# Heads up all Hotmail users! Read this. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 28, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268 "2002-07-28T18:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/1 "2002-07-28T18:54:26Z")
[Hotmail policy drives users to tears - All sent mail more than 30 days old in free accounts deleted](http://www.msnbc.com/news/785760.asp?0dm=C19LT) ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/2 "2002-07-28T19:09:00Z")
Isn’t the policy to delete all mail **if** if the user does not log on for a period of 30 days? I have e-mail in my account up to six months old. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/3 "2002-07-28T19:39:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrnalene \* > \*\*Isn’t the policy to delete all mail **if** if the user does not log on for a period of 30 days? I have e-mail in my account up to six months old. \*\* Yes. Now there is a new policy in addition to that one. All sent mail over 30 days old will be deleted if you have a free account. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/4 "2002-07-28T19:44:34Z")
Using a free web mail account is not the best way to back things up. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/5 "2002-07-28T21:29:23Z")
They deleted the messages with no warning? Wow - I’ve lost some things then, but nothing major. I can’t wait until I set up my UnaMail server. Just as soon as I get a new case and power supply… And they charge $20 a year for 10 MB total? Wow - I was thinking of charging my friends $5 a month for **1 GB** of mail space. Maybe I should re-think that… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/6 "2002-07-28T21:36:40Z")
Nobody should ever keep anything important in their “SENT” folder, anyway. If you need to save something permanently, make a regular folder for it, that’s what they’re for. **Anthracite** , did you actually store things in your “SENT” folder, or did you misunderstand the notice? ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/7 "2002-07-28T21:40:50Z")
A related question: What’s the best way to save your messages? I have a Yahoo account, but I’d like to save copies somewhere other than in my Yahoo folders, which of course are potentially unreliable. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/8 "2002-07-28T21:44:20Z")
Note that this is mail in your “Sent” folder. Copies of what you have sent to others. I never trusted this feature and kept my own copies locally when needed. (In fact, I compose locally and then paste.) I still have mail over 2 years old in my inbox. Hotmail sucked already, what’s one more reason? (E.g., you can’t turn off html viewing and can’t see who it’s really from without opening it. Combined this is A Bad Thing.) I do run my own home email server though. It is A Real Good Idea for those with broadband connections. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/9 "2002-07-29T04:35:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*Nobody should ever keep anything important in their “SENT” folder, anyway. If you need to save something permanently, make a regular folder for it, that’s what they’re for. **Anthracite** , did you actually store things in your “SENT” folder, or did you misunderstand the notice? \*\* I stored things in the Sent folder that were expendable. I have been around a while, after all. I received no advance notice that this was going to happen, and that’s the only thing that pissed me off. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/10 "2002-07-29T06:18:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Microsoft claims more than 110 million Hotmail users, but fewer than 300,000 of those have signed up for the extra storage feature. I’m surprised they got that many. I use Hotmail strictly for signing up for websites and ordering products, since I don’t trust sites not to pass on my email address. I’d rather just delete the porn emails out of Hotmail and save my real email address for real email. If I get or send any truly important messages via Hotmail, I forward them to my real address as well. Of course, I didn’t bother reading the updates they sent out, so I lost all the messages I had in my Inbox and Sent folders a couple of months ago, when they instituted the 30-day rule. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/11 "2002-07-29T13:38:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\* > I stored things in the Sent folder that were expendable. I have been around a while, after all. > > I received no advance notice that this was going to happen, and that’s the only thing that pissed me off. \*\* I agree, they should have sent a notice to all users. I would have never known had it not been for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/12 "2002-07-29T13:49:59Z")
Interesting. According to **astro** ’s linked article, Hotmail staff claim that users were notified some time ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if they mentioned it at the foot of one of those tedious bulletins they send. Having said that, I think Hotmail have handled this badly. If they’re chipping away at the services on offer to encourage uptake of the premium service they really need to avoid irritating current users. Clear, explicit, advanced warning won’t win friends, but it won’t make enemies like sudden deletion has. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/13 "2002-07-29T14:08:11Z")
They deleted my free hotmail account after about 15 days of non-usage. (Maybe I just didn’t “use” it the way they expected.) They deleted all my mail, and all my addresses. When I phoned to explain the problem they ignored what I said (for example that they could check I had received mail by looking at the dates), and refused to retrieve any of it, or to apologize. ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/14 "2002-07-29T15:22:51Z")
? I’ve yet to have any problems with hotmail and everything you guys are talking was CLEARLY explained either when I signed up or in updates. \ It’s a free email account. If you want to get important emails, use your isp’s acconuts. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/15 "2002-07-29T15:25:54Z")
I didn’t get anything either, and I am pissed. I got at least 2 notices they would disable POP mail retrieval. Fine, I’ll use Excite, and I wouldn’t have actually lost data, just the ability to retrieve my ISP mail at work. \*\* Hampster \*\* was unaware of this on ICQ last night too. I did have most of it saved to my hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/16 "2002-07-29T16:13:23Z")
OK, I’m baffled. I just checked my sent folder and none of my huge list of sent messages has been deleted. Some of them are 3 years old. I just transferred them all in to a new folder to be safe but how come they didn’t get deleted? ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/17 "2002-07-29T16:36:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CRorex \* > \*\*? > > I’ve yet to have any problems with hotmail and everything you guys are talking was CLEARLY explained either when I signed up or in updates. > \*\* …Depending on when you signed up. I’ve had my Hotmail account since long before Microsoft bought them up. The rules were very, _very_ different than the sign-up conditions that exist now. There have been a lot of changes over the years and most of them I learned about through major news sources rather than from any Hotmail Member Service bulletins. I also (for God knows what reason) keep all those stupid Hotmail membership bulletins in a folder. I went through them and not a single one mentions the Sent Mail deletion. Oversight, perhaps? The only information I have about it is a box in my now-empty Sent folder that says messages will be deleted after 30 days. I didn’t keep anything particulalry important in there, but I’m rather annoyed that my penguin joke is gone. Interestingly, my Hotmail has been spam-free until the last few months (yes, you read that correctly – _I’ve never had spam at my Hotmail address_ until this past spring). Now I’m deluged with the crap. No idea how the address became compromised, but as a result, I’d planned on terminating the account anyway. Hotmail is trying to pressure members into paying for the service (hence, the “Protect Your E-mail This Summer!” bulletins – mild scare tactics and inconveniences to “encourage” you to pay for a long-standing free service.) _shrug_ Whatever. I’ve just signed up for a new account with a free service that doesn’t delete mail and has more storage. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-all-hotmail-users-read-this/121268/18 "2002-07-29T20:08:47Z")
Oh No! What will happen to all my spam!?!?