There's a Hotmail down!
Microsoft's web-based email service goes down for the count; the "server is too busy" to serve your mail.
Computing | by Barb Dybwad | Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:20PM | 45 comments

Users of Microsoft's web-based email service Hotmail are reporting a significant service outage over the last hour. A visit to hotmail.com displays only a "Server is too busy" message. Microsoft partner Matthew Arkin posted the following status update relating to the outage: "Hotmail and Live Mail outage. Issue will be resolved soon. Sorry for the inconvenience." We're not sure of the exact affiliation Arkin has with the company and whether or not microsoft_cares is acting in an official capacity similar to comcastcares, but either way one thing is clear: the easiest way to spot the outage was via Twitter search.
If you're a Hotmail user reading this, let us know if the service comes back online for you.
[Update April 10, 2009]: Some of you are reporting still seeing the effects of yet another Hotmail outage. Microsoft confirmed the outage but claims it's fixed — let us know if it's still affecting you.
Get more information on topics relating to this story:
- Related company news:
- Microsoft
- Related glossary terms:
- cloud computing, Email
- Related devices and services:
- Hotmail





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Comments (45)
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blackartist
(4:41 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
I am also having problems with hotmail. I hope everything will be fine & microsoft will sort this problem out as soon as possible.
Thankyou
All the best
Alex
(3:06 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
It works, never noticed it going down
Anonymous (7:14 AM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
just tried tto access my hotmail account.AAAAARRGH!
760 (7:23 AM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
I am experiencing problems with attachments.The other day i got a post-master failure notice.
tash (9:26 AM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
I have been having problems for a few weeks. My screen is different from normal and I am unable to even get into my mail. Seriously considering changing to another provider as it is extremely frustrating. I depend on this means of communication both personally and proffessionally.
Please advise if anybody can.
Thank you kindly
mohammad riadh (9:35 AM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
when I try to open my hotmail, I find the message d_n_s server failure (4 days now)
Marcia Gillings (10:16 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
After two days of hardly any service with hotmail, I decided to switch before I lost all my business. An hour or so is acceptable but not days!!!
RustyMember (8:43 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
Down for the last hour? It's been down for almost 1o hours now and as for the previous comment. I hope everything is fine as just lost my laptop and all my backups are sitting in my email but really hope microsft goes to hell. Seems like he can't even manage to run a sim ple thing as email anymore
Anonymous (11:05 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
hotmail is back ON 11:07 PM
blackartist
(4:34 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
I am also facing problems with hotmail. I hope that everything will be fine & microsoft will debug & rectify the problem as soon as possible.
All the best.
Anonymous (1:40 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
The service never went down for me. When only some users lose access, that's a sign of work on the backend, i.e., upgrading accounts, etc.
Anonymous (2:02 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
I think it's back online now.. and you're right.. twitter was the place to get the info..
sal rokano (2:48 PM on Thu Mar 12, 2009)
mine has been working fine
A.R.Smith (11:50 AM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
My hotmail has been down for three days now. Many times when I try to just go to IE it closes on me.
Anonymous (1:07 PM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
The server is still down! more thna 24 hours later and the problem is till un resolved. I have been using hotmail for more than 5 years and this has never happened. I urgently need to see my emails. What is going on?!?
e cigarettes
(12:24 PM on Sat Mar 14, 2009)
I've been having lots of problems lately. I wonder if they have a bug w/ the latest upgrades.
Gail (11:41 AM on Sat Mar 14, 2009)
Am trying to access email but when trying to open new messages I get told maintenance work in progress will only take a few minutes, this has been going on for 5 hours!!!. Messages already opened are ok and can still view, any idea's!!!!
Anonymous (8:47 PM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
my hotmail has been down since tuesday, as has another site I use Plentyoffish. This is very frustrating for me as these are my main source of communication with some people.
Ryan (7:19 PM on Fri Mar 13, 2009)
Well it's fine for me and I'm using Firefox..
Anonymous (10:48 AM on Mon Mar 16, 2009)
The problem is still going. People on the blu 128 server are affected. I haven't had hotmail since friday. It is getting ridiculous. They keep saying they are aware of and working on the problem.
Corey O (10:46 AM on Mon Mar 16, 2009)
My hotmail has been inaccessible through a browser (IE or Firefox) and through Outlook since Friday March 13th. It's now Monday the 16th. I opened a gmail account last night and I am eagerly awaiting hotmail to work again so I can get my message, transfer my contacts and get the heck outta there. There have been far too many inconveniences over the years and this one...now in it's fourth day for me...has really done it.
Paul Tutokey (9:09 PM on Thu Mar 19, 2009)
I can rarely access my Hotmail acct using Internet Explorer; I can always access my Hotmail acct using Firefox but it seems slower??? This has been going on for months. I would rather use Explorer all of the time and I also am thinking about switching providers. Suggestions?
said (7:56 AM on Sat Apr 4, 2009)
hotmail down again
Nadia (1:18 AM on Fri Apr 10, 2009)
ARGH! I sign in to messenger and its fine, but when I try to check my mail it says i havent got an inbox yet. Hotmail downage? I didnt erase my user account. Anyone help? Waiting for some real important emails.
