MSN Messenger Glitch Closes Address Books

Microsoft Corp. is working to fix a problem that has left about a third of MSN Messenger users either unable to log on or access their personal address books, known as buddy lists.

A spokeswoman said the problem occurred after one part of the product’s database services failed, and the backup failed as well. She said users’ buddy lists were not lost but merely unavailable.

Customers began reporting problems with MSN Messenger on Wednesday. The company said it hoped to have the system back up shortly, but could not provide an exact time.