Getting at MSN mail from Outlook Express - [FIXED]

[Ken Moore]

A friend of mine recently had his system rebuilt from scratch (not by me). He was originally on Windows 98 and moved to Windows ME. He has an MSN email account (eg. his-name@msn.com) and was using Outlook Expresss to access this, I believe via POP3.

On the new system we are totally unable to access email from OE (version 6), either using POP3 or by using HTML. we've done everything in help documents/knowledge base articles but all to no avail.

Pop3 gets stuck on the server login authentication screen and says...

Unable to poll for new messages on your HTTP server. Account: 'Hotmail (1)', Server:
'http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp', Protocol: HTTPMail, Server Response: 'Service Unavailable', Port: 0, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800CCCF0

Access online via HOTMAIL is OK.

The following Knowledge base articles have been consulted (plus many
others): 173952, 179950, 297790, 220852, 173439.

Mail servers used were pop3.email.msn.com and smtp.email.msn.com

MSN support have replied rather unhelpfully with...

"The MSN account in question is currently in an expired status. Generally, this occurs due to different reasons that cannot be conveyed through online methods."

and have said on the phone that this service has not been available for 4 years now however...

Mail can be sent to the account and accessed online and anyway it was all working fine just a month ago.

Can anyone shed any light on this matter?

[Reverend]

Don't know if you have already tried this Ken.(you need to have OE version 5.5 or later)

To set up your Hotmail account in Outlook Express

In Outlook Express, click Accounts on the Tools menu.

In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click Add, and then click Mail.

Use the following information to complete the Internet Connection Wizard:

Type in your name in the Display Name box.Click next.

On the Internet E-mail Address page,type in your hotmail/msn address.Click next.

On the E-mail Servers Name page select HTTP from the "My Incoming mail server is" drop down menu,and select either MSN or HOTMAIL from the "My HTTP mail service provider is" drop down menu.Click Next.

Follow the remaining instructions to finish the wizard.

[Ken Moore]

Yep, been down that route but thanks anyway.

We're just trying to get back to the state we were in a month ago where Outlook Express (now version 6) was able to get the mail

[Reverend]

I'm wondering if they have a problem with their mail servers.
I just tried my Hotmail account via OE and it won't connect.Just hangs on the connection.

Anybody else having problems retrieving their Hotmail via OE

[Big Booger]

Hotmail works fine through OE for me

[Big Booger]

Ken,
The link below has screenshots and is easy to understand in setting up your MSN email account with Outlook Express.

Have a look:
http://ninemsn.com.au/support/MSN/outlookexpress.asp

make sure you have it configured exactly the same with your correct username and password.

From that site above:
The following instructions explain how to configure your Outlook Express to use an alternative Internet connection to download your MSN email. This is to be used by international MSN members from the USA, UK and Japan.

I don't know if you are loacted in one of those countries or not, but if you are this should work. Make sure you check log on USING SPA (secure password authentication)

Also, if your email account is expired, you might want to call them back and ask them to reactivate it... even though you can access the account online, perhaps they won't allow POP3 access until it is reactivated, just a thought.

Keep us updated on your progress.
BB

[Zetha]

try to configure the account with this server in http:

http://oe.msn.msnmail.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmdata

this server is http like hotmail server, but this is for msn mail.-

[Anastasis]

Originally posted by Zetha
try to configure the account with this server in http:

http://oe.msn.msnmail.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmdata

this server is http like hotmail server, but this is for msn mail.-
Excellent! Thanks for this. This has fixed my problem and I can now download my MSN mail into my Outlook Express.

[exscuse]

Windows XP users can also take advantage of this..... Just one thing I don't quite understand - I thought Microsoft and Hotmail and MSN were a threesome... Does this mean a divorce is coming up???? Hotmail oughtta post this stuff!!!

Typical MicroS**T!!!

[Thor]

Originally posted by exscuse
Windows XP users can also take advantage of this..... Just one thing I don't quite understand - I thought Microsoft and Hotmail and MSN were a threesome... Does this mean a divorce is coming up???? Hotmail oughtta post this stuff!!!

Typical MicroS**T!!!

They are but not when it comes to mail!

[worldbird]

I got the same problem that OE did not loaded down the email. This happended because I had more then one email accounts. I errased all the accounts exept the hotmail. Then OE was able to load down the files. After that I entered the other accounts again and it worked.
You can also make a new identity. Go to Files and then to Identity and make e new one. Enter your hotmail account and then klick on the account in the folders on the left and OE will load down. If you want to transfer the email: first copy the mails in explorer to a new directory and the import in OE from that new directory. Under options> maintance>store folders you can define the folder you want to store the emails.

[1 Bad DJ]

Hi Guys....newbie here but have a similar problem....When I was running Win XP I could access 2 x hotmail + 2 x msn mail via Outlook Express no probs...was easy as pie to set up as I just clicked "http server" then chose hotmail or msn as required.

...I've now gone back to Win ME (for a variety of reasons) and I only get the choice to click Hotmail http accounts, not msn..

Please help / Advise!

ps...very impressed with the whole Technonez Community (what I've seen so far!)

