How to Send and Receive Hotmail from Thunderbird
Since Microsoft has enabled POP3 for their email you can now check your @hotmail.com, @msn.com or @live.com accounts from email clients other than Microsoft's. Previously we looked at adding Hotmail to your Gmail account, and now we will show you how to do it in Thunderbird.
First open up Thunderbird and go to Tools then Account Settings.
In Account Settings click on Add Account located toward the bottom of the window.
Next select Email Account.
Now enter in your your name and the Hotmail or Live email account you want to add.
Choose POP as the incoming server and enter pop3.live.com in the Incoming Server field. The outgoing server will not be correct but we will change it later.
Next enter in the incoming user name you want to have.
Choose a label for the account such as Work or Home or you can just leave it as it is.
Finally make sure your account and Incoming Sever info is correct. The Outgoing Server will be incorrect but hit Finish then we can change it.
Now under the new created account click on Server Settings and make sure the Port is 995, under Security Settings select SSL.
Note: If you want to leave the messages in your Hotmail account, make sure to check the option for "Leave messages on server".
Now you will need to change the SMTP settings. In the left side menu under Local Folders select Outgoing Server (SMTP) and then Add or Edit button.
Make sure you have the following settings entered in:
Port: 587
Server: Name smtp.live.com
Check TLS
User Name: youremail@live.com
*Make sure and enter in your entire email address in the Security and Authentication User Name.
To send a message just use the "From" drop-down to choose the hotmail account.
When everything's correct you can Send and Receive your hotmail in Thunderbird!
Note: Because this technique uses POP3 to access your mail, your messages will be removed from Hotmail.
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Using Thunderbird to check Hotmail is very comfortable for me BUT…
Do I need to log into the web mail every 120 days to avoid my account to be inactive and deleted?
I just chose to use Postbox instead. It has one click adding of Hotmail, Yahoo! and Gmail accounts
I had to change my incoming user name to gs121432@hotmail.com and it worked to pull in emails. If you are looking for your email after you set this up they will be in the "Local Folders."
I have done exactly as directed but whenever I try to 'Get Mail' it brings up the message
"Sending the password did not succeed. Mail server pop3.live.com responded: authentication failed"
Anyone know what's wrong? Do I need to enable something on my hotmail account?
This worked great, thanks!
To Will: Same thing happened, it turned out that Hotmail only understands "username@hotmail.com" and not just "username". I fixed this problem by going into Thunderbird's Tools > Account Settings, then Server Settings for the relevant account, and putting the complete "username@hotmail.com" in the User Name field. Click OK and it should work fine - did for me.
I am having the same problem as Will and Lynn's fix isn't helping so I'm getting frustrated. Is it possible that I have some other setting wrong, something that i didn't have to touch to get this to work but that is different from most and is interfering with the process? Believe me, i have checked, double checked and triple checked every step in the process outlined above. help!
Hi All:
Having the same problem a Will and J…and again, Lynn's fix didn't work for me. Would love to be able to make this work…any info on fixing the issue would be great.
Thanks
Same problem as M, WIll and J….
I WAS having the exact same problem that WILL was having. I could not get Thunderbird to authenticate my Hotmail account. I then took Lynn's advice and entered my FULL email address in the User Name field and it worked perfectly for me. And I am even on a Macintosh platform. I would say just follow the instructions above exactly and take Lynn's advice and it should work.
go into Thunderbird's Tools > Account Settings, then Server Settings. under security settings tick the ssl option and uncheck the "use secure authentication" box. worked for me
I can receive emails to my hotmail account fine, but I cannot send emails from my hotmail account through Thunderbird.
When I try to send an email I get an error message saying "The message could not be sent because connecting to the SMTP server smtp.live.com failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections".
I have read somewhere that hotmail do not allow people to send through an email client other than Windows Mail anymore. But I was hoping there was a way to get around it.
Thanks, worked perfectly….
I am running thunderbird on a mac….
chu da man!
@Nick
Are you using the right port number? Remember to change the SMTP port to 587.
Thank u guys. checking SSL and unchecking secure authentication worked for me.
Worked sweet for me. just make sure your username is your Full email. Thanks for this
Great tut, thanks!
It's working for me, the only problem I have is that when I'm sending e-mail they will stay only on my local computer "sent" folder and not in the Web-live mail (mail.live.com) "sent" folder. Is there a way to keep the send messages both places?
Where does my password have to go?
THANK MAN SO SO SO MUCH,YOU ARE KING.
