On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:49:23 -0500, ng_reader wrote:

Anyone else having issues getting Outlook Express to retrieve messages from
the Hotmail HTTP protocol servers out there on the Internet?

I use a couple of different "hotmail" accounts, but the one that I use most
frequently, and the one that I access directly from the MS Hotmail website,
does not seem to be "pushing" any new emails to my OE client.

Temporary or permanent, I am wondering.

It is not possible to "push" email to a client, such as MS Outlook Express.
Such clients "pull" email from a server, depending upon the protocol. There
are three common protocols used to "pull" email: POP3, IMAP4, HTTPMail. Of
these, only Windows Live (formerly MSN) Hotmail and Lycos, UK (that I know
of) use HTTPMail.

With MS Outlook Express, HTTPMail uses something called, "WebDAV" for
synchronizing the account. The user must have set up a free Hotmail account
prior to Sept. 26, 2004, and used it with MSOE prior to that date to have
HTTPMail access. Otherwise the user must have a fee-based Hotmail Plus
account.

Some time last year, Windows Live had announced the end of WebDAV, which was
replaced by "DeltaSync" for the HTTPMail protocol. Then they relented, and
announced that it would continue for some unspecified period into this year.
I just tried sending an email, using the one free Hotmail account that still
works with MSOE.

Two observations:

1.) Windows Live will probably pull the plug on WebDAV at some point. This
will break MSOE access to Hotmail accounts.

2.) Hotmail has always been flaky about client access. I've had days where I
was unable to access my Hotmail account with MSOE for hours at a time. I
don't rely on my Hotmail accounts for anything; client access has never been
reliable.

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum