Hotmail

[vbhoutex]

I have a hotmail account and when I try to read my messages the reading pane is either empty or I can read the message associated with the highlighted email and work from it, but I can't get to any other message(like it is locked on the last message received). Has anyone else encountered this or have an idea how to remedy this problem. I can't find anywhere on the account where I can get any support help.

[pojo]

I have problems typing a new message... hotmail will kick me back to the main screen right in the middle of the message for no reason at all... also will happen when I add attachments.

[wyq614]

Now I cannot even log in my MSN account, is it just because I'm now in Cuba?

[vbhoutex]

What finally made it all work again for me was deleting cookies and temp files.

[bvigal]

That particular problem isn't one I've seen. But I must express a caution about hotmail.

At Christmas, my hotmail box was hacked. By that, I mean someone derived my password, logged in, and sent out spam to every contact in my hotmail address book. It happened while I was traveling, during a time period when I wasn't on my computer, nor any other. What made it worse was that all my private email addresses were in contacts, since I often forward mail to private boxes.

Of course, I immediately changed my password, but the damage was done. My efforts to contact hotmail and report the incident were met by stone walls in every direction. There is no number to call, and emails take up to 2 days to get a reply, which will be a form letter from someone with no brain to understand the situation. After about 2 weeks of nothing but the same form letter "change your password", etc., I finally gave up getting any answer as to how/why this happened.

Being in IT for almost 30 years, and more recently a security specialist, especially on fraud and identity theft, I could be classified as anal retentive about security. Every year I manage to shut down dozens of spammers, phishers, and potential ID thieves. Hotmail is the mailbox I use when I must give an email address for such purpose, so possibly someone targeted me as revenge. Also use the box for sites that engage in heavy advertising, such as mail-order houses, online phone top-ups, websites that require you to "register" just to view content, etc.

Being that hotmail is run by Microsoft, I thought their security would exceed yahoo or google, and that they would react to a hack in a responsible way, have some concern. The most disturbing thought was, what if the hacker had changed my password, locking me out, and I wanted Microsoft to close the mailbox? How would I reach them quickly in such an emergency? It can't be done.

I erased my entire address book. Now I forward emails to my private accounts before erasing, and store almost nothing. Every time it asks if I want to save an address to my address book, I say "no".

My opinion now is that Hotmail is not at all secure.

[abajan]

The Internet as a whole is fraught with dangers. Recently, there was an article in our local press on someone who opened a Facebook account and assumed the identity of a schoolgirl here in Barbados. They then proceeded to use that account to spread vicious rumors about her friends and other Barbadians. This has caused some of those friends and total strangers to retaliate against her both physically and verbally.

No matter how much she has tried to tell people it's not her that's spreading the rumors, no one seems willing to give her the benefit of a doubt. The perpetrator has basically ruined that girl's life.

[Jack8631]

I have an MSN account, and they have been making some changes to it over the past few weeks. I seem to be grabbing a cookie error now and then. Occasionally I will be asked to log back in, but refresh and get back without doing so. While I appreciate the expanded storage, I really don't care for the added features that are 'network' related. I want email from them, not MySpace.

[Aslkahuna]

I don't use hotmail or MSN but since both are run by Micros**t one can determine their approach to security by the number of Windows Security updates they've had to issue during the past 12 months.

Steve

[Jack8631]

I don't use hotmail or MSN but since both are run by Micros**t one can determine their approach to security by the number of Windows Security updates they've had to issue during the past 12 months.

Steve

An argument could be made that Microsoft is the most active and visible, thus more susceptible to attacks..but I digress.

[gtalum]

An argument could be made that Microsoft is the most active and visible, thus more susceptible to attacks..but I digress.

In terms of webmail, nobody is as visible as Google.