I’ve had more emails in the past month about the above topics than anything else, so I thought I would dedicate some time explaining what Microsoft seem incapable of doing in words that we can all understand!
So in the best interests of the plain English campaign here goes…
Hotmail > Outlook
This is probably the one change that will affect most of us here on the Costas. If you have an email address ending @hotmail.com, @hotmail.co.uk, live.com, msn.com (and a whole bunch more – essentially any address that you use at the current www.hotmail.com website) then you will be affected.
Microsoft will eventually stop www.hotmail.com from working, so it is in your interest to get used to the new system (or change) sooner rather than later.
It’s pretty easy to do – all you need to do is to visit www.outlook.com and log on using the same email address and password that you currently use to access your email at www.hotmail.com You will see a new, ‘improved’ website for your email that does everything the ‘old’ Hotmail one did and a few bits more. There are currently no published timescales set for Microsoft to stop the old website but it makes sense to get used to the new system whilst you can still access the old one.
A few things are a little different so it might be a good idea to pay for some time from your local computer guy to come and show you what has changed and what is new. One of the most annoying changes that I have found is that the “forward” button has now been moved and isn’t immediately noticeable, making it rather frustrating if you just want to send on those jokes you receive to your friends. You can find it hidden away by clicking on the arrow that is to the right of the ‘reply’ button. Once you get used to where everything is in the new system it does feel faster and more responsive than the old Hotmail system.
Windows Live Messenger > Skype
This one is confusing everyone, mainly because of the terminology that Microsoft are using and because of the lack of knowledge of what ‘Windows Live Messenger’ is amongst us ex-pats on the Costa Blanca. Microsoft sent an email recently to everyone that has a Hotmail (or derivative) account entitled “Important info about your Messenger account”, announcing that they are “retiring the existing Messenger service globally” etc.
The confusion is that many of us think that this relates to our Hotmail accounts (which it doesn’t) and it has certainly generated a great deal of worried people if the amount of email I have received is anything to go by. What Microsoft are actually saying is that they are going to be stopping the Windows Live Messenger service at the beginning of March. This service is something that you probably don’t use. It is an instant messaging / chat service that allows you to type messages to your friends – not your email system. Most of us have it installed (even though we may not use it). If you have it installed you will notice that it starts up when your computer starts – look out for it. If you don’t use it then it’s probably worth removing it – you can do this easily enough from your Windows control panel.
If, however, you do use it then you will need to move your account to Skype (Microsoft bought this program a few years ago and this is why they are moving everyone from Messenger to Skype). Again this a simple process but it’s one that some people are having difficulties with, so again the advice is to do it now before you are forced to stop using Messenger.
I’m still confused!
Well in that case I apologize, but you shouldn’t feel bad – this stuff is never easy and it’s difficult to have to change something that many of us have been doing the same way for well over 10 years.
Unfortunately we have no choice, so you can either make the move to Skype and Outlook.Com or you can choose to move to an alternative email system (yahoo.com or gmail.com perhaps) but you can’t continue to use Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail.Com so you might as well make the change now whilst you still have time.
As always, if you have problems, please email them through to me, I will do my best to answer by email or arrange to come out to your home / work and go through it with you.