Windows Live Essentials installation is such a pain in the ***.

[Alexander Moore]

Need help reinstalling Windows Live Messenger.

Not sure if normal discussion, non-question threads are allowed, but...

Seriously, Windows Live Essentials is such a hassle to install / uninstall / reinstall.

When I went to delete Messenger to attempt a re-install, it wasn't listed in add or remove programs, so then I had to go delete the folder in Program Files x86.

Then I had issues with the Windows Live Essentials thinking it was still installed. Even CCleaner wasn't enough to get rid of whatever it was tricking the installer into thinking it still existed.

In the end, it took a long time of browsing forums and so forth until I had to use third party tools to get it to work. People have had to develop their own dedicated tools for this specific problem.

Seriously, Microsoft, the creators of the Windows OS, and one of the most established companies in the world, should not have such crappy problems. I'm so annoyed that I actually had to rant somewhere about it.

But, for future reference, is there any more simple way of repairing MSN without going through all this again?

If anyone here knows anyone that has anything to do with the development of Live Messenger : Pass this info up. It's seriously a headache to deal with. I love the features of the programs themselves - the Essentials Antivirus is enough to protect anyone's computer (who won't download dumb crap) and messenger is good (except blocking people in nearly impossible now). It's just the installation that's so...crap, really. You shouldn't be nearly forced to do a system restore just to reinstall a single program.

Edit : Okay, so ACTUALLY it still doesn't work. Wow. Nothing I've done so far has gotten MSN reinstalled and working. I'm annoyed.

Help please. Otherwise I'll just have to forget about it entirely.

In add / remove programs, now Windows Live Messenger or Essentials or anything of the sort is even listed at all.

 

[Brink]

Hello Alexander,

It's really not so hard to do once you know how. The tutorial below can help show you how to uninstall any one or more of the Windows Essentials programs.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/258930-windows-essentials-uninstall-one-more-programs.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Alexander Moore]

Windows Essentials 2012 does not exist in the add/remove programs list.

 

[Brink]

Is Windows Live Essentials there?

If not, then run the wlsetup-all.exe file from Microsoft below again to repair the full installation. Afterwards, go to Programs and Features, and look for either Windows Live Essentials (old) or Windows Essentials (new 2012) to uninstall what you want.

http://g.live.com/1rewlive4-all/en/wlsetup-all.exe

 

[Alexander Moore]

I already had 2012 installed and then uninstalled it because I immediately had an issue running it.

With the installer you just sent me, I just get an error reading "A newer version is already installed" and it closes.

I will tell you that the 2012 installer does nothing when used. Just says it's already installed. Does not give me any repair options.

 

[Brink]

Have you already tried the full installer for the 2012 below?

http://g.live.com/1rewlive5-all/en/wlsetup-all.exe

 

[Alexander Moore]

Yes. No repair options given. Only the option to install programs in the Windows Live Essentials bundle that I haven't already downloaded.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, sounds like somethinig went screwy somewhere. May have needed to delete the registry entries using the tutorial below instead for the installer to work properly again afterwards.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/102788-windows-live-messenger-manually-uninstall.html

 

[Alexander Moore]

Windows Live Essentials is not listed in Programs and Features.

CCleaner has already been run but doesn't fix anything.

I opened Regedit and found some entries with Messenger in the names, but they weren't exactly what that tutorual said to look for. When attempting to delete them, it just gave an error saying it can't be deleted due to an error.

Edit : At this point, it might be best to just get remote assistance. Could you do that?

 

[Brink]

Sorry, but all help needs to be posted on the site instead.

If you like, merge the REG file below and restart the computer to see if that may help with Messenger. It will remove registry entries for Messenger to hopefully allow it to be installed again afterwards if you like.

View attachment Delete_Messenger_Registry.reg

 

[Alexander Moore]

I was finally able to reinstall it, but now it won't run because "wldlog.dll is not installed on this computer".

 

[Alexander Moore]

This is getting so complex that it's starting to not look worth bothering with...

 

[Brink]

Did you do a full install of all Windows Essentials programs?

The wldlog.dll file should be here: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Shared\wldlog.dll"

 

[Alexander Moore]

No, I didn't. I only install messenger because messenger is the only thing I will use.

I deleted it manually during the last uninstallation it seems.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, manually deleting files like that sure can cause issues.

Go ahead and install the full set of programs to see if it may also add this file during the installation. You can always uninstall them later.

If not, then you might go into Programs and Features, click on "Windows Essentials", and do the repair option to see if that may be able to fix it.

 

[Alexander Moore]

Even now that they're installed, it doesn't appear in the programs list.

It seems that UXCore.dll is also missing.