I tried to send an e-mail from Vista Windows mail and it kept on telling me that Hotmail was not supported and requests completion of pop and stmp details for another e-mial address. Finally I dowloaded Windows live and used live Mail which was OK

So why on earth does Windows mail refuse its own hotmail account?

Hotmail does not supported POP3/SMTP for Outlook/Outlook Express (from your desktop) unless you actually pay for the support (you're using the free version). Otherwise, you have to get on Hotmail-dot-Com and use it directly.

The only free Email (AFAIK) that allows this is Gmail (probably some others).

Read up on POP3 and SMTP so you'll understand it.

Well finally I installed Windows live mail and this worked fine wih hotmail. I have no idea why Hotmail was rejected by Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate SP1

I refer to kb926374 which confirms that Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate SP1 is useless so can someone explain why it is included in both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions and why it has not been sorted out in Microsoft update

Please go here... I repeat my above post (look closely - Windows Mail is Outlook Express) -

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/62560-wi...l-problems.html

You have to pay you Mail Service for the luxury of POP3/SMTP. The KB referenced does not state that it will allow you to use POP3/SMTP "no matter what"; it states that if you have the service, then there is a problem that this KB will "fix".

HTH in your understanding.