i have had my hotmail account forever. Seems like Outlook took it over at some point, then Windows messed it up more by making it go through Windows Live. I had serious problems on my last laptop--said to be due to Windows Live Essentials.
On this laptop, for waaayyyy too long, I have had to go online to get to my hotmail account, which is now either 'Microsoft". "Windows Live", or "Outlook", whichever pops up for my hotmail account.
If I;m on a website, and I want to contact them by email, it opens Windows Mail on my computer, but I don't know what the server settings are, so I have to close that, then go to one of my email accounts, like hotmail, online. How ridiculous to have to sign in, hit new, copy and paste the persons email address into the new email that opened for me online.
I'm really sick of this. Today, I decided it was time to devote my day to trying to fix the problem, knowing I might lose this computer too due to Microsoft problems.
I started by replicating the task: went online to a site, tried to send email, it opened windows live mail on my computer, and then asked for the server settings, which, of course, I have no idea how to get that.
Then, as usual, my computer said I need an update for Windows Essentials (or Live Essentials, Live Mail Essentials, or something like that) it said 2012, whatever it was. I've been dreading this, fearing it will screw up my computer again, but I let it download whatever it said it needed.
Meanwhile, I go back to the online hotmail account, which comes up in Windows or Microsoft something.... and putting my password in requires a shtload of verification processes, including 2 phone calls to enter numbers, which next says they have to send an email to my other account with some code, which then forces me to change my password, WHICH THEN NEVER WORKS AGAIN, AND THE PROCESS STARTS OVER, FORCING A NEW PASSWORD OVER AND OVER.
LISTEN MICROSOFT:
I want to uninstall every stupid program associated with Essentials, and Live, and Mail, And Messenger... I JUST WANT MY FRICKN HOTMAIL ACCOUNT ON MY COMPUTER!! I can't figure out what help you offer, because it ends up referring to Office, which I don't have either.
I don't understand where Outlook fits into any of this, but I really don't want to lose my hotmail address. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET MY PASSWORD TO WORK, AND THEN GET AN EMAIL PROGRAM ON MY COMPUTER SO THAT MY DEFAULT EMAIL PROGRAM AND ADDRESS CAN OPEN AND SEND MAIL. I NNNNEEEEEEEEDDDDD THE STUPID SERVER PASSWORD DETAILS! WHO OR WHAT HAS THEM, AND WHERE DO I GET THEM??!
DO NOT SEND ME BACK TO THE RUNAROUND WITH CHANGING PASSWORDS AGAIN. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHICH ONE IS REAL ANYMORE!