pop3.email.msn.com doesn't work (here's the answer)

Summary:

You'd like to use Outlook with MSN email.

You follow Microsoft's instructions which say to use pop3.email.msn.com, yet it doesn't work.   And since you're a tech-type, you do a test telnet to pop3.email.msn.com port 110, and that connection is d-e-a-d.

So you continue to search another hour or so, and you find additional instructions from Microsoft with HTTP protocol instructions, but those also don't work and since you're a tech-type, you test the Outlook URL they use (oe.msn.msnmail.hotmail.com) and it is also d-e-a-d.

Now what?




The Fix:  MSN/Outlook 2003 Configuration Instructions

Step 1:  Download and run the Outlook Hotmail connector.  Restart Outlook.

Step 2: Configure a POP3 setting as follows:

1. Click on Tools....E-Mail Accounts...
2. Click "Add a nwe e-mail account"
3. Select "POP3" and click Next
4. Enter your name, your MSN email address.
5. For Incoming mail server (POP3), enter in:   pop3.live.com
6. For Outgoing mail server (SMTP), enter in:  smtp.live.com
7. Change your user name to include "@msn.com"
8. Enter your password, and check the box "Remember password"
9. Check the box "Log on using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)
10. Click "More Settings..."

11. Click the "Advanced" tab.
12. For Incoming server (POP3), change it to 995.
13. Check the box "This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL)
14. For Outgoing server (SMTP), change it to 587
15. Check the box "This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL)
16. I suggest leaving a copy of your email on the server (MSN), so check the box "Leave a copy of messages on the server"
17. I also suggest that if you delete a message from Outlook, then you delete from the deleted items, that it should also remove from MSN.  So check the box "Remove from the server when deleted from 'Deleted Items'"
18. Click OK.
19. Click Next
20. Click Finish
21. Click "Send/Receive"

Now your email should be streaming in.  Phew!  Go grab a cookie to celebrate!

Final note: If you use 64-bit Windows, here is the connector you'll want to download.