There was an error when attempting to connect to the Windows Live Calendar service

Anonymous
2013-05-01T01:36:54+00:00

"There was an error when attempting to connect to the Windows Live Calendar service. If the error persists, check to see if there's an upgrade of Windows Live Mail available or contact a service representative."

I am running W7 and WLM has been working fine up until this afternoon when it decided that I was not online, would not let me go online and would not allow me to reliably send or receive my email. I repaired the WLM installation and restarted my computer but this problem persists. an occasional Connecting has been hit and miss and I received the error message above. I never use the Calendar service so I don't understand what is going on. I rely on reliable email and help would be deeply appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Windows for home | Other | Email and communications

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Anonymous
2013-05-01T08:58:30+00:00

... it decided that I was not online, would not let me go online ...

It sounds as if something (a third-party browser, for example) has set the GlobalUserOffline registry value to True. With Windows Live Mail closed, launch Internet Explorer and press Alt-F to open the File menu. If Work offline is selected, click it to deselect it. If it's not selected, select it, wait a moment then deselect it. 

Now try to launch Windows Live Mail again. Do you get the same error?

EDIT 1 May 2016

In 2013, this was a common error caused by interference from third-party browsers. This interference has been dealt with on recent versions of Windows (7, 8.1 and 10) so the cause of the error is now likely to be a different one. This answer no longer applies, except perhaps on XP and Vista.

Please see this wiki article for a likely explanation of the error currently being experienced by many users:**Error when attempting to connect to the Windows Live Calendar service**

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-05-16T20:06:20+00:00

    I was not using Internet Explorer. I use Google Chrome which does not have such a setting. However, strangely this suggestion worked. I did open IE, and since work offline was not selected I selected Work offline. Tried Windows live. It did not work. I closed Windows Live.  I then went back to IE and deselected Work offline. This time Windows Live worked. I find that bizarre.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-05-16T20:47:48+00:00

    It doesn't make any difference which browser you use. This is a Windows setting which WLMail should be able to change. It seems to lose that ability in some situations, I think when IE10 is installed after installing a third-party browser. The only way to change the setting short of editing the registry is to use the option in IE's file menu.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-06-26T04:14:17+00:00

    A BIG thank you, Noel, no-one could help me - I have been desperate, but this tactic worked!

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-07-15T12:31:45+00:00

    I'd like to add a BIG thank-you to.  For some reason or other, IE10 - which I don't use, as I use Chrome instead - had decided to revert to 'Offline Mode'.  Went into IE10 and unchecked and 'Live Mail' back working fine.

    Over recent months can't say I've been too impressed with 'Live Mail' since moving over to WIN7..I much preferred 'Outlook' (not Express) under 'XP'.  I've had many niggling faults, and I think it's time I looked at installing and using a different offline email client!

    Thanks again,

    Graham

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