Are you receiving the following error while trying to sign-in to Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger)?
You cannot use Windows Live Messenger at this time becasue your contact list is not available. Please try again later.
Click help to learn about your contact list.
Error Code: 81000378

Here is how to solve it:
Open windows host file with Notepad: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts
Add these 2 lines to the bottom:
65.54.239.80 messenger.hotmail.com
65.54.239.80 dp.msnmessenger.akadns.net
Save it and restart msn
Please do remember to remove these lines when the msn service gets back to normal.





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November 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
i can’t save the changes on “hosts”!!! what to do??? (answer asap emergency!!!)
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 am
hey thanks… adding the two host file entries helped
July 26th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Thanks a bunch. Just got a new computer. This fixed the problem for me!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Is all this cause by virus? Coz mine was fine all the while….and now this has happened for quite some time..and all my other colleague does not has any of these prob, that’s y i was wondering if this is due to virus…but my pc was alright all the while! I’m quite worried becoz my pc does not hv any back up…can some one help me???
July 24th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Is all this cause by virus? Coz mine was fine all the while….and now this has happened for quite some time..and all my other colleague does not has any of these prob, that’s y i was wondering if this is due to virus…but my pc was alright all the while! I’m quite worried becoz my pc does not hv any back up…can some one help me!!!!
July 19th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I’ve found away to use 7.5 without any complications….just go to compatibility mode and change it to windows2000. (C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger)…right mouse on the msnmsgr.exe and go to properties…..then choose the tab compatibility……Select “run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows200″!!
Its a work around so I don’t know what exactly will and will not work but you will beable to use msn!!!
AND maybe this will work also with the later version too?!?!??! 8.0….etc etc
GOOD LUCK!! And all the other solutions I’ve read didn’t work for me either :P
June 29th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
hi
your solution is work
thanks
June 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Mess2:You cannot use Windows Live Messenger at this time because your contract list is not available. Pleas try again later.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:32 am
I found these two following Problems:
Problem1:Error code:81000378
Problem2:Error code:81000306
So please help me out of these problems soon.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:28 am
I did try your all solution but after that i found same result. So i’ve mentioned as follows messages:
Mess1:Would you like to allow your contracts to send your mobile device?
Button: YES NO
Mess2:You cannot use Windows Live Messenger at this time because your contract list is not available. Pleas try again later.
Click Help to learn more about your contract list.
Error code:81000378
Button: OK Help
Please help me to get this solution asap.
Thanks and best regards
SHAKIL from Dhaka,Bangladesh.