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How do I make a new Windows Live Hotmail account?

Question:

How do I make a new Windows Live Hotmail account? Since MSN Hotmail changed
to Windows Live Hotmail, everything's different.

This continues to be one of my most frequently asked questions.

Many people think it's obvious, but as I said in a previous article, if
hundreds of people miss "the obvious" - is it really that obvious?

And there are also a few "catches".

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So the part that's "obvious" to some and not at all to many is simply
this:

Sign Out.

Most folks may never see the login screen after signing in once because
they've got "remember me" turned on.

So sign out. Near the top of the Windows Live Hotmail windows you should see
something like this:

Windows Live Hotmail Sign out button

Click Sign out link and you'll be signed out of Windows Live Hotmail and returned to the MSN home page.

Now, go to http://mail.live.com, (or click on MSN's "Hotmail" link) and
you'll see a page that contains this:

Windows Live Hotmail Login Screen

"You cannot make a new 'old-style' MSN Hotmail
account."

Don't Sign in.

Instead, click on the Sign Up button and you'll start the
process of creating a new account.

Now, the "catches". You should realize:

  • You cannot make a new "old-style" MSN Hotmail account. You can now only
    create new, Windows Live Hotmail accounts. The old MSN Hotmail is disappearing
    if it's not completely gone already by the time you read this.

  • There's no way to transfer existing information from your old account to
    your new one.

  • There's no way to "rename" an existing account.

  • Windows Live Hotmail is a free service, and as I've said repeatedly, you get
    what you pay for. Reports on Customer Service have been mixed. It's best to
    assume that customer service is non-existent should you run into a problem.

Do this

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40 comments on “How do I make a new Windows Live Hotmail account?”

  1. If you check on the top left corner of “old-style” hotmail accounts, there is an option to change it to
    “new-style”. It means you would not have to create a
    new account just to get a Windows Live interface+account, and also ALL YOUR CONTACTS AND OLD DATA(MESSAGES) ARE CARRIED OVER.

    Reply
  2. what the hell? Clicking ‘sign up’ does NOT take you to the process of making a new account! It takes you to the process of getting live hotmail! Get your facts right!!

    Unhelpful!

    Reply
  3. —–BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE—–
    Hash: SHA1

    “getting live hotmail” *is* getting a new account. Get your
    accusations right :-).

    Leo

    —–BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE—–
    Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32)

    iD8DBQFHxOR7CMEe9B/8oqERApQAAJ9a+hOATHMO0XSo6pYMXcP6Q5mz0gCfUDM+
    aREIt4GkBayFpD4dAW/IRvU=
    =6Hkt
    —–END PGP SIGNATURE—–

    Reply
  4. Uhh. Well. I tried this… I clicked sign up, and got a notice to download ‘hotmail’. I downloaded/installed it, but what’s confusing me is… getting ‘Live Hotmail’ meant getting a program. An e-mail based PROGRAM to check email.
    I didn’t get the actual “sign-up page” to make a new account. I got a e-mail checking program.

    Maybe, just maybe… MSN has already been taken over by Windows Live, and now this ‘live hotmail’ software, after installing and running it, automatically imports any information from MICROSOFT OUTLOOK. If you don’t have microsoft outlook installed, this ‘live hotmail’ software can’t function. And also, I’ve had several people tell me over the past few days that they can’t even sign up for Hotmail, for the first time. They only get this program. I just think that Hotmail is now Microsoft’s puppet to get people to use Outlook, since now it appears that Hotmail’s web-based Email is about to be extinct. That’s what I’ve figured out so far.

    I’m still a bit confused as to what is REALLY going on with hotmail, because everyone I know can’t make a new account for web-based Hotmail, including me.

    ~Jon

    Reply
  5. is it possible to still keep my old hotmail account and use it at the same time as using a new live account? I still want to use my account but get a new one aswell.

    You can have as many as you like, you just have to logout and login to each one separately.

    – Leo
    27-Oct-2008
    Reply
  6. I have had the same server address for years when I logged onto my hotmail it would say something like(by111w.bay111.mail.live) now a new server address comes up on the same account something like(co119w.co/119.mail.com).why?? do you randomly switch servers..Pleas explain these numbers and what they mean

    I don’t randomly change anything; I am not Hotmail or Microsoft. They, on the other hand, probably have hundreds, if not thousands of servers that host Hotmail and I’d expect those numbers to simply identify specific servers that you happened to connect to. They will change, at random, and there should never really be a need to care.

    – Leo
    23-Nov-2008
    Reply
  7. as soon as i click on the sign up button next page comes which asks me to download some stuff and after downloading also the process of creating a new account does not begin pls try it yourself

    That is not at all what I experience. Check your machine for spyware.

    – Leo
    27-Dec-2008
    Reply
  8. Hi!I had a free hotmail acct.address [personal email address removed] but recently i ws very busy and had not opened it so now it seems to be blocked/inaccessible.What should i do?Thanks.

    Create a new account and start over. And remember to login to the account once a month or so to prevent this from happening again.

    – Leo
    03-Jan-2009
    Reply
  9. I do you the courtesy of reading four9 free) letters and find them useful-especially for simpler things ‘either orgotten or bigger problems i didn’t know I had in the first place!
    For which-much thanks!
    Please do me the courtesy of acceptng that I HAVE SUBSCRIBED (or I wouldn’t be reading U ) and cuit out the pup-ups asking me to subscribe-or I fear I will be driven to unscribe……

    Please do me the courtesy of reading the article I already have written and posted on that issue: Why do I keep getting a newsletter subscribe pop-up on your site?

