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. littletinymonkey
    Posted on: July 01, 2007 at 11:40PM  

    Perhaps what I need to find out is what the differences is between what that article is calling "subscribe to Windows Live Hotmail" and the subscription I purchased that is called "Windows Live Hotmail Plus"

  2. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: July 02, 2007 at 12:35AM  

    littletinymonkey, yes that website is correct in reporting that "Calendar synchronization with Outlook is a paid, subscription-only feature". And the paid, subscription service needed to sync your calendar is MSN Premium, Office Live Essentials, or Office Live Premium. The current phrasing of the site doesn't really say the opposite of what I said above, rather pretty much the same. In order to sync your calendar up with the Outlook Connector beta you need to be on one of the three paid subscription services (MSN Premium, Office Live Essentials, or Office Live Premium) to enable this functionality. Hotmail Plus is not one of the designated paid subscription services designed to enable calendar sync-up unfortunately.

    What the phrasing means on the paragraph you quoted is that when you upgrade to the new Windows Live Hotmail - you have the ability to sync up notes, tasks, and calendar. If you are not using one of the three paid services enabling calendar sync-up (MSN Premium, Office Live Essentials, or Office Live Premium) you will see an error in the Outlook Connector toolbar (screenshot shown on the page you linked).

    - Brandon

  3. Brandon LeBlanc
    Microsoft
    Posted on: July 02, 2007 at 12:36AM  

    I should like to note that Microsoft is working on a better calendar sync-up scenario in the future and that the Outlook Connector is currently in beta and things can change between now with the first beta release and the final release of the next version of the Outlook Connector.

  4. spaldinr
    Posted on: July 11, 2007 at 10:14AM  

    Brandon,

    This is a great idea by microsoft. Unfortunately the subscription price is a little steep if you just want to be able to sync your calendar. There should be another option. I was seriously considering completely switching from google services, but will wait until you get the pricing correct.

  5. anniesuz
    Posted on: October 27, 2007 at 7:57AM  

    Ever since msn hotmail changed to  windows live hotmail, all of my forwarded emails are changed into a clumped mess of text.  I tried to find an option to change this, but I can´t seem to find anything.  Any help would be appreciated.  I can´t forward work information that looks like a disaster!  Thanks.

  6. windows
    Posted on: November 29, 2007 at 12:22AM  

    I just bought a new laptop with Windows Vista, I cannot even view my hotmail + yahoo emails!  I cannot even open MSN website.  can you help?

    Confused

  7. Shamilah
    Posted on: February 05, 2008 at 1:55AM  

    1) I am curious and been hearing that hotmail.com address will be decommissioned and replaced with live.com addresses. Is this true?

    2) Yahoo Mail Beta allows me to chat with my contacts directly from the mailbox platform. Will Hotmail or Live Mail allow me to do that too in future? I am a Mac user by the way. I am curious if any of these updates and upgrades come in Mac versions as well. Thanks!

  8. Judy H
    Posted on: June 23, 2008 at 10:25AM  

    Just bought a new conmputer with Vista Home Premium-Service Pack 1.  Went to Windows Live Mail and set-up my Hotmail acct - received hotmail OK.  Then imported outlook express folders and contacts from old computer (running Windows XP) into Windows Live Mail.  Now Windows Live Mail cannot receive Hotmail messages.  Error ID: 0x8DE00002.  HELP!

  9. Micky Gwilliam
    Posted on: October 29, 2008 at 6:58PM  

    "Windows Live Mail now can synchronize Windows Mail, Windows Calendar and Windows Contacts (all part of the Windows Vista OS) on the computer and Web."

    How? I can't find the button. My Nokia only offers sync with Windows Contacts, not Windows Live Contacts; ergo I need to have the two Windows Contacts clients in sync.

  10. Peter G
    Posted on: October 30, 2008 at 11:22AM  

    How do I send email via a web-page, i.e. HTML 'mailto', to work with Windows Live Hotmail?

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