I never like Hotmail/Windows Live Mail website interface until now. That's why I once I get the invitation to Gmail (yes, it was by invitation at beginning), I moved all my contact/subscriptions to Gmail. Another thing about web based Hotmail nowadays is the ads is very annoying, at least 25% of the Hotmail/Windows Live Mail screen is fill with ads.
Another thing about Hotmail/Windows Live Mail is it is very difficult to manage the contact, especially the grouping of contacts.
Therefore I always use this method to manage my Hotmail/Windows Live Mail account. Too used to it that I forgot to share it in this blog. However when my wife asked me how to create contact group in Hotmail/Windows Live Mail recently, I show her this method.
This method is to use Outlook to manage your Hotmail/Windows Live Mail account. Therefore you will need Outlook to be installed on your PC/laptop.
First thing to do is to download Outlook Connector, go to MS website to download it:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/outlook/microsoft-office-outlook-hotmail-connector-overview-HA010222518.aspx
Note: 64-bit version works on Outlook 2010 only. If you have older version like mine, download the normal version.
Close and exit Outlook before install Outlook Connector.
At the first time Outlook start after install Outlook Connector, Outlook Connector will ask for Hotmail/Windows Live Mail login name and password. Check "Remember Password" if you are not sharing the PC/laptop. After that wait for it to download emails from Hotmail/Windows Live Mail from server and all the emails will be appear as a personal folder in Outlook, with Inbox, Junk, Sent Items, drafts, etc sub folder inside this folder. Usually the folder name will appear as your Hotmail/Windows Live Mail email address.
If you have calendar and contacts in your Hotmail/Windows Live Mail, it will be sync into Outlook as well. The contacts in Hotmail/Windows Live Mail now will appear in Outlook contacts, but they will not be mix with the original contacts in Outlook. These contacts usually in "Contacts in xxx@hotmail.com" or "Contacts in xxx@live.com". Using Outlook, you can now create groups of contacts and use it in when you send emails from Outlook.
With this method, you can also choose to send email from Outlook, using your Hotmail/Windows Live Mail account. What you need to do when you writing a new email is change the "Account" (right under "Send" button) to xxx@hotmail or xxx@live.com or any Hotmail/Windows Live Mail account that you added into Outlook using Outlook Connectors.
Not only emails, calendar and contacts are being sync from Hotmail/Windows Live Mail, but Tasks and Notes from Hotmail/Windows Live Mail are also being sync.
Another advantage of using this method is you can search Hotmail/Windows Live Mail with Outlook. The search in web-based Hotmail/Windows Live Mail is simply too crappy. You can access your emails on Hotmail/Windows Live Mail offline, no longer need to find a Wifi network just to look at one of the email in Hotmail/Windows Live Mail.
Best of all, no more crappy ads! It is just you, Outlook and Hotmail/Windows Live Mail.
One thing to note, this Outlook Connector is not working with Outlook Express. Outlook Express however is not being included since Windows Vista. Outlook connector works for Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010 and it is free!
Have fun managing your Hotmail/Windows Live Mail account using Outlook!
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source: I wrote this tutorial for my wife :-)
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