Trouble Accessing Hotmail from mail programs?

"The connection to the server has failed" error in Outlook Express

MSFT Roopa S — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:37:00 GMT

This article provides resolution to the error "The connection to the server has failed" reported by users who can't send or receive e-mails when using an e-mail client especially Outlook Express.

Error:

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'smtp.live.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10051, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

-Or-

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'pop3.live.com', Protocol: POP3, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

Resolution:

This one will appear if SSL is unchecked. If you've already enabled SSL and you still can't send e-mails, your ISP might be blocking the port that you are using for the outgoing server. If this is the case, try 25 or 587.

Error:

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'smpt.live.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 587, Secure(SSL): Yes, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

-Or-

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'ppp3.live.com', Protocol: POP3, Port: 995, Secure(SSL): Yes, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

Resolution:

An invalid server name is causing the error. It should be pop3.live.com for the incoming server while smtp.live.com for outgoing.

Please note that the settings in the screenshot below are incorrect to depict the cause of the error mentioned above.

"User not authenticated" error in Outlook Express

MSFT Roopa S — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:27:00 GMT

This article provides resolution to the error "User not authenticated" reported by users who can't send or receive e-mails when using an e-mail client especially Outlook Express.

Error:

The message could not be sent because the server rejected the sender's e-mail address. The sender's e-mail address was 'xxxxxxx@hotmail.com'. Subject 'xxxxx', Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'smtp.live.com', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '550 5.7.3 Requested action aborted; user not authenticated', Port: 587, Secure(SSL): Yes, Server Error: 550, Error Number: 0x800CCC78

Resolution:

Make sure that the "My server requires authentication" option is enabled.

"Unable to logon to the server using Secure Password Authentication" error in Outlook Express

MSFT Roopa S — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:19:00 GMT

This article provides resolution to the error "Unable to logon to the server using Secure Password Authentication" reported by users who can't send or receive e-mails when using an e-mail client especially Outlook Express.

Error:

Unable to logon to the server using Secure Password Authentication. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'pop3.live.com', Protocol: POP3, Server Response: '-ERR command not implemented', Port: 995, Secure(SSL): Yes, Server Error: 0x800CCC90, Error Number: 0x800CCC18

Resolution:

Remove the checkmark on the "Log on using Secure Password Authentication" checkbox.

Frequently Asked Questions - Accessing Hotmail on mail programs

MSFT Irene L — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:29:00 GMT

ABOUT MAIL PROGRAMS

Q: How do I know which program I am currently using to view my Hotmail?
A: On the tool bar, click on Help and click on the About option. This will provide the details about the program you are using (e.g. Microsoft Office Outlook, Outlook Express, or Entourage).

Q: What is Windows Live Mail?
A: Windows Live Mail is a free mail program that allows customers to access e-mail accounts like Windows Live Hotmail. It has similar functionality to Outlook Express in that it syncs your e-mail when you’re connected to the internet, yet allows you to access your downloaded e-mail when you’re not online. It provides junk mail filtering and a built-in calendar that works with your Windows Live Calendar.

ABOUT SETTING UP HOTMAIL ON YOUR MAIL PROGRAM

Q: How do I set up Outlook to access Hotmail?
A: For a step-by-step guide, please see this article.

Q: I currently use Outlook Express, how can I access Hotmail?
A: Other than accessing Hotmail on the web, you can choose to set up Outlook to use the POP3 protocol, choose to download Windows Live Mail. Learn more about your options in this article.

Q: How do I set up Entourage on my Mac to access Hotmail?
A: For a step-by-step guide, please see this article.

Q: What is POP3?
A: POP3 is one of the most common mail protocols that allows mail programs to communicate with e-mail services like Hotmail to display e-mail.

ABOUT RETIRING THE DAV PROTOCOL

Q: What is DAV?
A: The DAV protocol is a communications method that mail programs use to communicate in order to display your e-mail. Outlook, Outlook Express, and Entourage can use the DAV protocol to display your Hotmail.

Q: Why is DAV being disabled?
A: DAV is a legacy protocol that is not optimally suited for clients to access large inboxes. Over time, as we've provided more e-mail storage to our users, DAV has become an inefficient solution for syncing your e-mail.

Q: You said you were going to discontinue DAV last year, and you changed that. Do you really mean it this time?
A: Yes. Last year, we postponed plans to retire the DAV protocol until more options were available (e.g. until the POP3 protocol was live). Now that these options are available, the DAV protocol will end on September 1, 2009.

