Configuring preferences and options in Outlook.com
Ok, It looks like it's allowed to give you some software recommendations, I'm giving you guys the easiest fix, a browser redirector.
For Firefox look for the add-on called redirector, open the add-on options and click "New redirect" then you can enter a description, in "Example URL" type "http://msn.com/*" then in "Include pattern" type "http://msn.com/*", then in "Redirect to" type "https://signout.live.com/content/dam/imp/surfaces/mail_signout/v7/mail/en-us.html" (or any other url you want), check the "wildcard" checkbox and the "Enabled" checkbox.
You have to repeat the steps for every url you get redirected to, for example "http://www.bing.*"
That will make your browser redirect to the signout form (or any url you want). But you wont be able to visit that url unless you disable the redirector entry.
I haven't tried this one too much but for Chrome you can download the Switcheroo Redirectoradd-on. With this add-on you can redirect from http://www.msn.com/ to https://signout.live.com/content/dam/imp/surfaces/mail\_signout/v7/mail/en-us.html or any url you want.
Thanks so much for your info, but the "redirector" link is in French. I went to my own (English) tools/addons in Firefox to find it and did searches for "redirector" and "redirector 2.8.1" coming back with no results in either case. Maybe they have this in French speaking countries, but not the USA? Or maybe it is under a different name or spelling here?
This forced redirection to the MSN page irritates me too. They just keep ratcheting up their control tactics knowing that many will not notice nor care and others will "adjust/comply" eventually. All they have to do is post their smarmy, useless responses and bide time for a little while.
I have the hotmail/outlook sign-in page set as my home page so I just click on the little house symbol on the upper right of my screen to go in 1 click from MSN to the sign-in page..... or I can put up a new tab, delete the MSN page and put sign-in in the blank tab (3 clicks LOL).
Another idea, if you do not want "sign-in" as your home page, would be to bookmark the sign-in page, place it at the top of the bookmark list and click it on top of MSN- that is, stay on the same tab as MSN and stick the sign-in page "on top" of it. Or, same as above, put up a new tab, delete the MSN page and pop sign-in into the blank tab. It's still a little bit of extra work and irritation but MSN is not ever going to fix this (to them it is not broken!) and anything we can do will entail some sort of work around that will vary for each person/browser.
I already use several addons and even if I manage to find "redirector", I'm not sure I want to load in any more addons unless absolutely necessary, so my simple 1 click work around will do for me.
All that said, I loved hotmail for years and years but I am now doing research to find a good email program. This is not as easy as it should be as the ones I've looked at so far have a few pluses and a lot of minuses. Yes, we hate to change the email address our contacts have had for years but if I can find a program I sincerely believe will be better than inlook/coldmail which is slow...slow...slow- and was forced upon us, I will make the change gladly.