Switcher Tip: How to access Hotmail on Mac OS X native "Mail" program

One of my most used email addresses happens to be on Hotmail. While I have "banned" Microsoft from my house for 30 days, I still need to access my email.

Mac OS X provides an built in email program called Mail.  Unfortunately, Mail does not come with built in support for HTTP email servers.  In order to get your MSN or Hotmail emails to work with Mac OS X Mail, you must first install a plug-in to add HTTP support.

Automatic Software Pty Ltd makes a Mail HTTP plug-in that allows you to access hotmail from Apple's Mail program.

You can get the latest version of the plug-in here: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/18189

Please make sure to exit and re-start Mail after installing the plug-in.

Here are the correct setting to get Hotmail configured:

Email Address:               is your full address (myemail@hotmail.com)
Incoming Mail server:     hotmail.com
Username:                     your username (myemail)
Password:                      <your password>

Outgoing mail server is HTTPMail:username  (myemail)

Leave SSL unchecked.

You are done!

The only limitation is that you cannot see folders in hotmail, all you get is your inbox.

Comments

[W3bbo]

How would this work, exactly? Since Hotmail prevents people from connecting via HTTP unless you pay for their "Outlook Connector", and even then you can only connect using Outlook (and not Outlook Express).

They claim they did this to crack down on spammers/scammers using Hotmail to send bulk email, but if you're saying that people can circumvent this on a Mac, then it calls to question the true motives behind MSN's removal of Outlook support.

[Cris]

It works for my hotmail account. But I paid for the disk space upgrade in the past. I haven't tried this with a new hotmail account. But I do know that it works with my hotmail account and with my wife's MSN account.

[Mike]

I have a MacBook Pro... You need to run Mail in ROSETTA for this to work...
...Mail is VERY slow under Rosetta :). Hope they release a universal binary version :). *hint*