How do I download my Hotmail messages to my computer?

You can download your hotmail emails to your PC via windows live mail program...it works well, but that saves them on my PC, I didn't find the folder where those emails are kept, but atleast it's a step ahead :)

For those that don't use Outlook and want to move their Hotmail emails to their own computer, there is one option that you can use which works with entire folders or individual emails. It's a work around of sorts but here's how....

To Save Entire Folders:
Open the folder you'd like to save and click the little square box at the top left of email window (same box you'd check to indicate all the files for deleting). Once all the emails have a check next to them, click the little printer icon that appears just above where you click Reply (this icon appears to the right of your New | Delete | Mark As | Move to) and it will open a box which will contain all the emails contents in a long list, as well as the printer options window, which opens on top of that box. Close the printer options window, highlight the box content and save it as a Notepad file to a new folder on your computer.

To Save Individual Emails:
Go to the folder with the email you wish to save to your computer, check the box next to it and click the small printer icon to the far right of New | Delete | Mark As | Move to. This will open a box with the open contents of the email, as well as opening the printer options window over it. Close the printer options window and highlight the contents of the email and save it with Notepad to the file of your choice on your computer.

I have to say, excellent advice and commentary! Thank you so much, the PDF tip was a life saver.

my computer thinks that i have an older version of msn but i don't and it wont let me log in wat can i do.

Hey Leo I read you knocking Hotmail (that went out along time ago). What about gmail you can't even download them you have to print. Hotmail is by far the most versatile email on the planet. Read the post your viewers will teach you how to.

I don't understand your point about GMail. I download them all the time. Hotmail may be versatile, but my readers tell me about more problems with it than any other service.

07-Jul-2010

After you've save your Hotmail emails using the "save to file" method, how do you read? When I try to open them using Hotmail, nothing happens and when I try to open them using Note Pad, Word, Acrobat all I get is code?

Hi Leo!
mozilla's Thunderbird worked nice for me and I have a hotmail account! My problem was I could not save emails and through the years I could not get anything to connect to hotmail correctly in order to download the emails properly.
This had gotten out of control over 19000 emails in my inbox and needing 300 or 400 hundred of them makes it tough. I've been thinking for years just dump them on a disk to look through at my leisure. I have a degree in computers also been using them since 1982.
(I use windows 7) Had no problems with hotmail as long as you follow the minimum usage guidelines pretty much a use it or lose it policy. (Your account must be used at least once a month or things could vanish)
(Also tried Outlook not compatible, and windows live which was buggy and sloooooowwww!!!!!!)
Thanks Leo!