# Can't log into MSN Instant Messenger with Vista

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-log-into-msn-instant-messenger-with-vista/482818>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 24, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-log-into-msn-instant-messenger-with-vista/482818 "2009-01-24T19:31:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LucyInDisguise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucyindisguise/32/18064_2.png) [@LucyInDisguise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyInDisguise)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-log-into-msn-instant-messenger-with-vista/482818/1 "2009-01-24T19:31:47Z")

</div>

Okay, I freely admit it.

I screwed up.

I bought my wife an Acer PC laptop for christmas 'cause she wanted a laptop and we didn’t really have enough cash to get the Mac I wanted to get her. So here I am, a dedicated Mac user trying to relearn windows.

Here’s the latest problem: I set up an account for instant messenger on the MSN webpage and downloaded the program. When I try to log in, I get a message saying I can’t log in because it is an old version of MSN Instant Messenger and I can’t upgrade until I log in as the administrator.

It can’t be an old version, I just down loaded the thing. And the only account on the machine is the admin, I am logged in as the admin, and I can’t see any way to get this thing working.

It’s been two years since I’ve had to deal with this … … stuff (and I think I’m being really civil about it in this post!) - can anybody tell me what’s wrong with this picture?

Browser = latest incarnation of Firefox  
Security = McAfee (most expensive top of the line includes everything needed to combat everything that is out there trying to take over the machine.)

Now I remember why I really learned to hate windows.

Thanks for your help. And your patience.

Lucy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-log-into-msn-instant-messenger-with-vista/482818/2 "2009-01-24T21:31:36Z")

</div>

The program you have is [Windows Live Messenger](http://messenger.live.com), right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LucyInDisguise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucyindisguise/32/18064_2.png) [@LucyInDisguise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyInDisguise)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-log-into-msn-instant-messenger-with-vista/482818/3 "2009-01-24T22:16:53Z")

</div>

> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> The program you have is [Windows Live Messenger](http://messenger.live.com), right?

Your link apparently can detect that I’m on a mac, so I had to go over on the wife’s laptop to get there. Seems that even though I had just downloaded the messenger, it was not, in fact the latest version …

Thanks for the link, I think I’ve got it up and working now.

Kudos.

Whooish me luck in PC land 😃

Lucy