PC can't login to .NET Messenger service

[Chris]

We're in the middle of our Windows Messenger 5.0 (build 5.0.0381)
deployment. Users are connecting to both Exchange IM and the .NET Messenger
service. It's going well; however, one WinXP (SP1) PC refuses to connect to
..NET. When the user attempts to login, he gets the following message:

"Signing in to .NET Messenger Service failed because the password is
incorrect or the sign-in name does not exist. If you have forgotten your
password, click Help in the main window, and then click Help Topics. Retry.
Cancel."

The PC connects to EXIM fine.

I've sat down at his PC and entered my own .NET credentials; they fail, too.
Back on my PC (running the same build of both WinXP and WM5), I can log on
with my own .NET credentials. I can also log on with the user's .NET
credentials.

I've compared all of the files in the PC's C:\Program Files\Messenger with
my own; they match. Nothing seems amiss in the registry--in
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\MessengerService,
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger, and
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\MessengerService.

No third-party firewall software is installed.

What else can I do to try to resolve this?

 

[Chris]

bump

 

[Chris]

Using a different WinXP PC on the same network connection, I was able to
login to the .NET Messenger service successfully--so the problem is
exclusive to the original WinXP PC.

In addition to de-selecting and then selecting Windows Messenger (in
Add/Remove Windows Components), I also deleted the entire C:\Program
Files\Messenger directory and HKCU/HKLM Messenger/MessengerService registry
keys (making backups of everything first, of course!) and then re-installed
Windows Messenger 5.0. No change.

Any other suggestions?

Chris

 

[Chris]

I created a new user profile for the user, but he *still* cannot login to
the .NET Messenger service with that one .NET account. He can login using
other .NET accounts, including my own .NET account.

I logged in to this same PC for the first time--so it is using a new user
profile, too. I can login to the problematic .NET account without
difficulty.

Some kind of weird conflict for just this user.

I give up. I had him abandon that established .NET account and had him
create a new one. BIZARRE!

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi Chris,

Sounds like you tried just about everything I would've thought of -- if it happens again,
post again.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com