The Hotmail Outlook Connection (Feb-17-2008)

You're here to make the Hotmail Outlook connection. Hotmail email (now part of the Windows Live brand) is a web-based mail service from Microsoft (click here to open a new window for more Hotmail information ).

Because it uses the HTTP protocol instead of POP3 like most other online mail services, there are some real benefits to making this connection.

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Specifically, you can create folders on the Hotmail server to manage and store your messages there. When you connect Outlook to Hotmail, these folders are automatically replicated in Outlook. Any changes you make to these folders and the messages in them automatically get synchronized when Outlook next connects.

For example, if you create a new Hotmail folder on the server (using the normal Hotmail web interface), that new folder will appear in Outlook the next time Outlook connects to the Hotmail server. Similarly, if you do something to a Hotmail folder or a message in a Hotmail folder using Outlook, that change gets synchronized to the Hotmail server the next time Outlook connects.

Hotmail folders appear in Outlook.

There's a free version of Hotmail, as well as two versions that charge a fee. Only the versions that charge a fee allow you to connect to the account with Outlook, or any other mail client.

Fortunately, the fee for Hotmail Plus (the less expensive of the two fee plans) is only $19.95/yr, which isn't outrageous.

Here's what you need to do to get Hotmail and Outlook working together:

Get a Hotmail account that works with Outlook

Do Hotmail Outlook Configuration for Outlook 2003 or 2007

Getting a Hotmail Account That Works With Outlook

Getting a Hotmail account that works with Outlook is pretty simple. If you have a free account, you can upgrade it. If you don't have a Hotmail account yet, you can sign up for an appropriate one directly.

Upgrading an Existing Account

To upgrade an existing free Hotmail account:

Log in to Hotmail on the Web.
At the top of any Hotmail page, click Options to open the Options page.

On the left side of the Options page, click Upgrade to open the Upgrade Options page

On the Upgrade Options page, click Windows Live Upgrade Opportunities.

Review the possible plans. You need at lest the Hotmail Plus plan to connect to Outlook.

click the Get it now button for the plan you want, and follow the instructions that appear.

Getting a New Hotmail Plus Account

While it would be great to use a standard free Windows Live Hotmail account with Outlook, you can't. But you can use a Hotmail Plus account, which only costs $19.95 per year.

While a Hotmail Plus account isn't free, you do get a lot for your $19.95/yr. As of February 2008, each Hotmail Plus account included:

10 GB of online storage for your messages

Your account never expires (unless you stop paying, of course)

Graphical ads are eliminated

You can send and receive file attachments of up to 20 MB

To sign up for a new Hotmail Plus account:

Go to the Microsoft Online Services sign up page by clicking this link Get a Hotmail Account (opens a new window).

click Windows Live Hotmail Plus in the E-Mail section

Get Windows Live Hotmail Plus here.

Review the features of the plan, then click the Get it now button and follow the instructions that appear.
When done signing up, close that window.

Your account is ready to use.

Don't forget to do the Hotmail Outlook Configuration steps appropriate to your version of Outlook.

From here you can:

Return to the POP3, HTTP, IMAP Mail Accounts page.

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