Receive an error message when trying to sign in

If you receive an error message when you try to sign in to Windows Live Hotmail, there may be a problem with the network or browser, or other software on your computer may have to be reconfigured. Sometimes, Microsoft must close accounts due to violations of the Terms of Use agreement. For more information about Microsoft policy, visit the Microsoft Service Agreement website. If you feel that your account has been closed in error, contact Customer Support.

To troubleshoot general connection issues, try the following solutions in the order that they're presented:

• Sometimes, an error occurs because of a temporary network issue. Wait a few minutes, and then try to sign in to your account again.

• Make sure that you can connect to the Internet and visit other websites.

  Show me how

  If you can't visit other websites, your Internet software or network connection may not be functioning correctly. For more help, contact your ISP (Internet service provider. A company that provides access to the Internet.) or the computer manufacturer. If you use Windows Internet Explorer to access the Internet, make sure that the "Working Offline" message doesn't appear in the title bar. If the "Working Offline" message appears, click the File menu, and then uncheck Work Offline.

• Verify the status of the network.

  Show me how

  Go to the Windows Live Support website. Under Standard Services, click Windows Live Hotmail. If the Network Status box indicates that the service is functioning correctly, restart your computer, and then try to sign in to your account again. If you still can't sign in to your account, wait five minutes, and then try to sign in to your account again.

• Optimize and reset the default settings for Windows Internet Explorer.

  Show me how

  In Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. Follow the steps for your browser: If you have Internet Explorer 6, do the following: On the General tab, click Delete Cookies, and then click OK. Click Delete Files, select the Delete all offline content check box, and then click OK. It may take several minutes for the files to be deleted. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Restore Defaults. If you have Internet Explorer 7, do the following: Under Browsing history, click Delete. In the Delete Browsing History window, click Delete all, and then click Yes. It may take several minutes for the files to be deleted. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Restore advanced settings. Click the Security tab, click the Internet icon, click Default Level, and then click Apply. Repeat this step for the Restricted and the Trusted zones. Click Trusted Sites, click Sites, and then clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone check box. Under Add this Web site to the zone, type *.hotmail.com, and then click Add. Do the same for *.passport.com, *.live.com, and *.msn.com, and then click OK in Internet Explorer 6, or click Close in Internet Explorer 7. Click the Privacy tab, and then click Sites. Under Address of Web site, type *.hotmail.com, and then click Allow. Do the same for *.passport.com, *.live.com, and *.msn.com, and then click OK. Click OK. Notes To determine the version of Internet Explorer that you're using, in Internet Explorer, click the Help menu, and then click About Internet Explorer. If you're using a browser other than Internet Explorer 6 or Internet Explorer 7, see the documentation for that browser for more information about how to optimize your settings.

• Reregister the required security and encryption files on your computer.

  Show me how

  In Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run. –or– In Windows Vista, click the Start button, and then click in the Start Search box. Type regsvr32 softpub.dll, and then press ENTER. Click OK. Repeat these steps for regsvr32 wintrust.dll and regsvr32 initpki.dll.

• Add *.live.com, *.passport.com, *.hotmail.com, and *.msn.com to the list of safe domains (The part of an e-mail address that follows the @ sign, such as msn or hotmail.) in your firewall, pop-up blocker, and antivirus software.

  Show me how

  To learn how to do this, see the documentation for your firewall, pop-up blocker, or antivirus software. To learn how to configure Microsoft Windows Firewall in Windows XP with Service Pack 2, see the Microsoft TechNet website.