[Reverend]

Welcome to Techzonez.

Have you upgraded to IE 6.0 SP1 since going back to ME?
If you upgrade to the SP1,the MSN option should be available again.

You can download it from here (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/ie6sp1/download.asp)

[1 Bad DJ]

Thanks Reverend... :)

...I was pretty sure I'd already done that...but I just downloaded and installed it again (Broadband)...restarted....same problem....no MSN option, :(

[Reverend]

OK,you can try this.

Select HTTP and Other,and then paste the msnmail server link,(below),into the blank box.

http://oe.msn.msnmail.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmdata

link fixed.

[Conan]

Originally posted by Reverend
OK,you can try this.

Select HTTP and Other,and then paste the msnmail server link,(below),into the blank box.

http://oe.msn.msnmail.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmdata.

Page not found Rev.

[Reverend]

Originally posted by Conan
Page not found Rev.

I put a full stop on the end by mistake. :rolleyes:
should be http://oe.msn.msnmail.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmdata

its a mail server url.

[1 Bad DJ]

SUCCESS!.....Thankyou so much!

http://www.mp3.com/1BadDJ

[stephtwn]

you people are my god's sorry for wasting server space but thankyou for the above link for msn, i have read microsofts website for days followed by hotmails and msn on what do if msn does not dowload to outlook express, and guess what not a clue!!, found this website via google and you have that answer iv looked for. thanks my Gods. And you are now in my Favorites and so should every one else. Cheers

[nbyers]

Unable to poll for new messages on your HTTP server. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp', Protocol: HTTPMail, Server Response: 'Service Unavailable', Port: 0, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800CCCF0

I have Outlook Express 6 and I.E. 6. How do I fix this? I have Windows 98. I have tried the other suggestions offered in this forum, and none work for me.

[Reverend]

Unable to poll for new messages on your HTTP server. Account: 'Hotmail', Server: 'http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp', Protocol: HTTPMail, Server Response: 'Service Unavailable', Port: 0, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800CCCF0

I have Outlook Express 6 and I.E. 6. How do I fix this? I have Windows 98. I have tried the other suggestions offered in this forum, and none work for me.

Try this:

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 259133 (http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q259/1/33.ASP)

[alisonsands@msn]

what's going on, on my msn e mail page I can resd messages and some attachments but not all.
I cannot however send any mail it just keeps saying error on page! HELP?!

[lynchknot]

I was about to open a thread but as I was google searching I found this one so i'm posting here. (I have tried what I found posted here but no work still)

It used to work now it does not. It has not worked in many weeks. It will receive but not send. I have made no changes. Does anyone know what is wrong? Here is the message I get:

The service is currently unavailable. Try again later. Account: 'kenlynch', Server: 'http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp', Protocol: HTTPMail, Server Response: 'Service Unavailable.', Port: 0, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800CCCF0

AT knowledge base the only workaround is this but I do not have IE configured to use a proxy:
WORKAROUND
If you have manually configured your browser to use proxies, and you can still access the Web with proxy servers disabled, you may be able to exclude the HTTP mail servers from your proxy configuration.

To exclude the HTTP mail server:
1. Check your proxy settings in Microsoft Internet Explorer. On the Microsoft Windows desktop, right-click the Internet Explorer icon, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Connections tab. If you use a dial-up setting, click the dial-up setting, and then click Settings. If you use a LAN, click LAN Settings.
3. If the Use a proxy server check box is selected, click Advanced.
4. In the Do not use proxy server for addresses beginning with box, type *hotmail*;*services.msn*.
5. Click OK three times.
6. Start Outlook Express, and try to access your Hotmail account.

[JessALilSassy]

You have to type in @msn.com after your account name when configuring yourself. Let Outlook express do the rest. But you can't just type in the name of your account, you have to add @msn.com and it is now working for me. Good luck. Jess

[JessALilSassy]

Whichever mail your trying to get through Outlook Express. It's that easy. After all this frustration of trying to get the answers online. I finally realized before signing in to Hotmail or Msn mail. You have to type your full address, not just your user name. So Outlook Express will have to do the same, to retrieve your mail. Hit configure myself. Where it asks for your account name or user name, make sure you type your full address including @msn.com or @hotmail.com and the password you use to log in at the site. Then make sure you check remember password for outlook express to keep getting your mail. Leave the settings alone for MSN/Hotmail. Let OE configure that for you. K I'm done. Hugs, Jess

[Big Booger]

Whichever mail your trying to get through Outlook Express. It's that easy. After all this frustration of trying to get the answers online. I finally realized before signing in to Hotmail or Msn mail. You have to type your full address, not just your user name. So Outlook Express will have to do the same, to retrieve your mail. Hit configure myself. Where it asks for your account name or user name, make sure you type your full address including @msn.com or @hotmail.com and the password you use to log in at the site. Then make sure you check remember password for outlook express to keep getting your mail. Leave the settings alone for MSN/Hotmail. Let OE configure that for you. K I'm done. Hugs, Jess

Often times a fix is as simple as that. :D Glad you got it sorted.