Windows Live Hotmail has undergone a series of recent improvements, including a 2GB inbox, the ability to drag and drop messages as you would in an email program, and even the ability to choose the colour of the interface. However, it still can’t come close to mimicking the features of Microsoft Office Outlook, which is why I was so pleased when Microsoft released the Outlook Connector Beta.
This gives you complete access to your email through Office Outlook, meaning you can use all the advanced features on your PC. Just what those are depend on what version you’ve got, of course.
It works with Office Outlook 2003, but I’m lucky enough to have the 2007 version so that includes neat things like the To-Do bar and built-in search, but even if you aren’t so blessed, your email will be indexed by Windows Vista, so you can find them in a flash. Just follow the steps opposite to set it up.
Don’t worry if you’ve already got other email accounts configured in Office Outlook. Both can coexist quite happily, and you can organise them in the folder list on the left of the main window.
It’s only when you come to send an email that you have to choose between them; click the Account button under Send in the top left, and choose which one you want to use. Obviously it’s best to pick a favourite so you don’t confuse your friends with multiple addresses. Go to Tools > Account Settings, select your Hotmail address and click Set As Default.
And, well, that’s about it. Everything else is just a case of using Office Outlook just as you would normally – whenever you press Send / Receive (or you can just press F9) all the changes are synchronised to the Hotmail server, as you’ll see next time you log in from the web site. You can check your account by clicking the Server Status button at the bottom right of the window.
This will show you how much space you’re using – although with 2GB to play with you’re unlikely to run into any problems. It’s also where you can check any problems with your email. If Office Outlook can’t connect to a service, it’ll show a warning triangle in this corner; click it and then choose Detailed Report to see exactly what it’s having trouble with.
Connect Hotmail to Outlook 2007
2. Specify. At start up, Outlook will ask for your email address and password, and the name you want your emails to be from. If you’re going to be using your Hotmail address alongside others within Outlook 2007, consider adding (Hotmail) to the end of this entry.
3. Restart. You’ll have to restart Outlook for the changes to take effect. You’ll see your Hotmail address appear in the Mail Folders pane on the left-hand side of the Outlook 2007 window; right-click it and choose New Folder to organise your email.
4. View. Click the Contacts button at the bottom of the Mail Folders pane to view the details imported from your Hotmail account – if you use your Hotmail Address with Windows Live Messenger, then this will include people in your Messenger contacts list.
5. Send/Receive. Click Mail and then the Send/Receive button at the top of the window to send your mail and update any changes to the server. Next time you sign into Hotmail, you’ll see all the new folders and contacts in place.
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