Help! I'm discon. and I can't get back.

Subject: RE: Help! I'm discon. and I can't get back.
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 10:56 PM

Tannywheeler, what you describe sounds like something that's happened to me in the past (on other websites), usually because I have set my browser (sometimes without really noticing I was doing so) to block cookies from the site involved, so when I enter my password (or whatever), the website doesn't actually receive it. This may or may not be what's causing your problem, but it might be worth checking whether or not your browser is set to accept cookies from the site in question.

Good luck...

Subject: RE: Help! I'm discon. and I can't get back.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 05:27 AM

Hotmail did allow OE on nearly all their servers, but have fairly recently decided that only those with "charter accounts" with MSN and those who pay for a Hotmail "super account" will be permitted to use OE. All others are being migrated to new servers that are incompatible with OE. Even the charter MSN accounts have been switched to new servers that won't download your messages except as temps. They stay on the server unless you move them to a "local folder" and delete them from the "Hotmail/MSN" folder.

A lot of the problems that people have had with Hotmail in the last year or so are because they don't seem to be able to make the server switches very gracefully - hence the "they never answer your email, but the service comes back." ...sometimes 2 or 3 times a week.

The termination of accounts inactive for more than 30 days has been the rule for a couple of years now, but may not have been enforced too stringently until recently. It does appear that it's being enforced pretty regularly now. It gives them a chance to shut off your free one and try to coerce you into one of the paid accounts when you try to get restored.

Anyone using Hotmail who hasn't been reading all the "super offers" they send periodically should go to the msn.com|Hotmail link above and check out the FAQ. They've probably already hurt you in ways you don't know about.

"If your email doesn't work, send us an email. We promise to reply by email within 24 hours."

Am I missing something here?

John

Subject: RE: Help! I'm discon. and I can't get back.
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 03:10 AM

MS has decided to resurrect the old "browser wars." The battle began heaviest in July.

If you are using Firefox - you may have problems with Hot Mail....unless you use IE first and then OE.

HotMail is owned by MS and uses ActiveX - ActiveX is property of MS.

Interesting on the 30 day HotMail...no wonder my account died.

Why must you use HotMail...how about Juno or Google Mail...or any of two dozen others?

Sorry about your cousin's child. May I suggest they setup ONE PAGE were family and friends can go to view information and post messages. For examply http://www.rossmunnerlyn.com

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Help! I'm discon. and I can't get back.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 02:39 AM

If you get past the HIP and to the point where you can enter your regular Hotmail login, the recycling back to the HIP probably means that your login wasn't accepted. Normal login for Hotmail is your "PassPort" login, and PassPort login is required to get into Hotmail - I think. If you've made notes on your passwords, perhaps looking under PassPort will find something you've missed. Passwords are case sensitive, and o and 0 and O are three different things, so tiny changes in the way you type them can be significant.

If you have NOT USED your Hotmail account in 30 days, then - according to their recent warnings - you no longer have a Hotmail account. You may or may not be able to get them to "reactivate" the same email address for you, but all old messages will be lost.

The ONLY WAY to contact Hotmail for assistance is by email. You can send them a message by going to http://www.msn.com and clicking the Hotmail button near the top of the page. The Hotmail page you get varies somewhat for unknown reasons, but their should be a "support" or "contact us" option after you click Hotmail where, if you flounder around enough, you can find a way to send them an email.

Of course they can't reply by email if your email account doesn't work, and they will not reply by any other method. If you have a friend willing to receive an email for you, you can list a "reply email address" other than your own. They usually will reply, but often it's not too helpful. Hotmail is prone to "system problems" that solve themselves, but they won't tell you if that's what's going on.

You can have more than one Hotmail account, so your simplest option - if you haven't used up your quota, might be just to create a new one; but of course that means you'll have a new email address.

I assume you're using your browser for email. Hotmail used to allow using Outlook Express, and still does for a few kinds of accounts, but if you're trying to get in with OE and don't have a charter or "extra paid" account you probably won't get in. If that's the problem, just go directly in using your web browser.

Since you get to the HIP - and to the 'cat, your browser is apparently working okay. It's your Hotmail login that's failing, and it's unlikely your computer OEM maker can help you with that.

John

Subject: Help! I'm discon. and I can't get back.
From: GUEST,Tannywheeler
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 04:43 PM

I am PC challenged. Have had a hotmail acc't for over 5 yrs. Used to go to the library to do stuff on these machines. Got one of our own about a yearannahaff ago. About a weekannahaff ago my hotmail acc't got supersecure--began demanding other input to access and made a "loop". When I clicked on My Hotmail, I got a screen to type characters in a stripwindow (with messy marks around them) to protect against an automated spam system. When I typed them and clicked the "continue" button, I got the hotmail sign-in box. I typed my email acc't and my password and was taken back to the "type characters in stripwindow" box. Ad inf., as the saying goes. Tried to get the lowdown on what's going on. The added box is called a Human Interactive doohickey (HIP), and should only happen occasionally. At first I could read my emails and print them, but not "reply", "forward", or write "new" messages. Now I can't even access the inbox. I have Windows XP, which was one of the features of the system when we bought it, so the Windows XP folks say Dell is responsible for maintaining the program and troubleshooting for me. I can't send anything thru the Dell support chat system, the submit button gives me "page expired". I've tried calling the number, but the hold is so long my cell phone disconnects. I can't find any literature from the cellphone people that gives me a customer service or info #. This is doubly irritating because, at the time it raised its ugly head, I was trying to cooperate in a family emergency regarding the health of a "child". (My cousin's son, a tank sargeant in Iraq< has been wounded.) How can I get this straightened out I can get online, but you notice I'm down as "Guest". Somebody who knows more about this stuff than I do (not hard to do) PLEASE HELP!!?? Tw