HTTPS Support added to Outlook Hotmail Connector

In our continued effort to improve the quality of the connection between Windows Live Hotmail and Microsoft Outlook, we have released an update for the Outlook Hotmail Connector.

The main addition in this update is the support of the HTTPS protocol for all communication between Microsoft Outlook and Windows Live Hotmail, Calendar, and Contacts. Using a connection with HTTPS, helps you be even more confident that your account is safer from hijackers, and that your private information remains private. HTTPS is a standard for sensitive Internet content, and you’ll find it commonly used by banks, online merchants, and email providers such as Hotmail. HTTPS uses a certificate on the server to make sure that your computer is communicating with the intended server.

To start to use HTTPS with your Hotmail account, install the latest version of Outlook Hotmail Connector. No other changes are required in Outlook or on the Windows Live site.

Additionally, this update addresses reliability issues reported by users like you.

As a side note, we have listened to your feedback on our version terminology — we previously referred to each release with an incremental version such as “14.1” or “14.2”. However, the version information for the Outlook Hotmail Connector continued to use a 14.0.XXXX.YYYY version system. Beginning with this release, we’ll refer to each release exclusively by its version number found in the “About Outlook Hotmail Connector” dialog box. The version number for this update is 14.0.6106.5001. To determine which version is installed on your computer, see the end of this article.

Here is an overview of the changes in this update:

Overall

  • All communications between Outlook and Windows Live services (Mail, Calendar, Contacts) use the HTTPS protocol.
  • We fixed an issue in which the user was prompted to remove folders that used names longer than 30 characters or that contained invalid characters even after the folder was removed.
  • We fixed several stability and reliability issues.

Calendar

We fixed the following issues:

  • Some calendar meetings and appointments series with specific exception patterns caused error 8004a164 during first synchronization which blocked additional calendar synchronizations.
  • Users couldn’t remove recipients of a meeting series from an exception to the series.
  • Flagged mail items would continue to prompt with a reminder value even after it was dismissed.

Mail

  • We fixed an issue in which users couldn’t send email messages if the recipient address was copied and then pasted from a contact.

Contacts

  • We fixed an issue in which street address fields only synchronized from the server one time.

Installing Outlook Hotmail Connector

We recommend that users download this updated version of the Connector. However, for now, this is an optional update and you can continue to use your current version of Outlook Hotmail Connector. When this update becomes required, you’ll see a notification in Outlook.

To manually install the Outlook Hotmail Connector, do the following:

  1. Go to the Microsoft Download Center using the applicable link for your computer.

    For Outlook 2010, Office Outlook 2007, or Office Outlook 2003 32-bit:

    Outlook Hotmail Connector for Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010 32-bit

    For Outlook 2010 64-bit:

    Outlook Hotmail Connector for Outlook 2010 64-bit

  2. Download the setup file by clicking Download next to OutlookConnector.exe, and then save the file to your computer.
  3. Double-click the downloaded file.
  4. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the installation.

How to verify the version that is installed

Outlook 2007 and Office Outlook 2003

  1. Start Outlook.
  2. On the Outlook Hotmail Connector menu, click About Outlook Hotmail Connector.

The version appears in the About Outlook Hotmail Connector dialog box. If the version is equal to or higher than 14.0.6106.5001, the latest version of Outlook Hotmail Connector is installed.

Outlook 2010

  1. Start Outlook.
  2. Click the File tab.
  3. Click Additional Information and then select About Outlook Hotmail Connector. If you have multiple accounts, you might have to select your Hotmail account from the menu at the top.

The version appears in the About Outlook Hotmail Connector dialog box. If the version is equal to or higher than 14.0.6106.5001, the latest version of Outlook Hotmail Connector is installed.

On behalf of the entire Outlook Hotmail Connector team, thanks for trying the new Outlook Hotmail Connector!

-- Alessio Roic
Outlook Senior Program Manager

More info on Outlook and Hotmail integration:

Connecting to Hotmail accounts in Outlook 2010

New Outlook Hotmail Connector released

Hotmail accounts and RSS feeds in Outlook: An Out of Office
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Microsoft Office Outlook Hotmail Connector overview

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Comments: (71) Collapse

  • OS - Windows 7

    Office outlook 2007

    Outlook connector - 14.0.6106.5001

    Mail works fine, calendar and contacts do not sync in either direction.. How do I get both calendar and contacts sync, specifically from outlook to windows live...

