Access Windows Live Hotmail for free using the Outlook Connector beta

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June 13

Access Windows Live Hotmail for free using the Outlook Connector beta

Update 2: Another how-to article here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102218231033.aspx

Update: New download link!

Here is the third book in the Windows Live e-mail trilogy: the new beta version of the Outlook Connector!

If you have Outlook on your computer, you can download and install the new Outlook Connector beta here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7aad7e6a-931e-438a-950c-5e9ea66322d4&displaylang=en&Hash=h6s3dqw89xeBTpexcStnoW2i81qoP%2fsPxtE2wOjLxQJBvn4S74p5AsZCAG2yP5bLTnQvU6m2ivmwN3459c5fMw%3d%3d

More ways to check your mail (and contacts, and maybe even Calendar): To access your Hotmail account, you have options: the web interface available at www.hotmail.com or http://mail.live.com, the free downloadable Windows Live Mail (our new free consumer client), and now… the latest beta version of the Outlook Connector – now available for free users.

Why all the choice, you ask? Well, we know that one size doesn’t fit all with our Hotmail customers. We want them to have the best e-mail experience possible with us, and many people love the power of Outlook. Giving free access in Outlook is one of the things we’re doing to make Hotmail easier to use and more accessible to people in the way they prefer: on the web, desktop clients, and even mobile phones.

If you’re a free Hotmail user, you can access your e-mail, folders and contacts using the Outlook Connector. If you’re a subscriber to MSN Premium, you get all of that goodness plus access to your Windows Live Calendar.

I am very, very personally excited about this beta launch because I briefly worked on the calendar sharing feature back in 2003 before I joined the Hotmail team in 2004. If you’re a paid user, you can see your Windows Live Calendar in Outlook and share it with your friends and family, and think of me. I hope it works well for you!

Why is the Outlook Connector useful? The Outlook Connector gives you more power than POP. It shows your folder structure, keeps track of read and unread messages, and shows you your contacts (and calendar for paid users). If you’re already using Outlook, particularly with multiple e-mail accounts, the Outlook Connector is a great way to manage your accounts together with powerful tools. Even if you install the Outlook Connector, you’ll still be able to use the web or mobile interfaces to get to your mail while you’re on the go.

The Hotmail team didn’t actually build the Outlook Connector, so if you have questions about it, please direct them to the Outlook Connector team.

- Ellie Powers-Boyle, program manager

5:07 PM | View trackbacks (2) | Blog it

Comments (72)

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	(no name) wrote: I only want to be able to change the text font/color/size/bold and use BASIC emoticons in my email - I have the Premium account - why can't I - how do I? And who's reading this? May 3
	Wiktoriawrote: Great minds think alike Jan. 16
	@@ ALKARNAK @@wrote: Hi , i am one of millions of people who use your products since 2002 , like windows os 98,me,2000,xp home and pro , and other ms programs that work on these os platforms for example microsoft office pakage progrms , and i have been using outlook express smoothly for 4 years untill windows live desktop beta and its successor generation's produced to the world by your experts ! in fact every one i know had no problems with outlook , i do not know what made you change the way of life for millions of people who depends on your products to catastrophe ? Since you start windows live you have affect people life from day to another you are unsure about the new products release ! from beta to beta and still experimenting and not sure . My question is where are your experts ? and do they really know what they are doing ? i doubt it . as long you have good product like outlook you could develop it and give it a new look better than thinking in a new product which you did not figure its structure or the way it works up to this very moment . i hope that does not make you disappointed because it is the truth . jamal almoqeem , saudi arabia Dec. 22
	No namewrote: good good super hello thank you speces wrry well Nov. 19
	Clementinawrote: How do I go about getting the free "live" email address, for example: clemy@live.com I've read the instructions in this blog but I always find myself at 'Window Live Mail' which is about collaborating all emails (and other features) but no help in getting the new email address. Nov. 17
	No namewrote: the new hotmail has no quickname feature, i now have no idea who half of my contacts are. i wouldnt have upgraded if i'd had known. is there any way i can retrieve this information? any info would be great, tom Nov. 17
	No namewrote: the new hotmail has no quickname feature, i now have no idea who half of my contacts are. i wouldnt have upgraded if i'd had known. is there any way i can retrieve this information? any info would be great, tom Nov. 17
	andres felipe castañeda vel...wrote: deseo cambiar mi contraseña de mi correo electronico. no se como hacerlo Nov. 13
	(no name) wrote: Thank you, Microsoft, for once again creating a flawed, not-ready-for-release program that DOES NOT WORK with Outlook. Why?? Why?? Seriously, I'm running out of ways to defend you to the Apple crowd. Gmail, Yahoo, THE REST OF THE WORLD seem to make programs that work with YOUR operating system BETTER THAN YOU DO. Stop wasting our time with crap that doesn't work!!!! Nov. 11
	Fredwrote: Using my other email address Nov. 4
	saadwrote: thank you for this offer Oct. 3
	mOOnwrote: I am a Nokia N70 user, I used to use Nokia PC Suite to sync the info between my phone and my notebook (Outlook 2003). But ever since I've installed Outlook Connector, PC Suite cannot sync any more. It gives error messages like "Your Outlook message store might have been moved. Please re-select your Outlook profile and required folders. " and "PC Sync was unable to access a valid Outlook profile. Please run Outlook and configure your user profile. ". But I am pretty sure its because of the MAPI nature of the hotmail.com folder that Outlook Connector has created. Does anyone know any solutions? I think another workaround can be to keep the personal and Hotmail Folder in sync. Can Personal Folders and my Hotmail Folder be kept in sync? Sept. 12
	hitjabwrote: I would like to connect between my email and outlook 2003. Please let me know the detailed stage of incomming the outlook to check it convenient. Thanks Aug. 22
	janetwrote: THANK YOU Aug. 20
	Jimi Vestbywrote: hello:-) Norway her:-)tnx Aug. 20
	luz guzmanwrote: hola soy consultora de beauticontrol v.i.p y soy team builder de homeinteriors. puede ir a mi pagina de beautipage.com/luz_sophisticated. al igual que www.homeinteriors.com luz guzman. para quien le interese.;-] Aug. 20
	johnwrote: yawn!!! Aug. 19
	No namewrote: Thank you for this offer. Regards, Michael O'Brien Aug. 17
	Gracewrote: ciao a tutti Aug. 17
	Joel Nieveswrote: Estoy experimentando con Windows Live @ Edu, Popfly, Sared view, flickr, alguien experimentado en esto. Aug. 15

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