Yahoo Messenger can't sign in - Unable to Connect to Yahoo Messenger

If you are having trouble signing into Yahoo Messenger you should read this article for some Tips and Tricks to get signed in.

There are a couple of things you will want to check first as they are common causes for being unable to sign in.

1) Make sure your internet is working. The easiest way to do this is by trying to visit other websites. After you have tried to visit some websites(it is best to test sites you have never been to before) and you confirm your internet is working but still unable to sign in, then continue to the other tips.

If you can't connect to other websites, you can read my tech article on Resolving Internet Connectivity Issues - "Can't connect to the Internet"

2) Sometimes, Yahoo Messenger will be down completely for everybody on a global level. This can be caused by problems Yahoo may be having or just general technical maintenance. Your only option if this is the case is to wait until it is over. You can confirm the Yahoo Messenger status at the Yahoo Messenger Support page.

If none of the above are the issue then continue below with Advanced steps
1) This tip is a recommendation from Yahoo Tech Support

1. Click the "Messenger" menu in Yahoo! Messenger and select "Connection Preferences."
2. Enable the "Firewall with no proxies" option.
3. Select the correct Internet connection type and country from the pull-down menus.
4. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window.
5. Yahoo! Messenger will ask you if you want to sign in again with your new proxy settings. Click the "OK" button.
6. Enter your Yahoo! ID and password and click the "Sign In" button.





The above configuration works in most situations. (However, if you connect in this way, you won't be able to use the Voice feature.) If this configuration doesn't work, follow these steps:

1. Click the "Messenger" menu in Yahoo! Messenger and select "Connection Preferences."
2. Enable the "No network detection" option and then click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window.
3. Yahoo! Messenger will ask you if you want to sign in again with your new proxy settings. Click the "OK" button.
4. Enter your Yahoo! ID and password and click the "Sign In" button.

If neither of the above options work, you're probably behind a firewall or proxy server that requires you to enter its address. Follow these steps:

1. Click the "Messenger" menu in Yahoo! Messenger and select "Connection Preferences."
2. Enable the "Use proxies" option.
3. Enter your firewall or proxy server's address and port number. Contact your network administrator (if you're at work), or your Internet service provider (if you're at home) to determine the correct firewall and proxy settings.
4. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window.
5. Yahoo! Messenger will ask you if you want to sign in with your new proxy settings. Click the "OK" button.
6. Enter your Yahoo! ID and password and click the "Sign In" button.


2) In some cases you may have a local firewall or anti virus program that is blocking Yahoo Messenger or causing connectivity issues with it. You can try to disable any Firewalls you have and Anti Virus programs and see if you can now sign in. If so, then you will probably need to add exceptions in your firewall or anti virus program to allow Yahoo Messenger. If you need assistance with this step you will need to reach out directly to the company that makes the software. A google search by the application name or company name will bring you to the website where you can find help and contact information.

3) I have worked in Technical Support for many years and a simple but often overlooked step that works is to unistall or reinstall the program. There can be any number of causes for Yahoo Messenger program files to be corrupted or lost. A simple reinstall of Yahoo Messenger can get you back up and running. The best way to do this is through Control Panel in Windows.
-Go to Control Panel > Add and Remove Programs and find Yahoo Messenger in the program list.
-Click unistall and once removed go ahead and reboot your computer.
-Once rebooted, download Yahoo Messenger and install. Click here for the files.
-Once installed, reboot your computer again.
-Once rebooted try to launch Messenger and see if you can sign in.

4) At this point, if you have exhausted all the above steps, I recommend you contact Yahoo Messenger Tech Support directly. Click here for Tech Support.

I hope my article was informative. Check out some of my other Tips and Tricks by clicking on my Username at the top of this article and then going to "Tips" under my profile.

Regards,
G33k





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