how the heck did you do that?!?

try searching for a .ctt file on your HD. It's the file extension of MSN messenger contact list. You never know.

I thought that MSN kept the contacts on the server...

MSN crashed and when it returned the list was gone. I have no CTT files on my hard drive.

hey that happened to me too! A while ago - it sucks. If you log onto another pc (for example work) it sometimes comes back.

i love microsoft.

Ouch. I lost my complete ICQ list when I went to Venezuela (account got corrupted somehow).

I was able to get back most of the numbers by scanning through the DB files with a text editor.. (the majority of it was unreadable, but there was a number ever few pages..). You might try doing something like that if you're really desperate to get the people back...

Or actually, if you're still able to log in on the same account, just change you name to 'CONTACT LIST LOST - MSG ME' or something like that...

Yeah, I can still log in. Message me if you see me online. Thanks.

I may have figured out a way.

I found a registry key that contains a cache of the messenger list in Hex. But if you export then it's in ASCII.

All the info is at home...i'll email ya the details.

But basically, it's sorted by contact. Last night I was trying to write a VB just for you! .. but I fell asleep :-P

Basically I wanted to extract the email address, find the string "@hotmail" in hex and then read the username.

The .ctt file is actually XML. So after ripping the usernames from the exported registry key, the app should then generate an .ctt file (really XML) with all the neccessary formatting and then you would just import it in Messenger! Et Viola!

... or you can cut-and-paste the email address by hand from the exported reg key. Simpler.

I know...I can be sooooo nerdy at times.

Here is the reg key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MessengerService\ListCache\.NET Messenger Service

Can anyone confirm they also have this key on Windows XP?

Way to go Roy.

I can confirm that I have this key on Windows XP.

Excellent. You're the second person to confirm it :-)

yup.....i just signed into my msn account...i have no contacts either. how normal is this? do i need to change my passwords and stuff?

I lost mine too and I didn't manage to find the registry(W2K). Any way to have it back?

My contact list seemed gone even from the privacy tab of msn, but I accidentally found one easy solution, which takes a bit of time but no effort.
You just need to login and wait, then will see bunch of messages asking if you will allow those people to add you to their contact lists, which was actually done long time ago. No such a message to your friends though I assume.
It took 2 days for me to have most of them back as I have some friends in different time zone. Problem is if this person never login you won't receive the message..