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

Question

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

[Removed by author]

6 answers

Your answer

Hornblower409 15,815 Reputation points

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

[Removed by author]

Answer 1

Again, there is no difference between a Hotmail account and an Outlook.com account. Any account using an address ending in @hotmail.com is an Outlook.com account because Microsoft renamed the Hotmail service to Outlook.com back in 2013. This is also true of accounts whose addresses end in @live.com and @msn.com as well. So anyone whose address ends in any of those domains log into Outlook.com to receive their mail, either using a web browser or an email client like classic or new Outlook, Thunderbird, eM Client and others.

I cannot think of a scenario that would produce what you describe unless you're using POP accounts on the devices that show more email. Could you verify the account type on the old computer and the phone. What client do you use on the phone? Is the phone Android or iOS?

Answer 2

Brian Tillman 27,130 Independent Advisor

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.

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?

Answer 3

Brian Tillman 27,130 Independent Advisor

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.

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.

Answer 4

Brian Tillman 27,130 Independent Advisor

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.

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.

Answer 5

Brian Tillman 27,130 Independent Advisor

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.

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.