Hello everybody, i have done the steps above more than 10 times and i still cant get my emails to go out from TB using my hotmail account, Is there any other solution to my problem, i can receive but i cannot send. PLEASE HELPPP !!!
Thank you SO much my friend!
thanks by the way make shore all ports are set right
995 for incoming mail 587 for outgoing mail
I was having the same problem as Nick and Wilo.
The problem was that my firewall was blocking port 587 so you will need to unblock it.
Seems to work fine! Thanks!
~M
Many thank you's for the smtp settings picture above. After setting TLS and Port 587 it worked.
Olaf
It works. Thanks for the support. Too bad Microsoft wasn't as clear with their explanation for Entourage.
http://windowslivehelp.com/solutions/dav/archive/2009/04/23/start-using-hotmail-with-entourage.aspx
Thanks for this tutorial! It was great, really helped, you might want to add Lynn's comment:
Lynn
This worked great, thanks!
To Will: Same thing happened, it turned out that Hotmail only understands "username@hotmail.com" and not just "username". I fixed this problem by going into Thunderbird's Tools > Account Settings, then Server Settings for the relevant account, and putting the complete "username@hotmail.com" in the User Name field. Click OK and it should work fine - did for me.
That's what makes it work
Thanks again! Changing internet providers is a bummer, especially when they cancel your email!
Doesn't work for me, all the settings are correct and have tried all suggested alternative port/firewall configuration.
. I get the smtp.live.com has failed message. I've been through all the suggested fixes on here but i still get the same message. The strange thing is that I have hotmail on another computer working through thunderbird fine.
Forget that post. It worked after I typed hotmail into the outgoing username instead of hotmal…lol I knew it would be something like that.
Hey peeps,
I've tried everything. I can receive emails fine but I can't send them from Thunderbird. Everything should be right. See below:
I can't pin point exactly what's wrong. Some help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Sorry, I included an image source that didn't come up…..
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/add_dvd/Snapshot2009-06-2313-06-11.jpg
That picture is a snapshot of the settings.
Help, help! I am able to send but I cannot receive my mail from hotmail - I have tried EVERYTHING and I am, just so frustrated. I used to use outlook and my email address is @msn.com not @hotmail.com but either one doesn't pick up my incoming messages.
Thanks for sharing.
@Randi: At Server Setting, You have to enter youname@msn.com to 'User Name' field.
Many Thanx
This worked for reciving 4 me but did not work for sending plz help!
When I finish all I get is a message that says enter a valid host name. Anyone know how to fix this?
I found the problem and fixed it.And it works
Hi Ive tried all the suggestion but I stil cannot retrieve my email.
My user name is set as user@mylife.unisa.ac.za. I use this to log into the web interface and it works fine, but if i try with Thunderbird I get pop3.live.com could not be opened :(… This is extremely frustrating I hate having to jump around web interface accounts.
Any help would be appreciated
Hi ,
does this work with @hotmail.co.uk…. or onli the other extentions of hotmail email addresses mentioned at the top of the guide?
i use vista business ver. i set up TB ,
i have a own domain in live small business host by MS, my email is jackmow@lotustek-my.com
i do all smtp setting as instruction,
pot 587,
user name : user@lotustek-my.com
uncheck use secure authentication
server name :smtp.live.com
i not able to send email out, only can received. can some one help me ? thank you.
Wow was this a lifesaver!! I cannot thank you enough for this information, as of sept 1st 2009 hotmail users can no longer use outlook express to send or receive email, I have wanted to switchover to thunderbird for awhile now and this made it CAKE!!
Thank you!!!!
Anyone who has problems with their settings should be able to do the following: 1) download 'Postbox', 2) install it, 3) check their account settings, and 4) copy/use those exact same account settings with the free Thunderbird and not the $39.95 Postbox. Cheers!
Hey, Jolene.
Hotmail still works with Outlook Express. I use it every day on my Win XPpro machine. Check your OE Hotmail account settings.
They're the same as Thunderbird except for TLS for outgoing (SMTP)–use SSL instead.
Outgoing (SMTP): Port 587, use SSL, Server: smtp.live.com, check box "My server requires authentication".
Incoming (POP3): Port 995, use SSL, Server: pop3.live.com, uncheck box "Log on using Secure Password Authentication".
If anyone is using the newer Beta versions of Thunderbird (3.0.x betas or the 3.1 alphas) then be sure to set the incoming and outgoing authentication type as STARTTLS for the SMTP and SSL/TLS for POP3 servers.
