Microsoft KB Archive/172243

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Error Message: The Member ID or Password Is Not Valid
Last reviewed: August 11, 1997

Article ID: Q172243

The information in this article applies to:


 * The Microsoft Network versions 1.2, 1.3, 2.0

SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to sign in to MSN, The Microsoft Network, you may receive the following error message:

The Member ID or Password is not valid.

CAUSE
The MSN authentication process cannot resolve a Member ID of greater than 40 characters.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, create a new MSN Member ID with no more than 40 characters. Because your Member ID provides the only means of identifying your account, you must create a new MSN account to obtain a new Member ID. To do so, follow these steps:


 * 1) Click Start, and then click Run.
 * 2) In the Open box, type "signup.exe" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK.
 * 3) Follow the instructions on the screen.

After you verify that your new MSN account is working properly, contact MSN Customer Service to cancel your old account.