Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Windows Live Hotmail changed the way they display messages, and in doing so apparently changed the steps you need to take to print a message.
Since Hotmail's recent change of format, we are unable to print emails from our inboxs. The right hand side of the page is cut off and only the first page prints.
•
I had a suspicion that I knew what Hotmail had done, and sure enough, I went to check and said to myself "they didn't!"
They did.
The answer is not to use the print button, but to use the print button instead.
Now in case that's not clear 
, let me
explain.
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One change that this latest version of Windows Live Hotmail apparently made is that they don't actually display an entire message as a single browser page. Rather, they've created a smaller window within the page in which they display only a portion of the message. The window has a scroll bar so you can move around within the message to read it. You can tell that it's not the browser's own scroll bar, because it doesn't take up the entire right hand side, and when you scroll the Hotmail header and UI don't scroll off the top.
When you click your browser's print button , it prints what the browser sees as the displayed page. In the past this was likely your entire message. In the current version it's all the Hotmail UI to the left and top of your message, and the window that's displaying only a portion of your message.
Not at all what you intended.
In fact, it looks to me that they rendered the browser's print button useless for printing Hotmail.
However...
If you look closely at the Hotmail UI on the page, you'll see another print button:
If you click on this button to print your message, then Hotmail will open your message in a new window, with the entire message displayed. The good news is that the Hotmail headers, advertisements and other stuff is not included; it's just the message, and all of the message that you can then print.
It is an extra step, and it's not immediately obvious, but it does produce a reasonable result.
It's just unfortunate that the actual browser print button that so many relied upon is no longer the right thing to use to print.
If you still have a problem with the right hand portion of the message being cut off, I'll direct you to this article: Why is only the left hand part of my page printed?
Article C3568 - November 20, 2008
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.
I tried the printer icon and when I print from Win Live Mail I am losing information on the L&R margins. Why doesn't Microsoft create a patch for Hotmail and Win. Live Mail to resolve this problem? I do a lot of printing from my email inbox. This is totally counter productive to take extra steps to save (in htm) to the desktop and then print.
20-Jun-2011
Posted by: Anne S at June 20, 2011 5:03 PM
i have a windows live mail i can't print in color signatures mails how can i print thees mails
Posted by: rohan at August 22, 2011 4:46 AMthx leo for the e-mail printing problem, you made me realize you have to use the hotmail printer icon to print anything off their e-mail. what as+++++'s !!!!!
Posted by: scott at September 19, 2011 6:37 PMThis was VERY, VERY HELPFUL!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Such a simple thing - but it makes all the difference in printing. I wish I woulda found your answer months ago.
Posted by: Melanie at January 1, 2012 9:39 PMI tried the printer icon and that didn't work. I have a Dell desktop that prints to the wireless printer just fine. My Samsung laptop will print Word docs. just fine but when I try to print an e-mail I get about 48 pages or printer junk (set-up info etc.).
Please help if possible
Posted by: Lloyd at January 7, 2012 8:52 PM