As soon as I made the STARTTLS change for the SMTP server my mail started sending out.
thanks for this help, man! my hotmail had stopped working, but these new settings got everything back to normal!
@Ben
Make sure your outgoing server is set to smtp.live.com not smpt.live.com
I've just used Lynn's suggestion and it worked great. Cheers, Lynn!
This seems to work like a charm. Thank you very much for the information.
I have changed the ports, made sure my username matches my email, unblocked the ports, spelled everything right, used SSL or TLS as directed and yet i am still receiving this message.
sending of message failed, the message could not be sent because connecting to the SMTP server smtp.live.com failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections. Please verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again, or else contact your network administrator.
What should i do?
by far the most easy, well explained guide i've ever seen. (on this topic of course)
Great Job! thanks.
cancel that last question, it's working now lol
thanks for the guide. worked quickly and without any problems.
heads up on one little typo in instructions above:
"Server: Name smtp.live.com"
ought to read:
"Server Name: smtp.live.com"
Only a little thing, but the misplaced colon may catch somebody out.
I cannot make this work - I swear I have done everything as instructed - do you know if this perhaps does not work with addresses that end in msn.com instead of hotmail.com?
I don't know if this is the case, i was having the same problem, and found out that there's a limit for the size of the password. And every time i tried to use thunderbird i were using a password that didn't fit the limit.
thank you for your helpful info, i was able to get hotmail into my thunderbird using freepop software and wasn't sure how to change my outgoing mail. Thank you so much!!
I can't recieve my emails from hotmail but can send them fine. I'm getting the "pop3.live.com server timed out" or the "pop3.live.com failed to connect" error messages. I'm using a wireless account in my building but can surf the net and send messages fine. Please help if you can… very frustrated!!
Thanks.
Is there anyone having trouble with sending from a hotmail.com? I can send from my hotmail.co.uk but not my .com. Puzzling!! The settings are identical.
The layout for Thunderbird has obviously changed since this article was posted, but with a little lateral thinking, it did the trick for me. Thanks.
Ok it all makes sense, but has anyone tried Thunderbird 3 on Windows 7? Incoming works ok but smtp doesn't work and yes I have changed to port 587 on smtp.
Please help.
I wonted to change from windows live mail to Thundirbird. Following you instructions got my windows live inbox into thundirberd as well as the outbox, but how about getting all the other folders ( about 10) I have in windows live mail? they do not appear in Thunderbird!!!! Thank you
I also spent much time searching for solution but now it works.
Here are my settings which work with TB3 and Hotmail:
POP Server:
Server Name = pop3.live.com
Port = 995 Default: 995
Username = name@hotmail.com
Connection Security = SSL/TLS
Use secure authentication = No tick
SMTP Server
Description = Hotmail
Server Name = smtp.live.com
Port = 587 Default: 25
Use Name and Password = Yes tick
Username = name@hotmail.com
Use secure authentication - No tick
Connection security = STARTTLS
Thank you very much for providing these instructions. I found them very clear and everything worked straight away.
Thanks for the info to get Thunderbird to work with my hotmail.com account.
Thanks, this worked great.
@Jiranz - I set my accounts up the same. I don't know why he went from mysitcgeek@hotmail.com when setting up the account and then change it to mysitcgeek@live.com - confusing!
Thank you very much. I was poking around quite a bit trying to figure out how to do this and became wary when some sites suggested I would need to download multiple extensions. The details are slightly different in 3.0 but the process is exactly the same. I got Thunderbird to work seamlessly with my ___@msn.com address in a jiffy without adding anything to the program.
Jiranz, I freaking love you man! I was able to receive but not send. Thanks to your instructions, everything now works flawlessly
Dear All,
I'm sure already done everything as mentioned above… but finally comes out with alert
"Connection to server pop3.live.com"
I am having the same type of problem in that I am able to send but not reccieve .
I keep getting a login failure when I get mail saying login to username@email.name@hostmail.name
I have tried all types of changes to the user name in set up ie just having the user name haveing the username@email.name etc
If you got yours fixed I would appreciate the help .
thanks
I upgraded to TB3, disliked it, and went back to TB2. After solving many problems, now I am having trouble with origination.
I have 3 g-mail and 1 hotmail a/c in TB. When I send from the hotmail a/c, it shows 'From' hotmail in my Sent box. But at the receiving end, my messages show that they came from one of the gmail a/c's (call it the E a/c). So the replies to my supposed hotmail msg. naturally are going to the E a/c. I tried designating different outgoing servers as default without success. What is the problem ?.. and how do fix it ?