Microsoft has taken a lot heat of late as users have struggled with its latest much-hyped version of Windows Live Hotmail. Angry customers, perhaps unable to contact customer support via email, have inundated Microsoft support forums with an array of complaints, such as the inability to load or to send messages, as well as problems with script errors.
As if these problems that have turned Hotmail into Notmail weren't bad enough, Microsoft's suggested solutions have ironically urged users to turn off certain Microsoft products or features. Among the recommendations: Don't use Messenger, Internet Explorer, or particular Windows 7 features if you want Hotmail to work properly.
[ Get all the details you need on deploying and using Windows 7 in the InfoWorld editors' 21-page Windows 7 Deep Dive PDF special report. | Stay abreast of key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. ]
Killing the Web-based version of Messenger is listed as a way to address the problem of a script causing one's browser to run slowly while attempting to access Hotmail. "[We] are working on releasing a fix as soon as possible, but until then, a good workaround is to try signing out of Messenger on the Web (click your name in the upper-right of the page, and then click "Sign out of Messenger" in the menu)," reads a portion of the "Frequently experienced issues in the newest version of Hotmail." The Windows Live Team is working to fix the problem, Microsoft says.
Another frequent problem: Mobile broadband users report they can't read their mail. Microsoft attributes this little inconvenience to, yet again, script errors and suggests users stop using Internet Explorer or Firefox and instead try using Windows Live Mail or the mobile version of Hotmail. An alternative solution Microsoft offered in one of the support threads: Try Google Chrome. Microsoft notes that it the Windows Lives Team has developed a fix for this problem that has yet to be released
Finally, for users who aren't able to send messages, Microsoft offers this workaround: If you are using High Contrast display mode in Windows 7, turn it. The Windows Live Team is -- you guessed it -- working on a fix, Microsoft notes.
This story, "New Hotmail clashes with fellow Microsoft products," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on important tech news with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog.