Article ID: 878462 - Last Review: December 10, 2007 - Revision: 6.4

You receive an error message when you use Outlook Express or Outlook to access your Hotmail account

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SUMMARY

Only paid Hotmail accounts work correctly with Microsoft Outlook Express. Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 can use the Outlook Connector to access a free Hotmail account.

This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user.

Symptoms of the problem

After you configure Microsoft Outlook Express or Microsoft Outlook to access your Hotmail account, you receive the following error message when you try to download your Hotmail folders and when you try to send and receive e-mail messages:
Unknown Error
If you click Details, the following error details appear:
HTTPMAIL: 10:09:18 [rx]

HTTP/1.1 402 Access to Hotmail via Outlook & Outlook Express now requires a subscription. Please sign up at http://join.msn.com/hotmailplus/overview
If you are running Outlook Express on a Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)-based computer, you receive the following error message:
Could not connect to Hotmail as username@hotmail.com.

Hotmail no longer allows email access via Outlook Express for free Hotmail/MSN accounts.

Steps to resolve the problem

To resolve this issue, use Method 1 for Outlook Express. Use Method 2 for Outlook 2003 and for Outlook 2007.

Method 1: Use Windows Live Mail instead of Outlook Express

Windows Live Mail is an e-mail program that you install on your computer. Windows Live Mail stores messages on your computer. This means that you can access, read, and compose e-mail messages even when you are not connected to the Internet. After you connect, Windows Live Mail will send and receive messages and update your accounts. Windows Live Mail works with popular Web-based e-mail services such as Hotmail, AOL mail, Google mail, and Yahoo! mail. Windows Live Mail is built to automatically configure many popular e-mail services. To install Windows Live Mail, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview (http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview)

Method 2: Use Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 together with the Outlook Connector

For more information about how to use a Windows Live Hotmail account in Outlook, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102218231033.aspx (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102218231033.aspx)

APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5
  • Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0
    • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
    • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
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