Q: I'm an Outlook user, how does this affect me?
A: To see if you are affected, on the Tools menu in Outlook, click Account Settings, then click the E-mail tab. If your Hotmail account type is 'HTTP', you're using the DAV protocol and need to select an alternative solution. Unless you take action now, after September 1, 2009 you will no longer receive new e-mail in your Outlook inbox because the communications method that your Outlook uses to access Hotmail will no longer work. To continue to receive new email, you can download Office Outlook Connector to continue accessing your Windows Live Hotmail within Outlook 2003 or 2007. If you're using Outlook 2002 you will need to change the settings on your program (to use another communications method, known as the POP3 protocol) to access your Hotmail. Click here to learn more.

Q: I'm an Outlook Express user, how does this affect me?
A: Unless you take action now, after September 1, 2009 you will no long receive new e-mail in your Outlook Express inbox because the communications method that your Outlook Express uses to access Hotmail will no longer work. To ensure that you continue to receive new email, you can choose to download Windows Live Mail (recommended) or change the settings on your program (to use another communications method, known as the POP3 protocol) to access your Hotmail. Click here to learn more about your options.

Q: I'm an Entourage user, how does this affect me?
A: Unless you take action now, after September 1, 2009 you will no longer receive new e-mail in your Entourage inbox because the communications method that your Entourage uses to access Hotmail will no longer work. To ensure that you continue to receive new e-mail, you can change the settings in your program (to use another communications method known as the POP3 protocol) to access your Hotmail. Click here to learn more about setting up POP3 for Entourage.

Q: My default mail client is set up as Outlook Express. If I change to Windows Live Mail, what will my experience be like?
A: Windows Live Mail will work similarly to Outlook Express and can access messages from your Hotmail account, including older messages that you've read previously and new messages as they are received. Windows Live Mail is optimized to work with Windows Live Hotmail and also integrates well with other Windows Live services. It offers:

Offline mail
Send/receive mail from multiple accounts in one place - Hotmail accounts or POP and IMAP mail accounts (like Gmail or Yahoo! Plus)
Rich photo-sharing capabilities
Integration with Desktop Search
Safety tools (anti-phishing, anti-spam features)
Integration with Windows Live services including Windows Live Spaces
RSS feed aggregation
Built-in calendar view that can access your Windows Live Calendar

Q: What happens to all my data in Outlook Express if I switch to Windows Live Mail?
A: You will still be able to open and view e-mails previously downloaded to your Outlook Express program. However, after September 1, 2009, Outlook Express will no longer be able to access Hotmail and receive new e-mail. Instead, your Hotmail will be viewable via Windows Live Mail. In addition, you can continue to access Hotmail on the web.

Q: If I setup POP3, what will my experience be like?
A: With this option, your experience with your e-mail will be different to what it was in your program (Outlook, Outlook Express, or Entourage) with DAV, particularly if you access your email both in a web browser (i.e. www.hotmail.com) and in your program. All emails will initially download as being unread. If you delete or read an email in your program and then log into www.hotmail.com, your changes will not be reflected there. Also, if you have set up filtering rules on www.hotmail.com that move messages directly into a folder, those messages will not be downloaded to your program. Only messages arriving in your Inbox on the web will be downloaded to your program.

Q: I have more questions, how can I get more answers?
A: Visit the community forum.

Alternatives to DAV for accessing Hotmail on Outlook, Outlook Express, Entourage, or MSN Client

MSFT Irene L — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:19:00 GMT

In June 2009, Microsoft announced a change to the way Outlook, Outlook Express, and Entourage programs access Hotmail which may require customers to take action.

To continue to receive e-mail from your Hotmail account, please select one of the alternative solutions below before September 1, 2009. After this day, new e-mail can only be delivered to your mail programs through the following alternative solutions. However you can continue to view your e-mail via the web.

If you use Microsoft Office Outlook to view Hotmail, you can download free Office Outlook Connector to continue accessing your Windows Live Hotmail within Outlook 2003 or 2007. If you’re using Outlook 2002, you will need to change the settings on your program to access your Hotmail. Click here to learn more.

If you use Outlook Express to view Hotmail, you can choose to download free Windows Live Mail (recommended) or change the settings on your program to access your Hotmail within Outlook Express. Click here to learn more about your options.

If you use Entourage to view Hotmail, you can change the settings in your program to view your e-mail. Click here to learn more.

If you use MSN Client to view Hotmail, the MSN team has an FAQ to answer your questions. Click here to learn more.

