You cannot access your Hotmail account from Windows Messenger after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2

After you install Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), and you then try to use Microsoft Windows Messenger to check your Windows Live Hotmail e-mail account, you experience one of the following:

• Windows Messenger does not notify you that you have received new e-mail in your Hotmail account.
• Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express starts instead of the Hotmail Web site appearing when you click My E-mail Inbox on the File menu in Windows Messenger.
• There is no link in Windows Messenger that displays the number of new e-mail messages that are present in your Hotmail Inbox.

This issue occurs if one of the following is true:

• The default e-mail program is set to Outlook or to Outlook Express in Microsoft Internet Explorer. Therefore, you will not be able to automatically sign in to your Hotmail account.
• Your installed copy of Windows Messenger is version 4.7.2009 or a later version.

To resolve this issue, use the latest version of MSN Messenger to automatically sign in to your Hotmail account. To install the latest version of MSN Messenger, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note If Windows Messenger is running, you have to sign out from the MSN Messenger.

The version of Windows Messenger that is installed with Windows XP SP2 is associated with the default e-mail program that is set in Microsoft Internet Explorer. The default e-mail program may be Outlook, Outlook Express, MSN, or Windows Live Hotmail. When you click the My E-mail Inbox on the File menu in Windows Messenger, the default e-mail program will start. The My E-mail Inbox will not automatically sign you in to your Windows Live Hotmail account.