Windows Live Messenger beta 9

I got an email from the Live Team on 07.11.08 inviting me to try Messenger
beta 9. I accepted the offer and downloaded and installed it seemingly OK.
Messenger became very intermittent; missing messages and not sending
messages. Buddies signed in and out silently; and message arrivals and mail
arrivals were silent. It got so bad one time that I decided to revert to
Messenger 8.5. I followed the Live Teams instructions to use Add and Remove
Programs and delete the item "Windows Live Beta (all programs)" section. Bad
news, after deletion all Live programs were "fatally broken." I was unable to
install, uninstall or use any Live items. Finally I gave up and used System
Restore to my restore point before I downloaded beta 9. I understood that I
was installing a beta program, but was unprepared for the magnitude of the
problems.
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If'n tha' does 'owt for nowt, tha' does it for thi' sen.