Outlook.com and hotmail both use the same login but can't get hotmail email

Philr 0

Installed clean copy of Windows 11. Ran Outlook and it couldn't login to my hotmail account, said it couldn't find it and to create a new account. I had hotmail open on my phone and was getting email. But I created a new outlook account using the email address for hotmail. Now when I open outlook it logs in using the account but I still can't see my hotmail mail.

Hornblower409 15,815 Reputation points

2026-09-17T08:23:49.5366667+00:00

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6 answers

Brian Tillman 27,130 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-16T19:48:49.1666667+00:00

Hi. I'm Brian and I'll try to help.

Which account do you use to log into Windows? All @hotmail.com accounts are Microsoft accounts as are @outlook.com accounts. It's the exact same service. When you said you created a a "new account using the email address for hotmail," do you mean that you created a new Microsoft account with that address (which would be impossible) or do you mean you created an account within new Outlook for Windows that used that address to connect with the Microsoft account's mailbox? If you log into https://outlook.live.com/ with the hotmail.com address and password, to you see the messages? I'm a little confused exactly what you did. Can you be more explicit, please, and state the exact steps you took and with which apps?
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Philr 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T20:01:39.28+00:00

When I tried to login to hotmail in Outlook for Windows it said the hotmail account didn't exist, create a new account. So I created a new account in Outlook using the hotmail email address thinking it would then bring up my email. It didn't. No matter what I use on that laptop now I cannot get to my actual hotmail account. I've spent the better part of two days researching and trying out suggestions on how to fix Outlook for Windows and have even done a clean install of Windows 11. I've tried logging into the hotmail account using a web browser but that doesn't work either. The phone and old laptop are both logged into the actual hotmail account and sending and receiving mail.
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Brian Tillman 27,130 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-17T15:49:48.18+00:00

If Phil can see the messages when using any device, they mailbox must contain the messages. Verify that the account type is Exchange, which it should be when accessing a Microsoft mailbox with an Outlook client. Log into https://outlook.live.com/ with the exact same credentials that are used on the devices that see the messages. They must be there or the other devices couldn't see them. Verify that the view being used is the correct view and displays the mailbox in an appropriate fashion. For example, if Focused Inbox is enabled and he's looking at the "Other" view, look in the "Focused" view. If he has conversation view enabled, try disabling it. Have him search for one of the messages and see it it shows.
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Philr 0 Reputation points

2026-09-18T19:21:13.86+00:00

I don't know what is going on with this new computer. When I login using his account on the web it shows the same thing as outlook for windows does but not his previous emails. I need to login with his account on my computer and see what it looks like.

Philr 0 Reputation points

2026-09-18T19:30:02.0066667+00:00

When I login to outlook.live.com in a web browser on my computer it shows the same inbox as on the new computer. I believe it has something to do with the new account created in outlook when it said it couldn't find his account. Would it be possible for there to be an account name in Outlook.com that is his entire hotmail address as the user name? I am beginning to think that is what happened. What is your thoughts on that?
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Brian Tillman 27,130 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-16T22:22:12.29+00:00

If you log into the mailbox with that address using a web browser and you see no mail, then that mailbox contains no mail. That means to me that if you see mail on another device, either your messages are stored locally on that device or you're not accessing the same mailbox. In order for any device to see the messages, they must be in the mailbox.
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Philr 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T22:31:54.4066667+00:00

Brian, I'm Dennis, Phil's brother-in-law. He called me because I worked with computers as a computer forensic investigator for 25 years. This is what I know. He logs into his hotmail account on his phone and old laptop and he gets his messages. I sent him some from my email accounts. The messages never show up in Outlook for Windows on the new laptop. I sent messages from the Outlook for Windows to my email accounts and I receive them showing the hotmail account as the return address.
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Brian Tillman 27,130 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-16T22:04:33.1133333+00:00

Are you logging into the link with your Hotmail address? If so, then you are seeing that mailbox. You cannot create a new Microsoft account using an existing address.
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Philr 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T22:16:27.5933333+00:00

I am logging in with the hotmail account but I cannot see the mailbox regardless of whether I login in a web browser or outlook for windows, no mail is showing whatsoever. I tried sending a mail from both the web and outlook for windows and that works.
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Brian Tillman 27,130 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-16T20:07:48.1333333+00:00

Do you use that Hotmail address to log into Windows? Did you log into the mailbox link I cited? What steps did you use to create the Hotmail.com account? Did you use a web browser or a did you use new Outlook for Windows. Please describe the exact steps.
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Philr 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T20:31:36.0033333+00:00

If I login with the link you gave it still shows outlook mail not my hotmail messages. Currently I am using a local account to login but the microsoft account is my hotmail account and login. The hotmail account is over 10 years old, the only email account I have ever used. When Outlook for Windows said the hotmail account didn't exist and create a new account I created an account using the complete hotmail address in Outlook for Windows. I thought about just deleting the account until I got to the account deletion page and it said it would delete all my accounts, outlook, hotmail, and live.
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