How To: Fix Windows Live Mesh for Mac

Posted on October 26, 2011 by y2kemo

Live Mesh icon I love Windows Live Mesh. I braved the Live Mesh to Live Sync to Live Mesh transition on the PC. I braved the Mac betas. And I outlasted my most recent headache with Live Mesh for Mac not syncing after uninstalling and reinstalling the program.

Now, you might think that I could’ve gone straight to the forums to find a resolution. You would be wrong. I Googled “Live Mesh for Mac not working” and ended up here which took me here and then here which eventually led me back to here. Seriously, what a pain in the ace. Well, I finally pieced together the solution from all the sites I visited and my files are once again up to date. When you’re ready let’s begin.

1. Shut down Windows Live Mesh (i.e. both in the dock and the menu bar).

2. Fire up Terminal (Applications –> Utilities –> Terminal) This is the step Microsoft failed to mention was most important.

3. Mac OS X Lion hides the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder by default so type:

chflags nohidden ~/Library

4. Delete the “~/Library/Application Support/Live Id” folder by typing:

cd ~/library/”Application Support”
rm -rf “Live ID”

5. Delete the “~/Library/Application Support/WLMesh” folder by typing.

rm -rf “WLMesh”

Live Mesh for Mac fix Terminal commands
This is what your Terminal window should look like

6. Open the Keychain app (Applications –> Utilities –>Keychain Access).

7. Search for and delete the following from Keychain Access files:

Any certificates that have a name like “0018………….%00″
Any that begin with “Live Id Private Key”
Any that begin with “Live Id Public Key”
Any named “Token Signing Public Key”

8. Move the Windows Live Mesh application from the Applications folder to the trash bin.

9. Visit https://devices.live.com and make sure your device has been removed.

10. Download the latest release of Windows Live Mesh for Mac and reinstall it.

Trust me. This will fix any sync issues you run in with the Mac. And why wouldn’t it? You’re deleting all traces of the application and installing it as if it were the first time.

If you try this solution let me know how it worked out for you. Leave your comment below or send me an e-mail at me@y2kemo.com and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

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Martin

Fix is not working for me.
Macbook Air running Lion
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Was Mesh working for you previously? What is it doing specifically? Does your computer meet the system requirements? Did you run the commands from the terminal and delete all keychain remnants? (I failed to do this on the first try, but once I did the issue was fixed). I know that Mesh is in english only I wonder if that could be throwing your computer for a loop.
  - Brenton House
    
    Not working for me either…
  - http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
    
    I’m really quite surprised that it’s not working. I’ve been able to replicate the issues and the resolution on multiple macs. Very strange indeed. Especially since you’re basically removing all traces of the program and installing a new copy.
Cqueequeg

superb!! fixed my problem. thanks for taking the time to lay this out.
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  It drove me bonkers trying to figure it out. Glad it fixed your issue.
Dovecoats

Hi I think your solution might be great, I threw more more complication into the mix which is stopping this from working which I thought you might be interesting for you to solve. I changed my Mac name from Jamie’s iMac to imac after installation due to a message saying it would not sink to my Windows Machine due to an invalid character which I assume was the ‘ in Jamie’s iMac. I tried the instructions but when I re-install it simply reverts to Jamie’s iMac when the Live Mesh application opens. I been at this for hours now and wonder if you have a solutions.
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Open up the library folder in finder. Make sure that Application Support is in there. Next, open up terminal. Type ls (that’s L and S with a space after) and drag the Applications Support folder from your finder window into terminal. Do you see Live ID/ Do you see WLMesh? If so, type cd (C and D with a space after) and drag the Applications Support folder from your finder window into terminal. Then proceed to the the next step (which is rm -rf “Live ID”)
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Any luck?
Dovecoats

Update to my previous comment, when I get to the cd ~/library/”Application Support”
I get the following;

iMac:Application Support Jamie$ cd ~/library/”Application Support”-bash: cd: /Users/Jamie/library/”Application: No such file or directoryiMac:Application Support Jamie$
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Try changing the name of your Mac back. Then remove Mesh. Give your Mac its new name. Install Mesh. That’s the easiest. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have a closer look.
Dovecoats

Hi thanks for responding. Funnily enough tht was one of the things l tried. I worried it might be that I’m not doing the comand bit correct wlthough I.have followed the instructions several times.

If i can solve it this it will b invaluable.

Jamie
Chriscounsell

Thanks so much, this brought me close to tears and your solution worked a treat
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Glad to hear it worked for you.
Anonymous

Allow me to propose an alternate solution.

1. Head to http://www.dropbox.com
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Dropbox is a great alternate. I use it. Very easy and quite fast. And, it’s connected to just about everything I do on my mobile device. For this reason, I use Mesh to share folders that exceed my allotted Dropbox space constraints. When using Mesh, you sync directly between computers there are no such constraints.
Osman Haque

This didn’t do it for me
I can’t find the “Live ID” and “WLMesh” folders in Application support
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Make sure your directory is unhidden.
  
  chflags nohidden ~/Library
  - Osman Haque
    
    Still nothing…
  - http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
    
    Open up the library folder in finder. Make sure that Application Support is in there. Next, open up terminal. Type ls (that’s L and S with a space after) and drag the Applications Support folder from your finder window into terminal. Do you see Live ID/ Do you see WLMesh? If so, type cd (C and D with a space after) and drag the Applications Support folder from your finder window into terminal. Then proceed to the the next step (which is rm -rf “Live ID”)
    
    The next step would be to try and install Live Mesh over your current install and then remove it. (my list is running short).
  - Osman Haque
    
