MSN Hotmail becomes Windows Live Hotmail

Starting today, the Live Team will begin rolling out a massive 36-language upgrade from MSN Hotmail to Windows Live Hotmail.  This is the biggest Hotmail update ever seen:  the new version of Hotmail improves safety, productivity and flexibility across clients on the web, desktop and mobile phones.

Today's rollout begins at www.hotmail.com, where new user accounts will be created as Windows Live Hotmail accounts; existing MSN Hotmail users will be able to upgrade their accounts to Windows Live Hotmail by clicking the green Join Windows Live Hotmail button in their accounts after logging in.  The rollout is expected to occur gradually and continue throughout the next couple days.

Windows Live also announced a brand-new, free email client called Windows Live Mail, the successor to Outlook Express and Windows Mail on Windows Vista.  Also coming is a new Outlook Connector which will allow you to sync your Windows Live Hotmail account to an Outlook 2003 or 2007 client.

Read the Hotmail Team's blog post on the launch, including a video of Hotmail's evolution from 1996 to 2007.  Also, Kip Kniskern from LiveSide chatted with Windows Live Product Management Director Paul Major to find out a little bit more on the launch announcement.

I'm sure Brandon will soon have in-depth coverage of these announcements in the Windows Experience Blog, so keep your eyes peeled ...

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Comments

  1. rhogan70
    Posted on: May 23, 2007 at 7:28PM  

    I am a Windows Live Hotmail Plus subscriber and have tried everything I know to use the Outlook Connector to gain access to my Hotmail through Outlook 2007. Every time I click on the "Hotmail Inbox" that shows in the Folder List of my Outlook 2007, I get this error message: "Outlook Connector is available to subscribers only. Do you want to subscribe now." What am I missing?

  2. Nish Vamadevan
    Posted on: May 24, 2007 at 6:18PM  

    rhogan70, I get the same message...

    I used to be an Outlook Live Customer, Cancelled Outlook Live, But mail sync used to work (except Calender / Contacts) till the end of beta...

    But now, I get the same message as you... Contact Sync seems to work though.

    FYI, I am using Windows Custom Domains with Hotmail Plus Account.

  3. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: May 24, 2007 at 6:44PM  

    Let me be very clear about this: the currently released Outlook Connector DOES NOT WORK with Windows Live Hotmail or if you get it to work has some major issues.

    They will be releasing a new Outlook Connector beta in the coming weeks that will enable the connection and sync with Hotmail to Outlook 2003 and 2007.

    We will be making a blog post to announce the availability of the Outlook Connector Beta for Windows Live Hotmail when it is released.

  4. rhogan70
    Posted on: June 02, 2007 at 3:40PM  

    Well.....needless to say, that sucks. The advertised SUPPOSED ability to access my hotmail using Outlook was one of the main reasons I chose to pay $19.95 to subscribe!!!

  5. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: June 03, 2007 at 7:04PM  

    Now you won't have to pay for the ability so consider the fact you'll be saving $19.95 here on out. However there will be other perks to paying $19.95 a year. I paid $19.95 a year not too long ago to have ads removed from both Hotmail and Spaces and for 20 bucks for the entire year, I am pleased to have the ads gone.

    In regards to the Outlook Connector for Windows Live Hotmail, expect a release shortly.

  6. Polar_Bear
    Posted on: June 04, 2007 at 11:34PM  

    I am interested in using the new Outlook Live Connector when it released, but I have a question/concern regarding the maximum number of contacts that may be synchronized/stored in Live Mail.

    The last time that I attempted to use the Contacts Import feature in Windows Live Mail I received an "error" message that stated that I have more that 1,000 contacts and that I must reduce the number of contacts to less than 1,000 and then re-run the Contacts Import tool in Live Mail. I was not about to arbitrarily delete contacts from my Outlook address book, so I have not yet imported my contacts into Live Mail.

    Has the limit of 1,000 contacts been removed/increased or will it be removed/increased in the near future? Are there any options that allow more than 1,000 contacts? If the limit were 2,000 that would be sufficient for me for quite some time. I do subscribe to Hotmail Plus. Do Hotmail Plus and Hotmail Premium have different limits on the number of Contacts allowed relative to free Hotmail/Live Mail?

  7. Nish Vamadevan
    Posted on: June 08, 2007 at 9:17AM  

    Brandon LeBlanc, Hotmail Plus does not remove the adverts from Spaces (http://spaces.live.com) or there must be some kind of problem.

    I am using Hotmail Plus with a Custom Domain Passport ID so I guess that is probably the cause of this...

  8. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: June 08, 2007 at 3:02PM  

    Let me look into it for you. Hotmail Plus is suppose to remove the ads. Is your Live ID the one you signed up with for Hotmail Plus and also the ID you use to log in to Spaces? Hotmail Plus is specific for only 1 Windows Live ID.

    Let me know.

  9. microcompspec
    Posted on: June 11, 2007 at 12:54PM  

    Whats the new URL for the new Hotmail?

  10. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: June 11, 2007 at 12:59PM  

    If you already have a Hotmail account, you will see a green "Upgrade" button in your account. If you do not have a Hotmail account, when you go to www.hotmail.com and sign up - you will automatically get the new Hotmail sweetness.

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