Serious problem with HOTMAIL account (my network?)

[Lysimachus]

I've posted my problems at Microsoft's Newsgroup Support. Since they have not been able to resolve my problem, I'll post them here and give you guys a shot:

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Me:

"I'm telling you, there is something seriously wrong.
There must be some setting at my home computer preventing
me from logging in correctly from other locations. I can
log into my hotmail account JUST FINE and DANDY from my
home. Only 18% of my account is full, so capacity has
nothing to do with it. But when I go to school(college),
I cannot log in for anything! EVERY SINGLE STUDENT ON
THESE VERY SAME COMPUTERS CAN LOGIN TO THEIR HOTMAIL
ACCOUNTS WITH EASE! Except me.

I have a small home network with Windows XP on both
machines. A router being used as a switch. Dial-up
sharing through XP's ICS. I have this network up for
like a half a year now, but I have had this problem
logging into my account from school for about 2 weeks
now. So in my opinion, it really shouldn't have anything
to do with my network. Cept, a couple weeks ago I do
remember finally using Outlook for the first time to open
my Hotmail account. Do you think there is some setting
on my computer that is preventing me from logging in from
other locations?

Note: Sometimes I am able to login, but I have to wait
for around 10min before my Inbox, etc. will even show
up. But everyone else's Inbox here in the computer lab
opens instantaneously."

Me again:
"Also, not only am I having a hard time opening my
Hotmail, but when I chat using MSN Messenger from
college, messages get lost to me and from me. I've had
people get frustrated with me because they think I'm not
asnwering them, and me frustrated with them because I
think they're not answering me when they ARE! All of a
sudden I'll get like 10 messages thrown at me at
once...like there was some firewall filtering messages or
something, and then finally they all go through at once.
Funny thing is, these issues with my MSN Messenger and
Hotmail seem only related with my account, for all my
colleages here at school use MSN Messenger with ease and
not a problem...just like hotmail."

Brian's Reply:
"Have you tried making a different account? If others can
use the same computer with out a problem it is not likely
a hardware or software fault. As you say, a problem with
the settings or corrupted settings. See if a new account
gives you problems as well."

Me again:
"No I haven't tried a different account. But I want keep
my current account. I've had this one for years....now
which settings would you be referring to? There is
nothing unusual about my account settings in
the "Options" tab of my hotmail. However, it is strange
that I can login perfectly from my home via dialup on my
Windows XP Pro machine. In fact, from both of my
machines. But at school, impossible. Fails to load
over and over again. I've like like 6 or more students
already try logging into their Hotmail accounts on the
very same computer that I tried. The login with ease.

Is there anyway I can contact hotmail on this issue? I
don't seem to find any Hotmail support email addresses.

Anyone's help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx."

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Anyone? If only some of you know how much burden and frustration this has caused me. I have a lot of important work to do with my email account at school.

 

[hjo3]

There could be something weird about your acct. that sets off the school's packet shaper or filtering software, perhaps? Might want to talk to some network personnel from your school.

 

[Lysimachus]

Nope. I've already done that. The Network specialists here have no clue, and they are not aware of anything that should cause that. One of the teachers even tried logging into her Hotmail account just fine.

But, I talked to another student here and he thinks it could be my cookies at home. My computers are always on, and many times on the internet. Do you think that hotmail might be thinking someone is hacking my account, when it could be that my account is detected as "logged in" from home, so therefore cannot login from some place else? Do you think uninstalling MSN Messenger might help, then reinstalling? Should I just go ahead and delete all my cookies?

 

[scorpioLP]

Rename the cookie file to something different. That way you can save them if you want to.


At school, are you trying to log in from several different PCs to your hotmail ??


I remember having the same problems with my hotmail account, where it was working fine and then all of a sudden I couldn't get in. I use outlook express to read my mail. But after a couple months, the problem corrected itself and it went back to being fine.

I can't imagine that it's anything you can control, so if nothing else works, just wait it out.

BTW - is it a subscriber account or a free account ??

 

[Lysimachus]

It's a free hotmail account.

I'm here at home, and I've removed every cookie possible. Will not be back to school till tomorrow to test it. But what do you mean by "rename the cookie file"? Which cookie is that? Do you mean the folder in which the cookies are stored? Plz be very clear in what you are referring to.

 

[Lysimachus]

Anyone? I still cannot login to my hotmail account from outside locations other than my home computer. Someone, plz help me narrow this issue down. I've tried deleting all my cookies, and even uninstalled and then reinstalled MSN Messenger 6.0.

Is there anyting else I should consider wiping out? Are there any associated cookies that I'm missing? Does my .Net Passport associated with my Windows XP User Account have anything to do with this? My computer is on the Internet all the time at home, but I always make sure I sign out of hotmail and MSN Messenger before I leave.

 

[Lysimachus]

Anyone?