This solution article suggests customers on some of the settings to check when they are not receiving emails sent by their friends/family.
Check your Junk folder
1. Sign in to the Windows Live Hotmail website with your Windows Live Hotmail account.
2. Click on the Junk folder in the left pane.
3. Check to see if the missing mail is already in this folder.
4. If you see any messages that should have been delivered to the Inbox here, click to put a check in the box to the left of each message and then click the Not Junk button.
Check your Junk Mail Settings
1. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Options, and then click More options.
2. Under Junk e-mail, click Filters and reporting.
3. Under Choose a junk e-mail filter, choose the level of protection that you want, and then click Save. If the Exclusive level was set, messages from senders not on your Contacts or Safe senders lists will have been sent to the Junk e-mail folder.
4. Click on Options in the upper left to go back to the Hotmail Options screen.
Check your Blocked sender list
1. From the Hotmail Options screen under Junk e-mail, click Safe and blocked senders.
2. Click Blocked senders.
3. In the Blocked senders list, select the name or domain (The part of an e-mail address that follows the @ sign, such as msn or hotmail.) that you now want to receive mail from, and then click << Remove from list.
4. Click on Options in the upper left to go back to the Hotmail Options screen.
Add the email address to your Safe senders list
1. From the Hotmail Options screens under Junk e-mail, click Safe and blocked senders.
2. Click Safe Senders.
3. In the text box, type in the email address or domain you’d like to always receive email from, and then click Add to list >>.
4. Click on Options in the upper left to go back to the Hotmail Options screen.
Check your Email Rules
1. From the Hotmail Options screens under Customize your mail, click Manage Rules.
2. Perform one of the actions as per your requirement:
Click Edit next to the rule that you want to edit.
Or
Choose the rule that you want to delete and click Delete.
Note: Not all international characters are supported as filters.
Check your Reply-to address
1. From the Hotmail Options screens under Customize your mail, click Reply-to address.
2. Select Current e-mail address radio button.
3. Click Save.
4. Click on Options in the upper left to go back to the Hotmail Options screen.
Check your Auto-forwarding setting
1. From the Hotmail Options screens under Manage your account, click Forward mail to another e-mail account.
2. At the Forwarding page, click Forward your mail to another e-mail address radio button.
3. In the address field, type the e-mail address where you want to forward your e-mail to, and then click Save.
4. Sign in to the e-mail account that you want to forward your e-mail to, open the e-mail message that asks you to verify your account, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: If you can see the option Keep a copy of forwarded messages in your Windows Live Hotmail inbox, check the box beside it if you want to leave a copy of the forwarded messages to your Hotmail account. If you don't have that option, select Don't forward so that you can continue to receive messages in your Hotmail account.
