My Windows Live Hotmail account won't close, what do I do?

If Hotmail is a web-based opertion and Windows Live Mail is simply a "program" on your computer, it would seem seem that the Hotmail account is more exposed, more vulnerable, and since both use the same id all of your emails end up in the Hotmail account, whether you like it or not. That would be my reason for wanting to eliminate it.
Why couldn't you close the account, which, as you said, would close all of them, then reopen Windows Live Mail only with a new account id, and eliminate the Hotmail that way if you wish?

I had two hot mail accounts and two MSN identities. I closed them both. In my case I did that because someone I did not want contacting me was doing it anyway. I could block that person on MSN, but I couldn't block them from sending me e-mails. I can't be bothered to go in and periodically check an unused hot mail account, why should I? As long as this person continued sending me e-mails the account would have been technically "In Use". The 270 day thing makes me laugh. It was easier for me to close and then delete the unwanted accounts. I now have a new @live account, a new MSN identity, and this person is no longer able to contact me. The entire process took maybe 5 minutes, and it was worth it as far as I am concerned. The relief I now feel because this person cannot find me is total and utter joy. Oh and the second hot mail account I had, 2260 spam messages in the last three months, real actual spam, the nigerian stuff, you name it, that account was completely overrun with spam.

so does this mean microsoft does not really close your account for 270 days? if so, this is just another example of microsoft continuing to jerk users around.

It is important for me to close and get rid of any MSN related accounts (hotmail, messenger, windows live, etc) beacuse it has obviously been hacked into and many obscene emails have been sent from my account, many scams pop up in my messenger everytime I use it and even my facebook, that was registered under a hotmail account has been tapped into. You don't seem to understand HOW IMPORTANT it is these days to proctec personal information. It is NOT sufficient to just STOP USING the account becasue I signed in after a month of supposedly cancelling it and I find again emails that have been sent out of my account by somebody else than ME! How do you stop that form happening if you cannot close the account!!!????

Look Leo, I really appreciate your care and attention, but...If the Msn is actually mine I have the right to close it just when I want. I don't want pretend that I haven't it anymore...But it seems to be impossible. So my question is: "Am I the real owner of my account?"

Actually, if we want to play the game of semantics: no you are not. Hotmail is. And it's by their terms of service that they allow you to use it.

02-Jul-2010

My ex won't leave me alone, I've change and deleted all my former account, this is the only one that I can't. Even though I've told him not to email me numerous time he still does and he claim that I emailed him first he just replied, but he can't produce any of my email. Now every1 believes that I'm the clingy stalker when in reality it's him

So stop using the account that he's contacting you on. Just stop. Ignore it, log out of it, and never ever sign into it again.

20-Jul-2010

I have a ton of people emailing me telling me they are getting spam from my old Hotmail account. I have tried to close it, but it says my account is linked to a paid service. I don't pay for anything. Maybe I did a long long time ago? Who knows.... I just want it to close! Any suggestions???

I'd send you to this article: What are my Lost Hotmail Account and Password Recovery Options? - in particular I'd have you check the Hotmail support options.

09-Oct-2010

I have tried to stop my account and to no avail and I have had issues with someone hacking this account and contacting my young nieces pretending to be me and asking them to undress etc..this is horrendous and one of my friends has said there is a suicide site that comes up when you google my full name and that the guy on this site has my profile page with all my hotmail details including when I am signed in and I have tried to find out what to do, help me please .

In your position I would contact the police.

11-Oct-2010

Interestingly enough I tried your method 5 years ago. I walked away from my hotmail and haven't used it in years. However, just recently, my account was hacked and is now sending spam email under my name to my old contacts list. This is the reason people want to delete their accounts. Having old accounts in your name is a recipe for trouble, and there's no earthly reason why the desire to close an account should annoy anyone. We want to save MSN the data space for a service we don't use, and we want to save ourselves the hassle of coming back years later to change passwords for an account we don't use just because someone hacked it when we couldn't figure out how to delete it.

I get the impression that people really aren't getting the help they've come for. I don't want to 'stop using my account' or 'ignore it', I want it closed. It should not be this hard to close an account. I've attempted canceling my Microsoft account, per the instructions that I got once trying to close my hotmail account. I'm getting taken in circles and I don't want to just 'not check' my hotmail account. It was compromised and people are receiving emails from 'me'. I've changed my password, I've deleted all of my contacts, to no avail. I just want the account closed.

Your account was compomised? You must (MUST) have control of an account in order to close it. This article, already on Ask Leo, discusses recovery options for the various ways that Hotmail accounts can be lost or compromised: What are my Lost Hotmail Account and Password Recovery Options? - Personally I don't believe closing an account helps, since eventually the email address is returned to the available pool and someone can then create a new account with the same email address. All the machinations to close it simply aren't worth the effort. Tell all your contacts to ignore email coming from the old account and move on.

27-Nov-2010