Updated information on Live Hotmail in Vista

[The Kat]

There were plenty of reasons to avoid moving to Vista, but I've done so under
duress: my laptop died and Vista is the only 64-bit system installed on PCs
these days. Unfortunately, I CANNOT set the program called Windows Live
Hotmail as my default mail program.

Under the topic of Hotmail and Vista, the only postings on this are dated to
2007. Surely someone has configured a system with this revised version of
Hotmail. It runs on this computer, but is not recognized as a setting for
default.

I DO NOT want Windows Live Mail. I DO NOT want Outlook, I DO NOT want
Microsoft Windows... Been there, done that. Does anyone have a work around,
or must I strip Vista and load XP? So far I've wasted ten days trying to deal
with Vista. This is about to push me over the edge and back to XP!

 

[The Kat]

Addendum: I am not a complete Luddite - I am using IE8 as the browser.

 

[Dave]

You might try this...
http://email.about.com/cs/hotmailtips/qt/et032401.htm

first hit in Google for "vista hotmail as default program"

 

[Rainald Taesler]

You say what you do NOT want.
What do you WANT?
What did you use under XP?

You might be well off with "Windows Mail" (WinMail). That's built-in.
It's the successor if Outlook Express (OE). Although the internals
(especially the mail store) have been changed, the "look and feel" is
almost the same as in OE.
It has nothing to do with WLM (Windows Live Mail) which I for one -
different from many others - do not like at all.

As WinMail is built-in, all you need to do is to create the accounts(s)
(the setup is almost identical with the OE setup).
Then set WinMail as the default (standard) mail-client (Control Panel |
Standard (Default <?>) Programs.

As an alternative you might use some third-party mail-client, f.e.
Thunderbird.

Rainald
P.S. WinMail is a fine NewsReader too (as was OE) and might benefit from
visiting the MS newsgroup using it (instead if the horrible
web-interface which you seem use now)

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

See

http://www.winhelponline.com/articl...e-Default-Programs-tool-in-Windows-Vista.html

 

[The Kat]

I use Windows Live Hotmail. It is closer to the old hotmail - including the
frequent ads featuring half-naked women and eHarmony - but it displays
formatted email.

My XP desktop Windows Live Toolbar has a link that takes me to Windows Live
Hotmail. Is there any way to copy the desktop toolbar settings to the Vista
laptop?

If not, how do I convince Vista to recognize Windows Live Hotmail. The only
way I can access mail now is to call up MSN Home and hit the hotmail link.
The same toolbar on my laptop doesn't recognize that mail program.

 

[The Kat]

Gary & Dave: I tried the links before I turned to MS discussions. Regardless
what I do, Vista completely ignores any mail options beyond Outlook, Windows
Live Mail, and Windows. Thanks, though. Any other ideas?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

It might have something to do with your system being 64-bit, since all
the 32-bit users reported success with that fix that sets Hotmail as the
default email service in Vista.

Microsoft doesn't seem to support setting Hotmail as the default, see
http://windowslivehelp.com/community/p/2447/8264.aspx#8264

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Thanks for the reply, dear C(K)at.

I was a really early adopter of Hotmail. Used it immediately after it
came out.
It was like hell with SPAM.
So after a month or so I did swear the oath "No never, no more".
And me "wild rover" kept to it <gbg>.

Therefore I am unable to help you :-( :-(

Good luck!
Rainald

 

[The Kat]

Does anyone know if Vista considers Gmail a POP3 service? While my 30-day
return is still available, are there any other caveats for a 64-bit newbie?
Will XP even run on this machine?

That is a scary article, Gary. It explains why so many of my friends
switched mail services when they got Stateside.

Like Rainald T., I was an early Hotmail adopter, but I stayed with Hotmail
because it was web-based. Overseas I needed mail access independent of one
computer or service, and I still prefer to read my mail formatted. I tried
Windows Live when it was still in beta; like Outlook, it downloads everything
onto the computer and strips out the HTML. All I received was rubbish in
black, white and placeholders - no color, no graphics! Never could get it to
work.

And we once complained about the stranglehold IBM had on computers.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Gmail can be set up as either IMAP or POP3 in Windows Mail:
POP3:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=86383

IMAP:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=77696

I'm not that familiar with the drawbacks of 64-bit, never having tried it.
I've heard that 64-bit drivers can be hard to come by for some
of the hardware devices in your computer. Since the manufacturer
already supplied all the necessary drivers, that would not be an issue
for you until you purchase a new add-on such as an all-in-one printer/
copier/fax machine.

Windows Live Mail has been much improved since you last tried it,
and might be worth another try. Windows Live Mail handles
Hotmail access via HTTP natively. You can't do that in Windows Mail,
but as of February, Microsoft has enabled POP access for free
Hotmail/Live accounts. Follow the settings given here:
http://mailcall.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!CC9301187A51FE33!49799.entry
Use port 587 rather than port 25 for the SMTP server.

Windows Mail's account setup wizard is hard-coded to reject Hotmail
and MSN addresses. So, when you enter your Hotmail/MSN email address
initially, use a fake one, such as (e-mail address removed). After the account setup
is complete, go back and correct your email address.

 

[The Kat]

I have not used Live since soon after it went "Live". I worked with the beta
for almost two years; from what they released, I don't think my opinions
counted. Live Hotmail blended the two systems pretty well, though, and left
me with the web-based mail I needed at that time.

Interesting contortions to set up an alternative email under Windows Mail! I
may be using Live and not knowing it - except that my emails display
graphics; they did not with Live. Did that get fixed? (Note: went to the Live
Hotmail support site again. Their system asked me to complete a survey. When
I clicked yes, it took me to this link:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=gp;en-us;fmserror ...it may be
right.)

Back to the Live toolbar: It works on the 64-bit Vista. Can I copy my setup
file from the XP onto the Vista machine? If so, where do I find that file?
ATM, the Live toolbar on Vista seems blissfully ignorant of the Live toolbar
I log into on my office machine. O.o Of course the one on Vista includes a
link for Facebook that I can't find for the toolbar on the XP (I was gone in
February - did I miss an automatic update?).

Other than email, drivers have not been a problem on the 64; companies have
had enough time to make the updates, and I cannot complain about the extra
RAM. My older printer & scanner work with it, but HP also makes a 64-bit
machine... vested interest is sometimes a good thing.
Thanks for the help!

If I can access the same toolbar, I might be able to access Live Hotmail.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

I would not recommend copying the setup file from your XP machine.
Download a fresh (and perhaps improved) copy from
http://www.windowslive.com/Get

 

[The Kat]

The working file IS new - I just want to find the settings that put Live
Hotmail on my XP toolbar and copy that to the Vista toolbar. Yes, I'm still
trying to avoid Windows Mail and Live Mail.

Some days I miss the having a "." prompt and batch files running the
system.l I could read - and write - batch files! Considering my trouble with
Vista, no one would believe I knew the web when it was "ARPANET".