How to Check Hotmail with Outlook

Email users often debate whether they should use web-based email or sign up for a POP3 based email account so they can use email software. With Microsoft Outlook, you simultaneously receive the benefits of web-based email and email software. You can configure Outlook to import your Hotmail email.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Create a Hotmail account if you do not already have one. You must have an existing Hotmail account before you do any configuring in Outlook. Get a Hotmail account by going to the Hotmail website and clicking the "Sign Up" button.

2. Open Microsoft Outlook and from the "Tools" menu select "Email Accounts." The email account wizard will pop up.

3. Choose "Add a new email account" from the list of options and click the "Next" button. Then, select "HTTP" and hit "Next" again. Now you are ready to input information about your Hotmail account.

4. Select "Hotmail" from the drop down menu at the right. Enter the name that you want to associate with this account in the "Your Name" field. This is the name that appears when you send someone an email from Outlook.

5. Input your Hotmail email address in the "Email Address" field. Your user name will automatically be filled in when you do this.

6. Provide the password to your Hotmail account in the "Password" field. Put a check mark in the check box below if you would like for Outlook to remember your password. This will save you from having to enter your password every time you download your Hotmail email with Outlook.

7. Hit the "Finish" button to complete the setup of your Hotmail account. Now, when you select "Send and Receive" Outlook will synchronize with Outlook. Too see your Hotmail email, select "Inbox in Hotmail" from your list of mail folders.

Tips & Warnings

• Although your email is displayed by Outlook, it is not downloaded from the server. Therefore, you can read your email in Outlook and still have access to it on the Hotmail website.
• Move your email from Hotmail into another Outlook folder to permanently download your email to your hard drive. You will no longer be able to see this email from the Hotmail website. This is a good way to backup your email when you are through with it.