How do I transfer my MSN Hotmail inbox from one account to another?

I've discussed in a prior article that it's possible to move your contacts from one Hotmail account to another. In fact that's gotten even easier of late since Windows Live Hotmail now appears to support both import and export of contacts making it much easier.

Unfortunately, the same is not true for email messages. In fact, I actually know of no way to move email messages or folders from one Hotmail account to another.

But I do have another solution. Unfortunately it involves changing the way you access your email.

My recommendation is that you choose one of the solutions to download Windows Live Hotmail to your machine:

• Set up a mail program like Windows Live Mail on your computer.

• Configure that program to access the Hotmail account containing the messages you wanted to move.

• Download all of your email from that Hotmail account into your mail program.

• Reconfigure that mail program to now access the new Hotmail account you want to begin using.

• Use that mail program to manage your email on your PC from now on.

• (Make sure to backup your email along with the rest of your PC regularly.)

One of the nice approaches to downloading your mail in this fashion is that you can actually change the email accounts you're using as often as you like without losing the messages that you've received. In addition the address book you'll build in the email program will also transfer as well. In fact, using an email program on your PC makes it easier not only to change from one Hotmail account to another, but also to any other email provider that provides downloadable or POP3 access.

Yes, you do lose the ability to manage all your email via Hotmail's web interface. You can still use the web interface, but unless you configure your email program to leave the messages on the server and not all the messages you have will be visible there, they'll have been downloaded to your PC and will be available in your mail program.