browser, no matter how well they update it, never includes the current version of the AOL instant messenger. So I do a little browser editing. After installing my Netscape browser I go to start/find/files and type in AOL. Then delete everything in the find box. Then I repeat the process for AIM. After doing that I install the program: aim95.exe that is in my download folder. The default install location replaces the Netscape messenger with the AOL messenger. So I guess what I am trying to say is everyone has a preference to what they like to use. And some will go to extremes to get what they want. Hope this satisfies your curiousity.

Thanks guys but I use MSN Messenger at work so I know my Hotmail account works fine. I was using MSN Messenger on a regular basis on this PC before, without any problems and now it just does not work! Its a real pain because all my friends us MSN Messenger now after I got them to use it!! Stuart

I am having the close to the same problem as Stuart up at the very top. I have a cable modem connection. My msn messenger was working fine about a month ago and now I can log in and use it, but if it is idle for a while it won't say anything. It has the same stuff on it (users, my status) but when I click on it to send an im or to change status..it will give me: "Signing into MSN Messenger Service Failed because the service could not be found. Please make sure that you are connected to the internet." I have tried: 1) Setting up a new passport id/password 2) Un-installing and reloading the software 3) I have the latest release. any suggestions?????????