Summary: People ask every day how they can reach someone at Microsoft to help with Hotmail problems. You can't phone, but there is now on-line help for Hotmail.
This is a question I get a lot. And what's interesting is that the answer keeps changing.
Things are getting better, but it still feels like we're dealing with variations on the theme of "no".
Of late, however, there's a little hope.
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Once again I have to be very, very clear: there is no telephone support for Hotmail. Seriously, it's on the Windows Live Help site:
"We don't offer any direct phone or email support for Windows Live Hotmail."
But the good news in that statement is that there's a Windows Live Help site.
That's new.
The Windows Live Help Solutions Center is currently your only official support resource for Windows Live Hotmail. If you're attempting to contact Microsoft, this is your only resource.
Don't expect hand-holding.
The site focuses on two approaches to support:
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Self-help: in the form of online documentation and tools that you can use to learn more and occasionally even fix your own problems. What to do if you think your account has been stolen is a great example of an article that walks you through the steps, and online tools, that in some cases can restore a stolen or lost account.
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Peer-to-peer help: aka discussion forums. The primary means of disseminating information is in what boils down to a open discussion forum. Now the good news here is that there are in fact Microsoft personnel who are interacting on the board. They'll frequently answer questions, point you at the answers elsewhere on the site. It's unclear how quickly or reliably they respond, but it's most definitely a start.
One of the things I'll reiterate is simply this: use search. Clearly, the vast majority of questions being asked on the site have already been answered elsewhere on the site. It's very much like Ask Leo! in that way.
If you take a few minutes to learn about and exercise the search capability of the site, read the existing answers and the existing discussions posted by other users, there's a very good chance you can get your Hotmail question answered without having to wait for anyone.
Related:
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Are free email services worth it? Free email services and accounts are convenient and ubiquitous. But free email services aren't the right place to keep your important information.
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Ask Leo! - Would you please recover my password? My account has been hacked or I've forgotten it. I'm asked daily to reset lost passwords, recover hacked email accounts or retrieve lost information in them. Here's my answer.
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Internet Safety: How do I keep my computer safe on the internet? Internet Safety is difficult and yet critical. Here are the seven key steps to internet safety - steps to keep your computer safe on the internet.
Article C3689 - March 25, 2009
Hi,
Posted by: Marie at October 30, 2009 1:13 PMI am looking for a mail adress to Hotmail. Please let me kno`?? Thanks in advance. BR Marie
My ISP is earthlink. For some reason hotmail is blocking e-mail to my sisiter who has a hotmail account. I contacted earthlink and they advised that the problem is with hotmail. I went to hotmail's postmaster page and filled a form about blocked access. The form really seemed to be for bulk mailers (which I am not), but it was the only contact information they had. How can I get hotmail to stop blocking my mail?
01-Nov-2009
Posted by: Dorothy Howard at October 31, 2009 7:20 PM
Hi,
I'd like to close my hotmail account and I can not. I've gone through all the steps and tried to even close my Windows Live ID. I get the response that it can not be closed until my hotmail account is closed. So I click on that link and I get the error message that the option of closing my hotmail account is not available on my account. Help???
Posted by: Maxine at November 1, 2009 6:42 AMHi Leo, I just read Maxine's comment from Nov 1 and omg, I have the same issue! I actually closed the hotmail acct, several times, but the windows live account which I Really want to close won't go away! Help!!!
Posted by: Glen at November 8, 2009 8:25 PMObjective: Display your website on ours
Hello,
Help Center for Youth Development "HCYD is an independent, nonprofit, endowed with legal personality governed by its Constitution and the present status of the devices act as aforesaid.
Help Center for Youth Development (HCYD) has developed an action plan to mitigate the seriousness of the problem of youth. Within its comprehensive plan, the organization will develop alongside an emergency plan to create jobs to alleviate the current economic situation for disadvantaged people.
Given that the conditions do state of perplexity, "HCYD" will use past experiences, research and other action plans that could lead to a solution to the disadvantaged and the new entrant. The organization is growing with the help and effort of everyone, she'll develop a program whose results are convincing and effective.
The organization has no sex, color or race, religion or any other prejudice, we service ALL of the world, you need some help, others too! We are the managers of our assets, think of others.
We would like to display your website on our website so that our youth to an Access to your site quickly. But your permission would be appreciated
Ron Cherri
Posted by: Ron Cherri at November 14, 2009 8:50 AMCell: 514-975 9924
Email: roon_htm@hotmail.com
How do I change the date a greeting card is reminded of and delivered. I was way off.
Posted by: Carla Herwitz at November 14, 2009 12:31 PMMSN blocked one of my email accounts. Why,I don't know.My major problem is to open email attachments
from other email sources. Attachments which use WMP always open. No other type of attachnent will open for me. I have tried all given info to no avail. Trusting my friends without knowing what the attachnent contains I forward all to other friends. I have been doing this for a long time with no problems.
I just did a complete computer cleanup while saving certain and re-installed Windows Vista.
On opening my email all accounts opened except
and this one that contains important info.
MSN what is your problem?
Confused
William Govan 17/11/09 @ 7PM
Posted by: William Govan at November 17, 2009 3:53 PMI keep geting hotmail alerts that unless I provide my pasword dae of birth and account my hotmail will be closed is this true or another scam
19-Nov-2009
Posted by: shirley villegas at November 18, 2009 2:14 PM
How do I get rid of junk mail? My friends have been receiving junk mail from me I wasn't even aware please help. Thanks
Posted by: meya at November 21, 2009 1:50 AMrecently someone got into my email account and sent a false message to all of my contacts. Right after that I could not open my email but finally
Posted by: kumiko miyai at November 21, 2009 8:43 PMwith Microsoft Hotmail service, I was able to change my password. I have been getting this email saying, "I've requested to RESET my password
and I should confirm". When I tried to go to the web site they say to confirm, I don't find the right site. Do I still need to confirm 'RESET"?