[Help Needed] Hotmail not opening anymore

Hello all, again I come in need of aid.

It seems that after the "hotmail update" (the one that took you to a page and told you about some upgrade of some sort and that it would be 70% faster etc) I cannot enter my hotmail page anymore.

I even erased the Internet Temp files, cookies, everything, and still it is not logging in: When I type the login and the password, it takes me to a blank page where I can see the contents being loading in the browser status bar (the one down below), but nothing shows. After it is "Concluded", it just stays blank - if I choose to Show the Source Code, it shows everything, but the page itself is blank.

Why I don't think it's related to me using IE explorer 6:
My sister has and older build of IE6 and still that doesn't happen to her, I can access my account with no trouble at all from her computer. But in my computer, no accounts can be accessed at all, they all go into that blank page.

I sent an email to Windows Live support, but it seems their suggestion is just around "erasing cookies and temp files".

So now I turn to you. what to do?

EDIT: Installing Opera or FireFox is not an option. If it works at my sister's IE6 computer, that means that IE6 is capable of handling such an operation as opening Windows Live Hotmail. I want to fix it, rather than run away to another browser (yes, I am sure you know of a lot of other features other browsers have that IE doesn't but that is not the point - I've chosen IE as my browser and I'd like to keep it that way).

Thank you for your time and effort.

You installed a virus, not a Hotmail update.

Invest some time Googling for spyware, crapware, malware and virus removal software.

ccleaner (crap cleaner), adaware are two that spring to mind.


You should have had a bit of a think about how installing software on *your* computer was going to speed up Hotmail, which is *not* on your computer, it's on Microsoft's servers.

Your best defence against future problems like this, is to get some education on PC's, software and the internet.

Stuck here too. I got a page saying, "Hotmail is now cleaner" or something like that. The new page shows but everything is stuck. No links are working .... except for the banner ads(!!)

Only tested with Opera here since I never use IE unless it's vital

Heh, you didn't get it.
It is not an executable in any form what I explained. It is just an information page. Don't you own a Hotmail account yourself?

I didn't download anything - not sure if I made that clear in my post.
Just after the hotmail upgrade (which everyone received, it's not like I went "Oh, making my access faster with this new hotmail32.exe!", it's no thing like that) I can't access it anymore.

I think it's related to my IE explorer configuration and I'm tempted to reinstall it. But will that eliminate my bookmarks? or is there any way I can backup them?

GOD BLESS YOU JIM BROWN! I'm not the only one!

phew, now I feel less crazy (and conspired-against, for that matter).

I like the new hotmail, I'm running Vista though, so can't help I'm afraid

God bless Jim Brown, you and VinylPusher as well.

to repeat what VinylPusher has already said, it could be a virus.

Virus doesn't have to an .exe file. If a programmer knows what he is doing, they could be piggybacked as attachments to e-mail, embedded in images, attachments to .exe files, hidden in ActiveX controls, or *** LINKS *** to webpages.

Take VinyPushers's advice. check into spyware removal. If that doen't work, at last resort, back up your improtant data to a flash drive or CD/DVD, and recover your computer to factory condition.

Amanda, it's a general information page to everyone that owns a hotmail account. It is by no means a virus or embedded ActiveX, Java, etc.

It is simply a configuration or compatibility setting that was altered, and that must be resolved.

Since you asked: your favorites are just shortcuts in a folder, that you can easiy back up if you're planning to do something drastic.

Since you mentioned IE6, I'm assuming that you are using windows 2000 or XP. It stores your favorites here:
c:\documents and settings\<username>\favorites

I'm not sure what could be going on in your IE, but it's worth mentioning that IE7 actually has one major feature that could help out in cases like this: It has a one-click "Set Internet Explorer Settings" button under its options, that "deletes all temporary files, disables browser add-ons, and reset als the changed settings", which can save a heap of time & trouble should weird things like this happen.
you may want to consider bumping up your Internet Explorer version, although 7 definitely takes some getting used to over version 6.

That doesn't sound too good (swaping to IE7). It's just reeeeeally strange that my sisters PC (and my father's too) can use IE6 to open live mail flawlessly and mine can't, after this update that hotmail announced.

important EDIT: When I try to log into my Windows Live Hotmail account, the IE6 blank screen freezes over with 100% CPU usage. After I "Terminate" the application, that report thingy appears and when I look into the details of the report, it shows that the module that made something wrong was "mshtml.dll". I tried reinstalling IE6, didn't do sh!t.
It seems Hotmail's Layout is now different with this update, and that may have generated an incompatibility, perhaps? All I can certify you of is that I never had any problems like this except when this new layout upgrade happened.

