Advertisement
Promo

Online business Toolkit

Hotmail complaints keep flowing in

Karen Gomm ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 24 Nov 2005 13:45 GMT

  • Email
  • Trackback
  • Clip Link
  • Print friendly
  • Post Comment

Over 50 people have contacted ZDNet UK in the last two months to complain of problems accessing Microsoft's Hotmail service.

Some complainants say they have been unable to access the Hotmail log-in page, while others say they can't get as far as their own inbox.

Although these complaints represent only a fraction of the total Hotmail user base in the UK, they indicate that Microsoft's flagship Web email service may still be suffering from problems that first emerged earlier this year.

Back in February, Microsoft confirmed that server problems were preventing some Hotmail users from accessing the service. Since then, some 150 people have posted TalkBacks to ZDNet UK complaining about the service, despite Microsoft's claim that the problems have been fixed.

One reader said this week that he had only sporadic access to his account and could find no technical reason for this. "Over the last two months I've sometimes been getting a window showing that Hotmail is suffering technical problems when I try to log in. It's completely random as sometimes it will let you log in straight after and other times it won't for hours," he said.

Another reader reported that she had a similar experience, where she could not access her inbox.

"It wouldn't let me into anything on my account. The only thing I could use was my MSN Messenger. It lasted for about a month and definitely wasn't the computer as my housemates and friends could get into their accounts. Eventually, randomly, it just started letting me use it again, it wasn't that I had used too much memory — I'm using barely any, I have no idea what caused it," she said earlier this month.

Other users were able to access the Hotmail homepage but could then get no further — with pages timing out frustratingly.

"The main problem I had was the page timing out after entering my log-in details," said another Hotmail user. A further customer added "I have tried using both Firefox and Internet Explorer. When logging in using Firefox I get a time out error."

Some Hotmail users have also complained that they got limited support from Microsoft when a problem was reported. One told us...

For more, click here...

Next

Previous

1 2


  • Email
  • Trackback
  • Clip Link
  • Print friendlyPrint with EPSON

Did you find this article useful?
169 out of 318 people found this useful


Full Talkback thread

61 comments

  1. hotmail adverts imcured
  2. It's not just affecting hotmail, MSN Messenger wil... Anonymous
  3. may be you are right. sylvia
  4. tony blair will tell u more people r co... Anonymous
  5. YAHOO Mail too! Paulo Nery
  6. msn Daniel larking
  7. 50 people? Out of how many millions? And this is... John
  8. To John, That's 50 people who have bothered... Andy Hopkins
  9. To Andy, If there was a problem with mil... Matt
  10. I have been paying for AOL service, unab... cyril I. Bloom
  11. I WANT TO CANCELL MY HOTMAIL ID MOHAMMED RAFEEQ
  12. i want to cancell my hotmail i... Anonymous
  13. John, not everybody reports Sachil
  14. I am seemingly constantly unable to access my hotm... Anonymous
  15. I cannot access my hotmail account. This has... James Kopchuk
  16. I too got fed up with the inability to log-in and... Oldator
  17. Hotmail has yet to upgrade my account beyond the o... Anonymous
  18. I guess this truely good news for Gmail. Then agai... Dylan
  19. I agree that MS is most likely ignoring these issu... dan
  20. That's right. I was also having a strange problem.... Sachil
  21. I only use HotMail for MS Passport sites now - use... Sean M McPoland
  22. Simple... USE (Google's) GMAIL! It's 1000 times be... SmartITGuy
  23. What's to complain about? Can't read messages or s... Anonymous
  24. I havent been able to log into hotmail all day. Th... George bush
  25. The problem appears to be centred on the Passport... Mark Grady
  26. Hi, I have just read your piece on Hotmail access... Anonymous
  27. Hotmail -absolute CRAP!!!!! Anonymous
  28. i think its time for microsoft to scrap hotma... Anonymous
  29. I have been with Hotmail for three month... Hazel O'Neil
  30. i think its time for microsoft to scrap hotma... Anonymous
  31. im finding it reaaly annoying when i get... Curbo
  32. i cant freaking get on hotmail.com lawrence adams
  33. msn hotmail wont let me get on my hotmail it ask f... Anonymous
  34. Add me to the 50++++. Many mails which I send jus... Pete Lambie
  35. I have had one problem or another with hotmail eve... Joanne Stuart
  36. My Hotmail has gone haywire this last week My mess... Anonymous
  37. It has taken me 9 hours to receive some emails, so... Anonymous
  38. I also have problems getting into my account with... Anonymous
  39. I can't access my hotmail. I can get to the login... Anonymous
  40. i can't read my hotmail and i don't know what to d... Anonymous
  41. just read your feed back on hotmail i have the sam... Barrie Hill
  42. Hi Unable to access my hotmail messages when click... arie yaary
  43. Only way I can read E mail is through Outlook... Gary Whitehorn
  44. I too can't seem to read any of my hotmail me... Anonymous
  45. i am having problems with my hotmail, i cant read... irvin
  46. my friend is 1 of the hotmail staff but he keeps f... Anonymous
  47. the goverment are robbing the people by taxing the... Barry Cotman
  48. i think that hotmail is a cheaskate, the fact that... Knobj Ocky
  49. to the one who was on about his email is wid outlo... Anonymous
  50. i can never see my message just after i have writt... sita martin
  51. I am tired of sending emails and then getting an a... Gill Beale
  52. I set up an additional email account with hotmail... Anonymous
  53. This new hotmail service is rubbish, I have not be... John Thompson
  54. hello i put a rich-text editor on my hotmail but n... Anonymous
  55. It is a shame that they have to use this sneaky wa... Leonardo
  56. M/S has sent me a new password, but I cannot acces... Philip Johnston
  57. My complaint is simply this - I have tried many ti... P.L.Johnston
  58. Trying to login on msn hotmail is impossible.... Anonymous
  59. Hotmail is just proving to be unuseable. It is no... Robert Waugh
  60. I am getting e-mails from Western Daily Press Bris... Anonymous
  61. JULEY JULEY

Company/Topic Alerts

Create a new alert from the list below:





Sentry Posts Blog

Climate research centre compromised

One of the UK's leading climate change research centres has had a security breach. The Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (UEA) suffered a compromise of information,... More

1 comment

Government web-monitoring plans on hol...

Government plans to compel ISPs to process and store details of all web communications have been put on hold until after the next election. The Home Office told ZDNet UK on Wednesday... More

1 comment

Watchdog reveals illegal sale of phone...

The Information Commissioner's Office is preparing a prosecution file against a mobile operator's employees who allegedly sold on thousands of customers' details to a competitor. The... More

1 comment

Video icon

Video

Google Chrome

Roundup: Full coverage of Google Chrome

The search giant has launched a beta of its own open-source browser, sending a clear challenge to Microsoft in the way it lets users work with applications More

Blog: Google Chrome has Microsoft's code inside, says MS manager

And furthermore, he says, that's a good thing... More

Blog: Google Chrome — nine things we've found since launch

Google must be very happy with the coverage Chrome has gathered. But it's not all good news... More


Skip Sub Navigation Links to CNET Brand Links

Help

Become part of the ZDNet community.

Newsletters