WLM Sound/essentials issue

Hi There,

I am running Windows 7 starter on my acer aspire one netbook.

Recently I have noticeda problem with WLM on my computer and investigating the problem has only revealed another problem.

First of all, winodws recently updated with the new windows live essentials 2011 update. When i ran windows live mail and msn after this update I couldn't stand what had been done to my programs because they were now more bulky, had more crap on them in terms of adds and junk, a bunch more useless features I never wanted in the first place etc. Needless to say everytime Microsoft "updates" these programs it is more like a downgrade and they make the programs worse and much less user freindly.

So to undo this "update" I ran a system restore to restore the older but better versions on my programs. This seemed to work fine without problems....or so I thought at first. I noticed recently none of WLM's sounds were working. I checked the options in the program to make sure I did not have "mute all sounds" checked. It was not checked. I checked individual contacts to make sure I hadn't turned off the sounds for them, but everything was set correctly. The I realized that all the default sounds were missing, but the other sounds "alien, band intro... etc" all worked when I clicked the little play button next to them. The default sounds did not playwhen the button was clicked, and unlike the other sounds did not have a red x next to it to remove the sound from the library or a length of the sound clip either.

So after doing some heavy net searching to try and find out where these sound files should be located on my computer I came up with nothing at all. No one on the net seems to know where these sound files are stored on windows 7. I have looked in program files/window live/messenger, no sound files, which would seem the most obvioius spot and I have checked a few other file folders as well but with no luck. I also trieda file search using the words "alien, band intro...etc" of my whole computer which also turned up nothing. But the files have to be there somewhere or when I clicked play they wouldn'thave worked and made sound at all.

One thing suggested online was to go to control pannel and the programs list and select windows live essentials off the list and click repair. Well, I don't get a repair button, I get uninstall/change, which as I discovered also does nothing when I click on it with windows live essentials highlighted.

So it seems that a) I do not have the default sound files for wlm, they are missing and even though I have found sites to download the sounds from, no one can tell me where to install them to anyway. b) I can't modify or uninstall windows live essnetials at present or replair it without upgrading it via windows update to the new horrid versions that started this whole mess to begin with. I can't even find the old version for download anywhere to attempt to reinstall over it.

So what I am wondering is a) Does anyone know where the wlm default sound files are stored in windows 7 starter? b) how do I fix the issue of uninstall/change repair in the prgrams list without having to downgrade to the new crappy version of essentials? c) Why did system restore screw things up instead of fix it like it's supposed to?

Do anyone have any solutions for me (that do not involve installing the new version of essentials)?

Sttill having this issue, would appreciate some help please, even if it's just where to look for the default sound files.