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If the time on your Windows Live Hotmail messages is wrong by hours, it's likely that you have the wrong time zone selected. We'll fix that.

The time on my outgoing mail is wrong and I can't find the time zone setting after the latest round of Windows Live Hotmail changes. Where do I change it?

The location of the time zone setting has moved, again.

I'll walk you through resetting it.

Like many of these settings, once you've logged in, click the Options link:

Windows Live Hotmail Options Link

Then, click the More Options item:

Windows Live Hotmail More Options Item

On the resulting page, under Managing your account, click Account details (password, aliases, time zone):

Account details link

On the Country/region line, click Change:

Country/region change link

Using the Time zone selector, select your correct time zone:

Hotmail Timezone selection

Make sure that it's set correctly to ensure that Windows Live Hotmail places the correct time on your outgoing mails.

Click Save.

This actually changes the time zone association with your Windows Live account. In addition to Hotmail, all Windows Live online services that might care about time zone will be updated as well.

(This is an update to an article originally published January 22, 2009.)

Article C3631 - May 7, 2011 « »

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Leo Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed. After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.

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Recent Comments
127 Comments
Marlene Hoff
July 15, 2012 5:28 PM

Thank you so much. Having the wrong time zone was driving me batty and I couldn't figure it out without your help. I'm so glad I found you :)

Manikandan P
July 23, 2012 8:04 AM

Im Last two Days Confuse & irritating about this issue.
Thank You For Your Support.

Nick
July 25, 2012 9:20 AM

Thanks so much! My hotmail timezone has been stuck on GMT as long as I've had the account (14 years). Yay, no more subtracting 5 hours!

Jez Kemp
November 22, 2012 5:35 PM

Hey, I tried using this but Hotmail has updated their system - clicking "Account details" now goes to a hideous blue page. Are you able to investigate? Would be happy to be told I'm just doing something wrong!

That's apparently the new look that Microsoft is moving toward. Click on Edit Personal Details on that page and timezone is there.
Leo
23-Nov-2012

Jez Kemp
November 22, 2012 5:38 PM

Apologies - I had one final look, and worked it out. On the blue/white screen, you have to go "Edit personal info" and update the country and time zone fields there. Really weird! Sorry for commenting twice, but maybe you should update this page accordingly :)