Chatting by using Windows Messenger - Part 2: Registering for Windows Messenger

This article is Part 2 of the Chatting by using Windows Messenger guide. This part explains how to register for Microsoft Windows Messenger.

To view the other topics of the Chatting by using Windows Messenger guide, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that are listed in the "References" section.

The Chatting by using Windows Messenger guide includes the following topics:

Part 2: Registering for Windows Messenger

To receive messages, you and your contacts must be registered on the Windows Messenger server. You can then see the contacts who are online, the contacts who do not want to be disturbed, and the contacts who are not currently logged in.

To register for Windows Messenger, you must have a Passport Network account. (This account consists of an e-mail address and password.) Without this account, you cannot use Windows Messenger. It is very easy to create this account.

How to create a Passport Network account

1. Start Windows Messenger. To do this, click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Messenger.
2. Click Click here to sign in.
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3. Select the .NET Messaging Service option, and then click OK.
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4. The .NET Passport Wizard opens automatically. Click Next.
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5. Select the No, sign me up for a free MSN Hotmail e-mail address option, and then click Next.
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6. Verify that you are connected to the Internet, and then click Next again.
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7. You can now register by using Hotmail and the Passport Network account. Enter your profile information and your account information.
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8. Your registration must be checked for security reasons. Type the characters that you see in the picture in the corresponding field.
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9. Review all the agreements and the statements, and then click I accept.
10. Registration is now completed. Click Continue.
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11. You can now associate your Passport Network account with your Windows user account. This step makes it easier to sign in later. Click to select the check box if it is not already selected, and then click Next.
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12. Click Finish.
13. Windows Messenger signs you in automatically. Your online status is displayed.
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How to sign in again later

As soon as you have set up your account, it is very easy to sign in to Windows Messenger. Just start Windows Messenger. It will sign you in automatically.

If you decided not to associate your Passport account with your user account, as described in step 11, the sign-in procedure is slightly different.

1. Start Windows Messenger.
2. Click Click here to sign in.
3. Click .NET Messenger Service, and then click OK.
4. Type your e-mail address and password, and then click OK.
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For more information about this topic, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: This article is a translation from German. Any subsequent changes or additions to the original German article may not be reflected in this translation. The information that is contained in this article is based on the German-language versions of this product. The accuracy of this information relative to other language versions of this product is not tested in the framework of this translation. Microsoft makes this information available without warranty of its accuracy or functionality and without warranty of the completeness or accuracy of the translation.