Microsoft Security Essentials and Live Mail

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

Microsoft Security Essentials did an automatic update; when it was done, Windows Live Mail was effected. 

While there might have been an almost simultaneous update to MSE, the update that's causing you grief is to Windows Live Essentials, a different animal altogether.

I finally did a System Restore to the day before the update in order to get my contact list back, but I'm afraid if it tries to run that upgrade again the same thing will happen?

1. Export your default contacts list (when not signed in) to VCF.
2. Open Windows Contacts and import the VCF files.
3. Install the update manually from either Windows Live Essentials Home or Install Windows Live Essentials while offline
4. If the default contacts are missing, import them using the Address book for current Windows user option.

If you normally sign in in WLMail, and if you have the account you sign in with also as a mail account using HTTP, you may be able to restore contacts functionality if it's still missing after the update:

1. Click the right-most button on the ribbon and select Sign out of Windows Live Mail.
2. Click Work offline.
3. Right-click on the account name in the folder pane and select Remove account. Read the warning message and act on it if necessary before proceeding.
4. Close down WLMail and wait a few minutes.
5. Start WLMail and press Ctrl-Shift-T to launch the Add your email accounts wizard. Enter your address, password and display name and complete the wizard.
6. You may be prompted to Go online or Sign in. Do both. Once your account has synchronized, you should have your messages and contacts back.

Please let us know what happened. I'm particularly keen to hear what you saw at point (6).

Noel

Wow!  I begin to wonder if I should even try this.  However, after I did the System Restore and got my Contacts back, I did back them up again, which I had not done for several months, so I do have them in case this thing explodes.

I think I'm going to print these instructions and try this over the weekend, and then I'll let you know.

Thanks so much for the help.

c