Thanks
Jeremy Bonham (12:59 AM on Fri Apr 10, 2009)
HOTMAIL IS DOWN AS OF APRIL 9 2009 APPOX. 9:45PM PACIFIC TIME!
Anonymous (12:44 AM on Fri Apr 10, 2009)
As of 11:47 CST Hotmail is down allows me to view my contacts but no email!!!!! WTF
Anonymous (12:44 AM on Fri Apr 10, 2009)
Now's the time to buy stock in google cuz I have a feeling there will be allot of new subscriptions to gmail. This bull-crap with hotmail is unacceptable. No heads-up, no explanation, no nuthin!
Anonymous (1:10 PM on Mon Apr 13, 2009)
april 13 2009 hotmail down
Anonymous (12:50 PM on Mon Apr 13, 2009)
Hotmail still down for me. 4/13/09 It's been a few days with nothing. I can sign into passport, buy no hotmail access. Hotmail module says ' hotmail is temporarily unavailable' on the MSN page. Any help from anyone?
Autumn (11:55 AM on Mon Apr 13, 2009)
I have had a hotmail account for years and I have never experienced the down time like now.
Please PERMANENTLY fix it this time. It has been intermittent for a month. Very very unusual.
Matt (12:50 AM on Thu Apr 16, 2009)
Autumn, I couldn't agree with you more...please fix Hotmail PERMANENTLY! And while you're at it, could a mechanic also fix my car PERMANENTLY?
Anonymous (1:17 PM on Wed Apr 15, 2009)
ok this is getting old, I need my email. But i do understand, your doing the but you can.
Anonymous (11:54 AM on Sun Apr 19, 2009)
Ugh!!! I STILL cant get into hotmail!!! Is ANYONE else haveing problems still? I cant even get to the login page!!!
Anonymous (9:58 AM on Wed Apr 29, 2009)
I've been having problems for the past week or two as well! Sometimes (the minority) it works fine, but mostly after I click "sign in" it just sits there waiting for info from the server, then it times out. VERY FRUSTRATING!
Sharma Yelverton (4:35 PM on Mon May 4, 2009)
Well I've been unable to access any of my hotmail accounts since last thursdays or so (30 april 2009). If the problem persists much longer it risks being a severer inconvenience to my current business affairs. Does anyone have an explanation for these troubles?
Anonymous (12:09 PM on Wed May 6, 2009)
My hotmail has been down for about 2 weeks now ! Where do I turn to ?
Anonymous (9:51 PM on Thu May 7, 2009)
As I have my hotmail stay logged in for every online session, I went back to go read something and I got a message saying "You don't have an inbox yet, but you can start one up today." Let me tell you, first I was in disbelief, so I refreshed... still nothing.
I logged out & tried logging back in. After typing my password and enter, the page just refreshed as if I never typed it in at all. Being that This was a major problem, I tried looking for some kind of support. Can you beleive how hard it is to get support from MSN? I figured something was wrong so I typed into google "hotmail down" and tada here I am :). Sad thing is this was reported in April and almost a month later and it's still not taken care of completly.
Anonymous (10:12 PM on Thu May 7, 2009)
this is the first i have had problems with hotmail... it's been out for a few hours now, i live in NJ and have fiber optic connection... WTF?!!!!
Jose Huerta
(10:44 PM on Fri May 15, 2009)
Yes, mine has been down for a couple of days now. I've had the email account for years now and have never experience and outage like this. I use the account for job searching notifications and it is a little frustrating... I Need A JOB, loll :0)
Lisa
(8:15 AM on Sat May 16, 2009)
I'm still not able to access Hotmail. It is May 16th, 2009. Anyone know what is going on?
Anonymous (12:25 PM on Fri May 22, 2009)
I can't access my hotmail....it's been 3 days now
Anonymous (11:02 AM on Fri Jun 5, 2009)
Hotmail access (every single email link) is now redirecting to bing!!!! Arghh! Darn Microsoft... Darn them to heck!
Stephen (12:23 PM on Fri Jun 5, 2009)
Haven't been able to access hotmail for 3 days now, was all fine before then and never been down for me since opening and e-mail account 2003.
This is a huge problem as i have e-tickets i need to print for gigs and hotel confirmations!!!
PS. Email me
when someone replies to my comment when anyone comments - Well thats not gonna work :(
Cody (8:53 PM on Wed Jun 17, 2009)
Hotmail keeps redirecting to Bing. WTF. This is the best marketing scheme ever! (mad not excited) Now enough already - I need to check my email.
laura (11:35 AM on Tue Nov 17, 2009)
Hotmail has been down for at least 4 hours now. very frustrating.