Topic Last Modified: 2009-11-03
How can I bring contacts from other e-mail accounts such as Yahoo! into my account in Outlook Live?
If you're using a browser to access e-mail, there isn't a tool or other method to import the contacts from other accounts. But if you use Outlook 2007 to access e-mail, you can use a tool provided by your other account's e-mail service to import contacts. Check with your other account's e-mail service to see whether such a tool is available.
To import contacts from Hotmail, install the Microsoft Office Outlook Connector. First, set up Outlook 2007 so both your Web account and Hotmail accounts are under one profile. Next, download the Hotmail contacts in Outlook 2007 and then move them to your Web account by dragging the contacts from your Hotmail account into the Web account.
Can I apply rules on mail I download from my connected accounts to sort it into subfolders?
Yes. Inbox rules work on mail downloaded from your connected accounts. You can use the Inbox rule It was received through a connection to this account and specify the e-mail address of your connected account to move messages from that account to the folder you specify in your Outlook Live mailbox. If you're having trouble, see Learn About Inbox Rules.
If I reply to a message that was downloaded from another account, for example my Yahoo! account, can I reply with my Yahoo! e-mail address?
Yes. Messages you send from your Yahoo! address in Outlook Live will show as having been sent on behalf of your Yahoo! address. If you've verified the e-mail address of the connected account in the verification e-mail sent to your other account, you'll be able to send on behalf of that address in Outlook Live.
How is spam and junk mail from my other accounts filtered?
Spam filtering isn't run on e-mail downloaded from your other accounts. Usually, spam filtering has already been done when e-mail arrives in your other account.
How often is my mail downloaded from my connected account's mailbox to Outlook Live?
E-mail is downloaded every hour.
When I connect to my Gmail account, do I get all my e-mail messages in a single download?
When you download your messages from your Gmail account to your account in Outlook Live, you'll receive messages at intervals. You can expect to download about 400 messages every hour. The number of messages you can download at a time is limited by Gmail. Also, if you want to download all Gmail mail using POP access, check your Gmail account settings (under Forwarding and POP/IMAP > POP Download) to make sure that the Enable POP for all mail option is selected. You need to make this change to download all Gmail mail because Gmail accounts automatically apply a setting that allows mail to be downloaded through POP only one time.
Why hasn't the status for my connected account changed since I fixed the connection issue?
When you save changes to your other account's connection, your Outlook Live account will try to download mail from that other account. Click the refresh button under Options > Account > Connected Accounts to make sure you're seeing the latest status of the connection to your account. If the connection status still doesn't change, click Details for the account and then check that you've made any fixes suggested in the Current Status section.
What can I do if my connected account isn't downloading e-mail?
From your account in Outlook Live, go to Options > Account > Connected Accounts. Select the connected account that's not downloading e-mail and then click Details. Check the Current Status section of the account to see why you couldn't download e-mail for the account. The Current Status section will tell you what you can do to fix the problem with your account connection. After you make the changes recommended in the Current Status section, click Save. Outlook Live will try to reconnect to the account. We recommend that you resolve the problem with your connected account as indicated in the Current Status section for the account instead of deleting the account connection. If you delete and re-create a connection, messages you downloaded before will be downloaded again.
What does the status for my connected account mean?
Check the Current Status section for the account by clicking Options > Account > Connected Accounts > Details. The Current Status section will tell you more about your account's connection status.
When I make copies or move mail items in the mailbox of my connected account, are these changes downloaded to Outlook Live?
No. After you download mail items for the first time in Outlook Live, message copies, moved messages, deleted messages, or folder moves aren't downloaded to Outlook Live. If there are multiple copies of a message in your connected account's mailbox, Outlook Live downloads only one instance of the message.
What if my password for the connected account has changed?
Click Options > Account > Connected Accounts, select the account you want to update the password for, and then click Details and update your password information. Click Save changes to synchronize again to the connected account.
What's my size limit for messages and attachments when I send e-mail using my other accounts that are connected to my account in Outlook Live?
It's the same limit that applies to all other e-mail you send. See FAQs: Miscellaneous Issues.
What types of accounts can I connect to?
You can connect to any account that allows POP or IMAP access or is a Hotmail account.
Are my Hotmail contacts downloaded with my mail when I connect to my Hotmail account?
Hotmail contacts aren't downloaded.
How many accounts can I connect to at a time?
You can have up to five account connections at a time.
What does it mean when I get a message that says I should contact Hotmail support about "sync relationships?"
This issue can occur, for example, when a connection to a Hotmail account is created and removed repeatedly. When you get this message, contact Hotmail. Otherwise, wait 30 days for the connection to the Hotmail account to be reset.
What if I want to know more?
If you still have questions, check out these links.
