Microsoft Network is back in business for both old and new users.
MSN had been having technical difficulties that prevented new users from logging onto the system and current users from upgrading their software. But as of Friday afternoon, MSN was back in business, according to a spokesman.
Just three days after debuting splashy new system software, the online service started experiencing glitches Thursday that kept members from upgrading and checking their accounts and new users from signing up.
MSN had fixed the problem preventing existing users from changing their accounts within a day and fixed the other problem by late Friday. The latest problems follow other glitches that, for the second time in a year, are forcing the company to back-bill members for months at a time because it was unable to bill them in a timely fashion.
All this comes at an unfortunate time for Microsoft Network, which is pushing for new customers and encouraging its existing members to upgrade to version 2.5 software that promises to be faster, easier, and have superior email capabilities. It was unclear if the upgrade campaign is related to the latest problems.
"There are sporadic problems," Ed Graczyk, lead product manager for MSN, had said. He added that other areas of MSN were operating normally..
Graczyk noted that the online service has sent out only the first batch of upgrade software. Most of the upgrade discs to the 2.3 million members on MSN's premier service will be sent in two weeks, he added.