If I may remind you of, I have IE 6 (I believe the same build that my two other PC's have, and the other two work perfectly).

thats good then for a moment I thought the latest hotmail update was Vista compatible only. im an XP user so thanks for the warning.

I don't *think* it's a Virus. I have Avast installed here and it's not shouting out.

Ok, I ran Internet Exploder 7 and got this initial page:


The links work under IE but not when using Opera. I get an arrow+hour glass icon permanently.
Me therefore thinks there is some buggery pokery non-standard HTML code in the new changes which breaks compliant browsers such as Opera

Maybe I'm wrong, apologies if so. Seems too much like coincidence that my housemate installed a Facebook update which sounded much like this Hotmail update.

It was a virus. I knew as soon as he told me what he did. Had to clean his PC up for him. It had hijacked his browser.

Thank you for the effort in taking that screenshot, Jim!

That's exactly what I think happened.

Do you think they are going to fix and broaden the compatibility?



Well I can assure you it doesn't work on my IE6 (perhaps it works on yours because it's 7). But strangely enough it works on other two computers that have IE6 also installed! (although I don't have a way to check if it's the same build as mine).

IE6 has problems with CSS, and anyway most problems, as it's not even supported anymore.
IE7 has problems with some flash sites,
Opera has similar problems as IE, but not so much,
Chrome has problems with Java applets,
Firefox has problems with crashing, but other than that it works better than any other browser at the moment.

Whatabout this?

the problem is, markcw, that I can't even log into that main "Windows Live" page to access that option. It won't allow me to: once I type in the login and the password, it takes me to that blank page where you can see through the browser's status bar that it is loading the content, but not showing anything. Then it crashes with 100% CPU usage and showing an error on "MSHTML.DLL".

I think i'll have to switch to IE7. Is there any interface change from IE6 and 7? Are the bookmarks kept?

Just use Firefox fs you want that everything works. It takes much less time to download than IE7 too.

Yes, there is a massive user interface change: It introduces tabbed browsing, changes the layout of every single button there is, and hides all your pull-down buttons by default.
(You can change the settings so it shows you the menus again, but everything else is pretty much not customizable)

to be honest, I dispise the IE7 GUI over pretty much all other webbrowsers, including IE6... but IE6 /is/ getting dated. You do keep your bookmarks if you upgrade, and IIRC you can uninstall IE7 again if you don't like it.
(It's listed as just another update in your add/remove programs menu)

Yes you can.

Best put as "%USERPROFILE%\Favourites"

Or use the Register Key value for Favourites here: "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\Favourites"

This way separate info isn't needed for Windows versions.

just make sure that you continue using buggy and unsecure IE6 now that there are better and more optimized alternatives around

Working here in Opera now

What did you do about it, jim? did you patch it in any way or it simply started working?


And you keep using your completely secure independent browser.

No updates as such.
Guess what though .. it locked up again. I have to refresh the page a few time to strike lucky.

It seems the flash or banner ads lock the thing up. Plus the news page hasn't changed since yersterday ..

Does anybody know if microsoft updates these sort of things? like, do they re-analyze the programming on these websites in order to grant as most compatibility as possible?

're-analyze the programming'?

Holy moly. Am I on the right forum?

Blitz3D - US$ 100

Character Shop - US$ 49

Making fun of other people's inability to express themselves correctly on a language that is not their first, neither their best - priceless.


I don't know, are you on the right forum?

They're known for only fixing things for the latest tech. So maybe don't hold your breath.

I've put a shortcut of an Opera with command line "http://www.mail.live.com", so now it's working (although the problem isn't really solved, but I can access my email).

Thanks for all that posted here (especially Jim Brown who took the time to take the screens and all).


See y'all later.

I guess I really don't understand how this is a "bad" thing?

I suppose that's a rhetorical question.

I didn't understand was your post, Gary. Not being able to check your emails is usually not a good thing...

My car doesn't blow up when I put the key in and turn the ignition. I do not consider this a bad thing. Hotmail (one of the most insecure, most often hacked and most virus spreading web based email services) not opening is not a bad thing.

I see. Well, you allege it's the most virus spreading service because of the users, not the service!
Seriously, it's like Orkut here in Brazil. People often click on those automatic messages saying "Hi your_name_here, I've found this community and I think it's very appropriate for you, click here". There's tons of people that click that, although you can see the link's leading to a "www.0rkut.com/community.exe".

It's the most virus spreading service because more people use it (it's free) and thus more laymen are on it and getting virused everyday. Not me. But I see your point.