Here’s how:

1. Open the list of your contacts who are online by clicking “__ Online” (where __ is a number) next to Contacts on the left side of the page.
2. At the bottom of this box, click Add a Contact.
3. In the “Chat/IM” box in the middle, type your Windows Live contact’s ID and make sure the “Add to my online list” checkbox is checked.

Notes: To start chatting, your Windows Live friend must first accept your invitation. Also, they must be using the latest version of Windows Live Messenger.

Windows Live IDs include email addresses with the following domains:

• Hotmail
• MSN
• Live