Hi, I have used that method for quite a while, but find it no longer works (for me). Recently my Hotmail account would log-in with NO dot at either Visible or Invisible. Thought that might have been OK.
Now, in the last few weeks (maybe due to updates?) I login to my Hotmail account and I am Visible, until I manually change it. The "dot" defaults to the Visible position every time. I DO NOT use Messenger or SKYPE at all- at least not for now, and I would
use SKYPE from the desktop, not from my email account if I ever did want to use it.
I login to 'username' at Hotmail.com but it comes up with Outlook.com in the upper left of the title bar.
I cannot edit my host file due to permission, even following the directions read here or in another similar post. And I cannot find any type of EDIT program if I use the 'Run' command as Administrator. My local User has Admin privileges, so I can't figure
out why I cannot change privileges.
Also, one user suggests 127.0.0.1 and others
0.0.0.0 preceding the
gateway.messenger.live.com domain, and others mention
geo.gateway.messenger.live.com. It does look to me as if
gateway.messenger.live.com is an updated domain (minus the ''geo"), but I don't know which is correct- 0.0.0.0 or the 127.0.0.1- any ideas? I've got to get to edit my hosts file first, permissions-wise.
I'm looking for the SAME help as everyone else here- privacy, the nuisance, all of the things Micro$oft seems to ignore from so many users.
I am running Win 8.1 and using IE11. I don't really want to download another app (AdBlockplus) to fix/help drive this issue underground, where it should be- a toggle for ON, or remove messenger/Skype from Hotmail altogether. I use neither, just Hotmail
for some email, Outlook (NOT outlook.com, but part of office) and have no need for either to be incorporated in my Hotmail.
Any updates for a current status? Many thanks in advance! The initial workaround worked great until M$oft changed something about- umm maybe a month ago? Updated/corrected workarounds WELCOMED! Thanks in advance!