1. Check your Internet connection. Open Internet Explorer or other Internet application to see whether it is able to connect. If other software cannot establish a connection, the problem may be with your Internet service provider or modem. Try resetting your modem or calling your provider's technical support line.
2. Go to the Windows Update to verify you have the latest updates available for Internet Explorer. You should install any recommended updates and restart your computer before trying to login to Windows Live Messenger again.

3. Check that your firewall software is not blocking Windows Live Messenger. Go to the Windows Live Messenger firewall page for information on how to allow Windows Live Messenger through the most common types of firewalls.
4. Clear the DNS cache. Click 'Start,' then 'Run' and type 'cmd' into the box, without quotation marks). Type 'ipconfig /flushdns', without quotation marks, into the command box and click 'OK.' Type 'exit,' no quotation marks, and press 'Enter' to exit the command menu.
5. Remove any proxy settings to connect directly to the Messenger service. Click 'Tools,' then 'Options' with Windows Live Messenger open. Click 'Connection' from the left menu and choose 'Advanced Settings.' Delete any information in the 'SOCKS' field and click 'OK' twice to save the settings.
6. Re-register any security files that may be conflicting with Messenger. Click 'Start,' then 'Run' and type 'REGSVR32 softpub.dll initpki.dll wintrust.dll' without quotation marks. Click 'Enter' and wait for three pop-up menus to appear confirming the files were registered successfully.