Getting Connected

To launch Windows Messenger and sign in to the service, follow these steps:

1.	Click the Start button and select All Programs, Windows Messenger.
2.	When Windows Messenger opens, click the Click Here To Sign In link. (After you've initially signed in, you won't have to repeat the sign-in process.)
3.	When the .NET Messenger Service dialog box appears, enter your Passport (Hotmail) e-mail address and password, check the Sign Me In Automatically option, then click OK.

That's it. You're now signed in and logged in and connected to the service. You can now send messages to other users, or receive messages from other users.

Be aware that closing the Windows Messenger program does not sign you out of the service. Messenger stays running in the background, looking for messages and alerts, even when it's closed. Unless, that is, you manually sign out by selecting File, Sign Out. (You can also click the Windows Messenger icon in the Windows taskbar, and then click Sign Out from the pop-up menu.)