    I am not a tech expert, so please provide info in detail

  • @Josh Meisels

    Please comment on this bug report:

    social.technet.microsoft.com/.../c042e118-b58a-4783-a0e4-78f604e94a03

  • Al.x, thanks for reporting that issue. I see that one of our support engineers has already taken a look at your post and will investigate the issue. Please continue to use the forum to troubleshoot the issue since that is the best place to get individual support.

    Josh Meisels, Outlook Program Manager

  • Guys,

    I'm having trouble to synchronize contacts. When I create a contact on Outlook, it don't get updated on hotmail, but if I create the contact on hotmail I cat get it on Outlook. Is this a common problem? Is there a way to solve it?

    I've downloaded and installed the version from this post.

    Regards.

  • Sir / Madam,

    I'm syncing between Outlook 2007 and Windows Live. Let the server where Windows Live data is stored be the Windows Live Server [WLS]; let the web interface of Windows Live be the Windows Live Web Client [WLWC].

    The set of contact fields visible via the WLWC is a subset of those contact fields available on the WLS which are capable of being synced with Outlook 2007. (For example: title, middle (name) and suffix are not visiable via the WLWC.) What is the set of contact fields available on the WLS for syncing via Outlook Hotmail Connector and via Exchange ActiveSync?

    At least one contact field with the same name in Outlook 2007 and on the WLWC, namely job title, does not sync over Outlook Hotmail Connector. Are there any other such fields? Do you have plans to address this anomaly?

    Best regards,

    Cian Buckley

  • I have the latest verion 14.0.6106.5001

    Changes in contacts in outlook are not being synced to hotmail.

    If I make the changes in hotmail they appear in outlook but not the other way round.

    I can create new contacts in outlook which appear in hotmail. But if I make any changes to them in outlook the changes don't sync back to hotmail.

  • I have exactly the same problem. When can we expect a solution ??!!!!!

  • I recently switched to Mac and found out that Outlook for Mac 2011 does not offer an Outlook Connector option.  Is there a solution to the issue of not being able to obtain MSN Premium (paid) mail through Outlook fo Mac?  I certainly hope so.  Afterall, shouldn't MS be supporting its own products?

  • Win7 / Outlook 2007 / 14.0.6106.5001 Connector (german version)

    Contact information that were changed in Outlook don't sync with the exchange server. There isn't even an upload after I saved them and press F9.

    Seems to be a bug, will there be any updates soon?

  • @Cian Buckley: I've noticed this anomaly, too. "Job Title" is not synchronized at all. "Title" and "Suffix" are synchronized, but not visible on the Windows Live Web Client. They are, however, visible in Contacts on a Windows Phone 7. Strange, indeed!

  • System: Windows 7 / Office 2010 / live.com / Windows Phone 7 / Outlook connector - 14.0.6106.5001

    Hi all!

    Same problems here like callatech has!

    Changing contact details in Outlook are out of sync with live.com. But new contacts or deleted contacts in Outlook are synced with live.com.

    The other way - live.com -> Outlook 2010 - there are no problems and syncing is fine.

    Please, if there is any solution let us know. Thanks in advance!

  • To directly bulk conversion of your Outlook contacts to vCard contacts you required converter which support multiple conversion at a time. PCVITA vCard Magic is vCard converter software which supports multiple conversions with single click.www.vcardconverter.vcardmagic.com

  • Hi,

    My clients have been moaning about how futile Outlook 2010 is with IMAP and also with the Outlook Hotmail Connector which crashes regularly. Not everyone has Exchange Server and not everyone wants it either even though the server product is an excellent product.

    Given that my clients have a situation where all emails disappear and then are re-downloaded which freezes the Outlook client - it is unusable for IMAP and also for use with the Hotmail Connector and not fit for purpose. People need a reliable email client.

    Can someone from Microsoft pls look at the issues raised here including the one mentioned above and pls try to resolve this as clients are going elsewhere in droves for their email software.

    Many Thanks.

  • I'm running Outlook 32 bit (with the latest Hotmail Connector installed) on a Win7 Platform and can report the same issue.

    I noticed that under Outlook, when it first starts, one can access the Hotmail Connector under Additional Information (under the File Tab). However, this Additional Information button disappears from the File Tab after a few minutes.

    That seems odd.

  • Are you aware that the version of the outlook hotmail connector 32-bit which can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com/.../details.aspx is 14.0.6023.1000 and not 14.0.6106.5001 as stated?

    Are you aware that this version causes a lot of syncing problems when using the new sweep function in hotmail (see explore.live.com/windows-live-hotmail-sweep-junk-using )?

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