Let's start with this:

I can't have two hotmail accounts in the same profile in Outlook
without MAJOR errors that cause Outlook to completely crash. There is
nothing I can do - each time Outlook restarts, it simply crashes the
moment I click on anything. So, now I have this major pain in the butt
of using two profiles. Joy. Oh, and when I open Outlook, I am prompted
for which profile to use - well, I set one as default, but it doesn't
matter because it forgets that setting EVERY TIME.

The next thing is that when I have a new mail message window open and
click on the Accounts selector, I get the error "Unable to complete
the operation. A fatal error has occurred in Outlook."

Now, if I compose an email and send it, it sits in my outbox forever -
it just doesn't leave my outbox. When I click on Server Status -
Detailed Report, I get the following information:


Outlook Connector Version 12.0.4518.1063

Account:

Signed in successfully at 9/23/2007 2:48:14
PM

Mail: Last successfully refreshed at 2:48
PM.
Calendar: Error at 2:48
PM.
Contacts: Last successfully refreshed at 2:48
PM.

Errors :

Time: 9/23/2007 2:48:15 PM
Error in Calendar
Outlook Connector is available only to subscribers.


Time: 9/23/2007 2:48:20 PM
Error in Mail
There is an error synchronizing your mail account. Please verify
your account has been configured correctly by first accessing your
mail on the web.
Error: 4350.


So, talk about conflicting messages - it tells me that the mail was
"Last successfully refreshed at 2:48 PM," yet there is an error saying
"There is an error synchronizing your mail account. Please verify your
account has been configured correctly by first accessing your mail on
the web." Okay, I go online to my account and do WHAT?!?! I don't see
anything obvious.

This software is a piece of crap in the biggest way. Probably another
way to "force" people to update to Office 2007, which I would put past
Microsoft. The longer I use Microsoft products, the more I grow to
loathe them. Rather than upgrade, I will simply move to a different
setup. I just don't understand why they did this - for *years* I used
Outlook with my two Hotmail accounts and never had any major problems.
Now using Outlook with these accounts is a nightmare, and using their
web interface may be nice for those that like web interfaces, but I
don't care to use it unless I have no choice.

The only suggestions I have seen are things like "re-install Outlook"
and/or "do a detect and repair" and/or "create a new profile." This is
on a brand new machine with a brand new installation of Windows XP,
running SP2, all office updates, etc. I have uninstalled and
reinstalled Outlook to no avail and am getting tired of this. Why did
Microsoft do this? What a PITA.

Anyway, I guess I am posting this with the hope that someone will have
a better suggestion than "detect and repair," "create a new profile,"
and/or "re-install stuff." My dream reply would be "Microsoft, in
light of the major inconvenience to its loyal Hotmail users, has
discontinued the need for the Outlook Connector and has restored the
previously working functionality." Too bad it is a dream.