Windows Live Messenger 2009 sign in problems Error Code: 80040154

The latest Windows Live Messenger 2009 seems to have problems right after installing, I downloaded and installed the offline installer package and it just wouldn't sign in.

If you get the Error Code: 80040154 it probably means that you have the same problem and you need to download this file called Contacts-ship-neutral.cab [Link is Broken, please see download links below] from microsoft and install it.

I think this is a part of Windows Live Communications and it was not included with the standalone messenger installer.

Download Link 1
Download Link 2

Use gmail id with Windows Live Messenger

You don't need a hotmail id to use Windows Live Messenger (MSN). With Windows Live you can create a new ID with any email address.

I stopped using hotmail a long time back, gmail was the next best thing to happen to email after hotmail more than 10 years back. But Microsoft's messenger is still the most widely used and cannot be compared to the simple featureless Google Talk. And many like me would have stopped using hotmail completely and keep their hotmail only for using MSN.

To use your Gmail id with MSN go here and register for a Windows Live ID, confirm your email (beware I found my confirmation email in Gmail's spam folder).
Once confirmed you can use your @gmail.com id and sign in to MSN messenger, add all your friends and get chatting.