Earlier this year, Microsoft upgraded their Hotmail service to the new Outlook.com email service. This upgrade was a major improvement to Microsoft’s free and paid web-based email service, so much so, that I will actually use Outlook.com. And that’s saying a lot.
Now that I have Windows 8 Pro installed (on my Mac, using Parallels and VMware Fusion) I want to be able to login using my @outlook.com email address rather than my @hotmail email address. Windows Phone users might also want to do something similar.
All the way back on August 3, Microsoft posted directions for either setting up an @outlook.com alias to send email to your existing @hotmail.com address or actually converting your @hotmail.com email account over to an @outlook.com address. (After the conversion is complete, your old @hotmail.com email address is configured as an alias pointing to your new @outlook.com address.)
To get started, you will want to log into your Hotmail account, and from the Settings menu, select “More mail settings” to access the command for managing your email account.
Microsoft’s directions are pretty clear and straight forward. If converting your mailbox is something that doesn’t sound like ‘fun’ to you, don’t worry. Microsoft has you covered. Simply read their blog post on switching to Outlook.com first before you get started and you will be fine.
Special Note to Windows Phone Users
If you use a Windows Phone device, you will want to pay attention to Microsoft’s warning:
“If you use a Windows Phone, you will need to reset your Windows Phone to factory settings, and then set it back up with the new account name. You will lose all personal data on the Windows Phone when you do this, so make sure you have that data backed up. You will need to re-install all your applications on your phone, although you will not need to re-purchase them.”
[Via Microsoft Outlook blog…]
