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Windows Live Messenger may not be repaired during the reinstallation of Messenger

Article ID: 944444 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

You receive a message that states that you should reinstall Windows Live Messenger 8.5 because some .dll files or other required files are "bad" or missing (unlinked). But after you reinstall Windows Live Messenger and restart the computer, you receive the same message and Windows Live Messenger still does not start.

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CAUSE

When you ran the Setup program to reinstall Windows Live Messenger, the repair function was not triggered. Therefore, the missing .dll files or other required files were not re-created.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, you must repair Windows Live Messenger. To do this, follow the steps for your operating system:

Windows Vista
1. Click Start
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  , and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Classic View.
3. Double-click Programs and Features.
4. In the List of Programs, select Windows Live Messenger.
5. Right-click and select Repair.
Windows XP SP2
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Classic View.
3. Select Add or Remove Programs.
4. In the List of Programs, select Windows Live Messenger.
5. Click Change, and then click Repair.