Re latest update to Windows live Mail

Liz wrote:

My brother just installed the latest update for Windows Live Mail. Now
his contact list is empty.

In the prior version of WLM, was he using the contact list up on
Microsoft's server in his Hotmail account? Or was he using the local
contact list? WLM doesn't merge the two lists (local and remote lists).
You get to see one of them. Which one you see depends on whether you
configured WLM to log into your Live account (to use your Hotmail
contacts list).

So have your brother check if he is logging into his Live account. It's
a configuration setting in WLM. Whichever state his current WLM install
is in regarding login, have him switch to the other mode. If he is not
logging in, have him login to see if his contacts show up (which would
be coming from his Hotmail contacts). If he is logging in then he won't
see his local contacts list stored in WLM, so have him NOT login to see
that local list. Whatever he is doing regarding Live login within WLM,
have him try the opposite to see if contacts show up.

It's been awhile since I trialed WLM (and decided not to use it). I'm
stuck using (if I used it) the older version because I'm still back on
Windows XP. Microsoft requires a later version of Windows to get the
latest version of WLM. That WLM switches between client-side and
server-side contact lists (instead of merge a view of both lists) was
one of the first gotchas I encountered in WLM.

The mandatory version (for Vista/Win7 users) for all Windows Live Essentials
applications (Mail, Messenger, PhotoGallery, Movie Maker, Mesh, etc.) is
Windows Live Essentials QFE3 (15.4.3555.0308)

Apparently some users are experiencing the loss of the default (offline - no
Live ID signon - local contact list) after upgrading when using the 'upgrade
prompt' request generated by an earlier pre-QFE3 version hard-coded 'phone
home' version check.
e.g.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...65f592f272

Windows Live Mail provides two types of contacts.
- Default (offline, no Live ID, only local storage)
- Live ID (online, Live ID signon, local and server storage)

If only using the Default - ensure WLM is not signed in
- WLM blue button upper left/Options/Mail/Connections/Stop Signing in

If using Live ID contacts, ensure WLM is signed in to Windows Live
- WLM blue button upper left/Options/Mail/Connections/Stop Signing in

If neither of the above work then...at this stage only a few options are
available.
1. If Windows Backup is enabled restore the Default Contacts folder to a
previous version

2. Restore the entire system to an earlier backup image created by Windows
Backup or 3rd party software, ignore the program update request and use the
full version or web version installer. Links for each version stored on the
Microsoft server are available in the following blog article.
Windows Live Downloads
http://liveunplugged.wordpress.com/...version-2/

3. System Restore (may or may not work)

4. Import contacts from a previous saved exported contacts file (*.csv file
or *.Vcf files) to the default (local contact list)

For support on this issue visit the MSFT Answers forum for Windows Live
- The forum is the only method of support since no other form of support is
available (no email, no phone, no chat)

Installation Problems/Solutions:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/.../wlinstall
or
Contacts Problems/Solutions:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...rum/people

Note:
a. Your brother will need to sign on with a Live ID to ask for help. It
would be best for your brother to ask the question.
b. A Live ID is any Hotmail type account (hotmail.com, live.com, msn.com or
any 3rd party email address registered as Live ID)



...winston
msft mvp mail


"Liz" wrote in message news:js21g7$fu$

Can anyone suggest how to fix the following problem.
My brother just installed the latest update for Windows Live Mail.
Now his contact list is empty.
thank in advance for any assistance you can provide.
Liz.

Some folks are reporting their local contact list is no longer available
because it was moved to their Live ID side contacts.

...winston
msft mvp mail


"VanguardLH" wrote in message news:js24id$m1g$

Liz wrote:

My brother just installed the latest update for Windows Live Mail. Now
his contact list is empty.

In the prior version of WLM, was he using the contact list up on
Microsoft's server in his Hotmail account? Or was he using the local
contact list? WLM doesn't merge the two lists (local and remote lists).
You get to see one of them. Which one you see depends on whether you
configured WLM to log into your Live account (to use your Hotmail
contacts list).

So have your brother check if he is logging into his Live account. It's
a configuration setting in WLM. Whichever state his current WLM install
is in regarding login, have him switch to the other mode. If he is not
logging in, have him login to see if his contacts show up (which would
be coming from his Hotmail contacts). If he is logging in then he won't
see his local contacts list stored in WLM, so have him NOT login to see
that local list. Whatever he is doing regarding Live login within WLM,
have him try the opposite to see if contacts show up.

It's been awhile since I trialed WLM (and decided not to use it). I'm
stuck using (if I used it) the older version because I'm still back on
Windows XP. Microsoft requires a later version of Windows to get the
latest version of WLM. That WLM switches between client-side and
server-side contact lists (instead of merge a view of both lists) was
one of the first gotchas I encountered in WLM.

...winston wrote:

Some folks are reporting their local contact list is no longer available
because it was moved to their Live ID side contacts.

They MOVED them? Argh!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess you will be online synchronized whether you want it or not. Doh!

Can't see how this could happen for users that don't have a Live ID
(Hotmail) account or never configured WLM with that login info. So
maybe it's happening for WLM users that configure WLM to login to their
Live account.

I had the same nuisance with YMax and their magicJack softphone (for
VOIP calling). One day they updated (which is always forced) their
softphone so all my contacts had to be on their server. They didn't
move them but just mandated the contacts be online. When I noticed the
problem was when all my contacts disappeared. I had figured out how to
setup a dongleless config with them (so I didn't need their USB dongle
which always had and still has problems). I could copy my contacts from
their emulated CD drive (flash memory inside their dongle) into a folder
on my hard disk and use command-line parameters to their softphone to
look for contacts in that folder. The dongle wasn't needed anymore -
until they upgraded their softphone to download contacts from my
account. Okay, so I had to manually enter all my contacts in my account
by web browsing there but I could still run dongleless - until they
again changed their softphone to search for the dongle and refuse to
load if it couldn't find the dongle. So I had to go back to a dongled
setup. Bastards.

What the moving of contacts up to Live account a deliberate action by
Microsoft or an accident?

Thank you for your help.
Liz.
"VanguardLH" wrote in message
news:js24id$m1g$

Liz wrote:

My brother just installed the latest update for Windows Live Mail. Now
his contact list is empty.

In the prior version of WLM, was he using the contact list up on
Microsoft's server in his Hotmail account? Or was he using the local
contact list? WLM doesn't merge the two lists (local and remote lists).
You get to see one of them. Which one you see depends on whether you
configured WLM to log into your Live account (to use your Hotmail
contacts list).

So have your brother check if he is logging into his Live account. It's
a configuration setting in WLM. Whichever state his current WLM install
is in regarding login, have him switch to the other mode. If he is not
logging in, have him login to see if his contacts show up (which would
be coming from his Hotmail contacts). If he is logging in then he won't
see his local contacts list stored in WLM, so have him NOT login to see
that local list. Whatever he is doing regarding Live login within WLM,
have him try the opposite to see if contacts show up.

It's been awhile since I trialed WLM (and decided not to use it). I'm
stuck using (if I used it) the older version because I'm still back on
Windows XP. Microsoft requires a later version of Windows to get the
latest version of WLM. That WLM switches between client-side and
server-side contact lists (instead of merge a view of both lists) was
one of the first gotchas I encountered in WLM.