Hotmail Email about Outlook

[Pat Nassano]

I have Outlook 2003 and have been downloading Hotmail email for 5 years with
no problems. Recently, I have received two emails stating that I have to
install the Office Outlook Connector by 9/1/09 or it will stop working. It
looks like my account has already migrated to the Windows Live server. If it
is working now, why will it stop working on 9/1/09? I do not click on the
links in unsolicited email so I came to Microsoft site to check it out but I
cannot find anything about a 9/1/09 deadline.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

By 9/1/09 they will terminate the HTTP access method and the only way to
continue to access your Live Hotmail account is via the Outlook Connector.
It provides more functionality and greater stability for accessing your
account. The message is legit.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

It provides ... greater stability for accessing your account.

I'm not sure I'd go THAT far!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Why not? I had countless disconnects and slow performance when I was still
using the HTTP connection. I started using the Outlook Connector when you
still had to pay for it (back in the MSN Premium and MSN Explorer days) and
it has worked without a hitch ever since for me.

I believe WebDAV did 6 calls just to access a mailbox and took/takes a long
time to build a folder view with many items. All of that isn't the case with
the Outlook Connector. Most issues with Live Hotmail accounts have to do
with the account service and not directly to the Outlook Connector.

I'm not stating it is flawless, just that you get a much better experience
out of it than connecting via HTTP ;-)

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Why not? I had countless disconnects and slow performance when I was still
using the HTTP connection. I started using the Outlook Connector when you
still had to pay for it (back in the MSN Premium and MSN Explorer days) and
it has worked without a hitch ever since for me.

I said that because of all the problems people have posted about using the
Outlook Connector. I just converted to the OC ober the weekend because I know
I'd jave to soon anyway, but my HTTP account has worked flawlessly for nearly
six years, maybe longer.

Mostly, though, it was a tongue-in-cheek comment.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Haha, no problem; thought so. But people usually get here for problems
anyway and you miss out all the success stories.

WebDAV had its fair share of issues as well but a lot of WebDAV users got
dropped by Microsoft a few years back when the phasing out started. So we
missed all those fun issues ;-)

Quite a number of issues with the connector can be traced back to the
server-side though. Also see;
http://windowslivehelp.com/community/