    I’ve done all that in the photos above (and again), those folders are not there. I tried installing over, still no folder…
    
    It must be stored somewhere else, just have no idea where
  - http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
    
    This is the part where I get stumped and look for another solution. Let me see what I can find.
  - pinktable
    
    I don’t know if you’ve solved this Osman. I initially had a difficult time looking for Live Mesh folder in the library/Application support folder. I then figured because there are 2 user profiles in my mac, I have to locate the library/Application support/ under the specific user.
  - http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
    
    Still nothing. All signs point to being able to access the contents via Terminal. I’ve been able to drag the folder from Finder into Terminal and see the hidden folders that way, but since you’ve already tried that w/o luck I’m stumped.
Calgary

Thanks for the help – worked for me. I also found that you run into less problems if you initially sync folders one by one, wait for the folder to display “Up to date” before moving on to the next one.
Guest

I tried installing WL Mesh on a new Mac running Lion 10.7.3, a fresh install. I get several kinds of errors, including 1a) one file is always “waiting to receive”, a file that is not open and hasn’t changed since last year and it says this even after I manually copy this file over, 1b) system crashes when I try to unsync this folder and then the device status is unavailable, 2a) another folder is “processing changes” forever, even after leaving it running overnight, and 2b) device status shows the computer offline after it starts processing changes.

I tried your method to reinstall but it doesn’t work. I think WL Mesh is pretty crappy. I have used it since it was FolderShare and upgraded to a new computer hoping to keep the same sync going but it has failed me. It failed me before on my previous computer but I was able to fix it using a variation of the method you describe above. But now with the latest gear it just doesn’t work. Why does this get worse with every new version??
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Mesh for PC has never given me issues. The Mac version has given me quite the headache. I’ve had just about every error you’ve had except the crashing. I’m running Mesh on two PCs and three Macs. After upgrading to Lion I had to uninstall Mesh from all devices, kill the cloud folders, and then start from scratch. Hardly the ease of Dropbox or SugarSync, but I still use Mesh because I can bypass the cloud.
Foxy51

many many thanks !!!
it seems to work fine for me (macbookpro, osx lion)
hope that the error will not re-occur later …..
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Great. The fix seems to work for most, but there are a random few who haven’t been so lucky.
hansmberg

I followed the proposed steps above but when I try to start the Live Mesh fresh install I receive an error saying “We are having troubley identifying your device. Please back upp all the files in your synced folders. Then go to…” see attached screen shot.
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  According to the following win live forum ” removing the system from the list of devices (devices.live.com), then removing the WLMesh and WLSync folders from ~/Library/Application Support, then restarting Windows Live Mesh, works.” Take a look: http://www.windowslivehelp.com/thread.aspx?postid=9bc67307-8c2d-4301-b637-021b7ab1522d#9bc67307-8c2d-4301-b637-021b7ab1522d
Arthur C.

Many Many Thanks. After days of frustration your solution is the answer. Kind regards from a rainy Holland!
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Glad it worked
Ed Barnard

This worked for me too! I had done a first-time install on OS X Leopard in October 2011, have since upgraded to snow leopard. In trying to sync with a new Windows 7 laptop this weekend, realized the Mac is not sending files. I followed the above instructions and now all is well. It appears to be the same Live Mesh for Mac release as before (dated 7/20/2011), so perhaps it was the Snow Leopard upgrade which caused the problem.

Thank you!
Johneg11

Bravo to you!!

Thanks for going into the Black Hole into which so many of us venture, if we dare(!) , only to come out countless hours later, empty-handed and disgusted.

You went there, succeeded, and had the generosity to share what should be easily accessible (and implementable) information, which the not-such genius folks at Microsoft and Apple are incapable of providing in the first place…
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Thanks man. Glad it worked out.
Jan

Tonight… You are my hero!!! After 3 hours of trying to fix the computers I stumbled onto your site. It worked the first time!!! Thank you!!!!! Thank You!!!
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  You’re most welcome. I was going crazy myself.
mjb

Finally!!!!
- http://y2kemo.com y2kemo
  
  Good stuff. Glad it worked.
http://twitter.com/amandafrench Amanda French

Thanks — seems to have worked great!
Cqueequeg

This is unbelievably helpful. Why, oh why, can’t a multi-billion dollar corp. like microsoft manage to publish simple directions like this? Unbelievable the lack of respect they have for people who actually use their products.
Gdub

You have helped me immensely. I would have never been able to figure this out. I uninstall ed WLM a couple times but of course didn’t manually do this clean-up you clearly explained. Awesome. Thanks!
Texas

Works fully! Thanks so much. I have been trying to restore Mesh on a Mac air for two weeks. Up and running across 7 machines now! But do not know why it went bad.
Chris

Works great, directions are clear and easy to understand..even for a mac newby who’s never even opened the utilities folder . Thanks…greatly appreciated.
Basta

Absolutely simple, and it worked! Glad I finally found your solution. You’re correct, Microsoft leaves out the most critical (and least obvious) step! Had it done in minutes. Don’t forget to empty the trash! As Many before have written, Thanks!
buta

i did what you just did but it seem to me its not synchronising at all it just processing its not syncing any file
Rockhound

This did not work for me the first time that I tried it. In order to make sure that I got the Terminal commands correct, I simply copied them from this page directly into the terminal. However, when I tried that with cd ~/library/”Application Support”, I kept getting a message saying that that directory could not be found. This command only worked with I typed it in manually. So, you might want to add a caution to the instructions to actually type the commands manually.

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