More on Hotmail Support in Outlook and Outlook Express

On January 3, 2005 I wrote about Microsoft discontinuing support for adding new Hotmail accounts to Outlook Express and Outlook. In the KB article Q878462 Microsoft stated that “If you configured Outlook Express or Outlook to access your Hotmail account before DAV support was ended, you may still be able to use Outlook Express to open a free Hotmail account. However, eventually Hotmail will no longer support DAV for all free Hotmail accounts.”

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Microsoft which confirms what I wrote a couple of months ago. It states:

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Dear MSN Member,

Recently, Hotmail announced that in order to improve customer experience and reduce spam and junk e-mail abuse on MSN services, Hotmail will no longer allow new e-mail accounts to be accessed via Microsoft Office Outlook and Outlook Express.

We are pleased to inform you that because you are an existing and valued customer, at this time your current Hotmail and MSN account(s) are exempt from this restriction and you will be able to continue enjoying access to those accounts from Outlook or Outlook Express. However, any new Hotmail or MSN accounts you create will not be accessible via Outlook or Outlook Express.

Because you actively use Outlook or Outlook Express to access one or more of your MSN Hotmail or MSN e-mail accounts, this could be the ideal time to consider subscribing to our powerful new
e-mail service – Microsoft Office Outlook Live.

As an Outlook Live subscriber, not only can you get uninterrupted access to your MSN e-mail accounts from Outlook, but you will also enjoy many other benefits.

As a thank-you for your loyalty to MSN, we’d like to offer you a 25% discount off the regular price of a year’s subscription to Outlook Live. Sign up by April 19, 2005, and you can enjoy all your first year’s benefits for just $44.95 instead of $59.95*.
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There are a couple of things in this message that need further explanation. First, if you added a Hotmail account before Microsoft discontinued the support for Hotmail, those accounts will continue to work for you as they did before. However, if you wanted to add an existing or a new Hotmail account to your Outlook or Outlook Express profile today, you will not be able to do so. The Q878462 article that I referenced indicated that your existing Hotmail account “may” work. This e-mail notice confirms that your existing Hotmail account “will” work for sure. Also, the Q878462 article doesn’t give a reason for discontinuation of support for Hotmail. This e-mail message states that it was done “in order to improve customer experience and reduce spam and junk e-mail abuse on MSN services.”