    – Leo
    08-Feb-2009
    Reply
  10. My husband is trying to access his hotmail account from my computer. It won’t let me sign out! It keeps coming back to the page with my hotmail account asking for my password. At work, I can go to his hotmail just fine; it’s just on the home computer.

    If it’s asking for your password, you’re not signed in. There should be a link to sign in using another account.

    – Leo
    09-Apr-2009
    Reply
  11. I have followed your instructions and all is well except when I sign out I am taken to the MSN Home page. I would like it to return to the sign in page.

    Reply
  12. i want to make a new account with hotmail but i want to keep my gmail account

    Go right ahead. Not sure what your question is, since you didn’t ask one, but there’s nothing stopping you from doing that.

    – Leo
    17-Jun-2009

    Reply
  13. You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4 : 2009-07-08T16:52:49 GMT

    Reply
  14. Create a new account and start over. And remember to login to the account once a month or so to prevent this from happening again

    Reply
  15. this mns You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. ” show all times when i successfully enter the all information and click Accept button. Please help me…
    Thanks

    Reply
  16. I always get the error” You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. ” show all times when i successfully enter the all information and click Accept button” Please help me…

    Reply
  17. I have followed your instructions up to the windows live hotmail sign up page. Now whenever i click ” sign up ” button it always reopen the same sign up page and not going to the new account process. What is the problem?

    Reply
  18. Dear Leo,
    I already have a hotmail account, but want to create a new one, and have followed all of your above instructions, but I do not get the same “Sign up” option on my page as is shown on yours! How come? and what do I do? I like hotmail, because it looks so much like outlook, but this problem is really annoying.
    Thank you for your help. =o)
    Teresa

    Reply
  19. I followed the directions and the new account box comes up. However, the new account comes up as ***@live.com – how do I get an account that’s @hotmail.com? I’m trying to SIMPLIFY and having to remember a different extension for half my email addresses isn’t simple at all, for me or anyone else.

    Reply
  20. I always get the error” You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. ” show all times when i successfully enter the all information and click Accept button” Please help me…

    Reply
  21. Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4
    You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.

    i didn t create any account yet and this message is given after im signin up can i have some help plz ?

    Reply
  22. You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    OK

    Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4 : 2009-11-04T05:20:07 GMT.Need some help plz!

    Reply
  23. Must be some real nerds out there! I followed Leo’s advice and created a new hotmail a/c in less than 5 minutes. My tip…learn computer basics first!

    Reply
  24. May I have more than one (1) Windows Live or Hotmail account in addition to my present e-mail account with different e-mail address?

    If so how do I do it (establish another account)?

    My current e-address is above [email address removed]
    Thank you I await your reply.
    Larry Smith

    Reply
  25. You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    OK Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4 : Need some help plz!2009-11-04T05:20:07

    Reply
  26. You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    OK Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4 : Need some help plz!2009-11-04T05:20:07

    Reply
  27. whenever i try to make an account in windows live id it shows You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    ok Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4.please help

    Reply
  28. You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    OK Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4 : Need some help plz!2009-11-04T05:20:07

    Reply
  29. I cannot create Hotmail account because I always receive the following message “You’ve reached the daily limit for creating Windows Live IDs. Please wait a day and try to sign up again or contact support for assistance.
    OK Error code: 450 : 0x800482d4 :” Please advise, how to create a new hotmail account

    Don’t create so many accounts. Wait until tomorrow. Or, if it’s not you creating all these Hotmail accounts, then it may be others on your IP address or using the same ISP. I don’t have a good solution for the later case. Perhaps use a service other than Hotmail.

    Leo
    01-Jul-2010

    Reply
  30. I cant make a new account. I fill in all the details and at the bottom where you fill in the image of verification it tells me that ive wrote the wrong ones. Then when I do it all again it says,’We’re fixing a temporary problem with Windows Live ID sign-up.

    Please try again.

    If you continue to get this error try again later.

    OK
    Error code: 100 : 0x800482de : 2010-07-11T14:49:38 GMT’

    Reply
  31. hello there,
    i m zia frm bangladesh. when i try to reset my hotmail account this message is shown – an error occurred when upload ur information please signin in again. i tried to signin almost 100 times in last 7 days. important, personal mails r there. what will i do??? thnx.

    Reply
  32. hi,
    i have a new HTC windows mobile phone, and when i try to sign into the phone with my hotmail email account to access the windows live services on the phone, it asks for an activation code. I have asked Windows live and Vodafone, who both claim to not be able to help. Its getting really frustrating now, can you help please?

    Reply
  33. I need to update a Microsoft product, and to do so Microsoft requires a Windows Live ID, or hotmail account, or passport id. They all use the same account creation module. I have the same issues listed above. My 1st attempt says I’ve reached my daily limit of accounts, so I can’t create the account. Also, the captcha human verification won’t work on my Vista machine, but does work on my Windows 7 computer. I’ve spent two days to upgrade a business product that I need and I’ve had absolutely zero Microsoft support. Their help system guides you to their sign-in problem forum which requires you to sign-in to ask a question. What idiot thought up that logic? It appears my high-speed Comcast is being blocked by Microsoft who has not provided any specific information. Meanwhile I can’t get my work done. Just one more reason to move to Unix.

    Reply
  34. okay so im trying to create a new account O_O but no matter what email address i type it, its rejecting it and saying i must change it and use a different one, i already typed in over 15 diff names. stuff like punk_1 peace_it all with the “@hotmail.com” at the end. ughh what to do now?! it wont accept it -.-

    If someone else is using the names you’re selecting there’s no way around it – you have to keep trying till you come up with a name that nobody is using.

    Leo
    01-May-2011
    Reply

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