Why Does Hotmail Freeze After I Log In?

By Erin McManaway

Windows Live Hotmail is a Web-based email system that allows you to send and receive email messages and sync other Internet accounts such as Gmail, AOL and Yahoo Plus. When you log in to your Hotmail email, the Hotmail website runs scripts that provide various features, such as the drag and drop capability, built-in audio player or Windows Live calendar functions. These scripts can cause conflicts with your Internet browser that freeze the website and make it difficult for you to access your email messages.

Causes

When Hotmail freezes when you log in, this is usually a sign of a conflict with your Internet browser settings. Browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome allow you to install official and user-created plugins that extend the functionality of the browser. However, sometimes these plugins can cause unexpected side effects, especially when combined with other plugins. Your browser may also be out of date or have built-up temporary files that can cause issues if you do not clear the browser’s history and cache.

Switch Browsers

When a Hotmail issue is tied to a specific browser, you can download and install a different browser to address the problem. Usually, a clean install of a different browser will fix Hotmail freezing issues caused by plugins, file corruption or temporary files from the previous browser. Also, if one browser can view Hotmail and the other can’t, this is a sign that the first browser is experiencing conflicts and requires troubleshooting or updating.

Clear Temporary Files

One common cause of conflict is built-up browser temporary files and history. Usually these files help to speed up the loading time of pages you frequently visit. However, if there are changes to the Hotmail website scripts, old temporary files may cause the site to freeze. Access your browser’s Internet options to clear your temporary files and your browser cache. Once you’ve done this, restart your browser and attempt to access Hotmail to determine if this fixed the issue or if you need to conduct further troubleshooting.

Browser Plugin Troubleshooting

Internet browsers allow you to launch the browser software in safe mode, which will run the basic browser but not run add-ons or extra scripts associated with the browser. You can use safe mode to access the Hotmail website and test which add-ons might be causing issue. Go to the plugin or add-on control for your browser and slowly enable add-ons until you discover the plugin that causes the conflict with Hotmail. You can then remove or disable that plugin from your browser’s controls to prevent future Hotmail issues.

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