Don’t know what you’re using to view Hotmail? Have more questions? View the FAQ page or visit the Community Forum.

Why did this change happen? Outlook, Outlook Express, and Entourage use a legacy communications method (known as the DAV protocol) to access Hotmail. Because the DAV protocol is not optimally suited for programs to access large inboxes such as Hotmail which now provides users ever-growing storage*, new alternatives have been built. Last year, customers asked us to postpone plans to retire the DAV protocol until more options were available. Now that these options (including the POP3 protocol) are available, we are ready to retire the DAV protocol.

Thank you for using Windows Live Hotmail.

*Assumes a reasonable growth rate

Start Using Hotmail with Entourage

Scott H — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:55:00 GMT

Important

Windows Live Hotmail accounts, including free accounts, can now be set up in Entourage using the POP3 protocol, a common Internet-based protocol. Examples of sources that use this protocol are Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail. After you add a POP account to Entourage, messages from the account appear in the folder list under On My Computer in the inbox.

Step 1: Add the account

NOTE: If you are moving from DAV to POP3, there are a few important differences. With POP3, there is no synchronizing. For example, if you read an e-mail message in Entourage the message will be unread if you view your Hotmail account on the web. Also, only messages in your Hotmail Inbox will display in Entourage. Other folders, and any messages in them, will not be displayed.

1. Before you use the POP3 protocol for the first time, you must sign in to your Windows Live Hotmail using a web browser such as Safari at http://mail.live.com. After you sign in successfully, you can sign out.

2. In Entourage, on the Entourage menu, click Account Settings.

3. Click the arrow next to New , and then click Mail. If you see the Account Setup Assistant, click Configure Account Manually.

4. In the Account type pop-up menu, click POP, and then click OK.

5. On the Account Settings tab, in the Account name box, type the name that you want to use to refer to this account in Entourage.

6. Under Personal Information, type the name and the e-mail address that you want to use.

Note: The name that you type appears in the "From" field of mail messages that you send from the account.

7. Under Receiving mail, enter the following information:

* Account ID - Enter you email address into this field.

* POP Server - Enter pop3.live.com

* Password - Enter your password.

Note: If you do not see the POP server box, click Cancel, and then go back to step 3.

8. Click Click here for advanced receiving options, and then select the This POP service requires a secure connection (SSL) check box.

The completed Receiving mail settings should resemble this:

9. Under Sending mail, in the SMTP server box, enter smtp.live.com.

10. Click Click here for advanced sending options, and then select the SMTP service requires secure connection (SSL) check box. Also select the options for SMTP server requires authentication and Use same settings as receiving mail server.

The completed Sending mail settings should resemble this:

11. Under Account Settings, clear the Include this account in my “Send & Receive All” schedule check box.

12. Click the Options tab, and then under Server options, select the Leave a copy of each message on the server check box. Also select the Delete messages from the server after they are deleted from this computer check box.

The completed Server options settings should resemble this:

13. Click OK.

The Windows Live Hotmail account now appears in the Accounts window.

Step 2: Create a schedule to send and receive messages

Important

A Windows Live Hotmail account should not be set up to send and receive messages more frequently than every 20 minutes. Otherwise, duplicate copies of messages might appear.

1. On the Tools menu, click Schedules, and then click New.

2. In the Name box, enter a name for the schedule, such as Hotmail Send and Receive.

3. Under When, click the Manually pop-up menu, and then click Repeating Schedule.

4. In the Every box, enter a value of 20 or larger.

5. Under Action, on the pop-up menu on the left, click Receive Mail, and then in the from pop-up menu, click your Windows Live Hotmail account.

6. Click Add Action.

7. In the new row, click the Receive Mail pop-up menu, and then click Send All.

The completed schedule should resemble this:

8. Click OK.

The schedule that you created appears in the Schedules dialog box.

Step 3: Use your account in Entourage and on the Web

Messages from your Windows Live Hotmail Inbox folder will appear in Entourage in the folder list (The pane of the Entourage window that contains folders for messages, contacts, and other items). If the folder list is not visible, on the View menu, click Show Folder List. If you are working in Calendar view, Show Folder List is available from the Calendar menu under On My Computer.

Messages in folders other than the Inbox will be available only on the Windows Live Hotmail Web site.

Entourage will not receive messages from your Windows Live Hotmail Junk folder. We recommend that you sign in to your Windows Live Hotmail account in a Web browser periodically (at least once a month) to see whether any important messages were directed to the Junk folder.