Windows Live Messenger won't let me play games or have a sharing folder!?

Whenever somebody invites me to play a game, it says "Windows Live Messenger is currently unable to start this program. Please try again later." When I try to start one, it says the list is unavailable. And I don't even have an option for sharing folders anywhere. I'm sure I have the latest version of WLM. Someone help?

Windows Live Messenger won't let me play games or have a sharing folder!?microsoft money

It's possible there was a glitch in the original download and that's why you're having problems. I'd suggest you uninstall what's on your computer and then reinstall. Use the instructions in this Microsoft article, specifically Step 8:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938275/e...

You could use the link at the bottom of Step 8 to reinstall WLM but I'd suggest using the Microsoft download site for only WLM. The latest version is 8.1 and can be downloaded here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...

Something to keep in mind is the confusing way Microsoft has chosen to name various components. In addition to WLM there's Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger (replaced by WLM), and Windows Messenger Service. It's possible you installed one of these other components. If so, you could use this article to uninstall:

http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_uninstall_wi...

If you still have problems, Microsoft has this help site. Your best bet might be to post a question on the user forum. Expecting a reply from Microsoft is kinda like expecting to win the powerball lottery ... slim to not at all :-)

http://help.live.com/EN_US/HelpWindow_ms...

wwbgd