MSN Messenger, Hotmail on the fritz

Microsoft is investigating customer complaints that both MSN Messenger and Hotmail have been intermittently inaccessible since Friday morning, a representative said.

Hotmail users complained to CNET News.com that the service could not be accessed several times during the day on Friday. Microsoft's instant-messaging application, MSN Messenger, also had connectivity problems.

		Flashback News.com's previous coverage of Passport-related problems Privacy group attacks Windows XP, Passport (Aug. 15, 2001) Security problems open Microsoft's Wallet (Nov. 2, 2001) Microsoft beefs up Passport security (Sept. 2, 2002) Microsoft agrees to Passport changes (Jan. 30, 2003) Passport problems could cost Microsoft (May 8, 2003)

"This morning, MSN customers began experiencing issues accessing various services, such as Messenger (and) Hotmail," a Microsoft representative said. "Microsoft is currently determining the cause and is taking appropriate steps to remedy the situation as quickly as possible."

The Hotmail Web site and other Passport-powered sites could only be successfully accessed 50 percent of the time, according to Internet performance measurement service Keynote Systems. Usually, the sites can be accessed 100 percent of the time.

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Although Microsoft did not finger Passport as the cause of the issues, a hiccup in the affected services could be explained by problems in the company's Internet identity service, said Roopak Patel, senior analyst at Keynote.

"If there is an issue, it is causing the same effects across different (Microsoft) domains," Patel said, adding, "It's not impacting the Internet as a whole."

Microsoft's identity service has been stable in recent history, but Passport has had its share of troubles.

Almost a year ago, a flaw in the system could have allowed an attacker to access customer information using only the victim's e-mail address. Software flaws in the system's security also left consumers' financial data vulnerable, forcing Microsoft to shut down its Wallet service to protect people from having their data stolen.

Microsoft does not believe that the current issue could affect customer data, the representative said.

It's free ffs!

Both Hotmail and MSN Messenger are free to use. You are not paying for it so deal with the fact that it may go down from time to time.

Grow up kiddies!

HELLLOO!!

Take a look. If you want to take full advantage of the services a monopoly provides you have to pay. I for one, pay for my Hotmail account. Sound stupid. Well, yeah, even to me it sounds absurd to pay for something that is free. But, I want the larger mailbox. And, I want to keep my email address for years to come. So, I chose Hotmail. Should I expect it to be in working order 24/7. YES!

[Mike #1]

MSN Messenger

I have followed all the instructions that are involved in installing msn messenger last check it was still going around in circles. If msn can not get the messenger functioning properly. My faith in anything MSN may come out with is low.

[CosmicWitch]

You know, I thought I was the only one having this problem. But it has been going on since yesterday for me. I never really had much faith in Microsoft either way especially since vista came out, hence why I stuck with XP, and will stick with XP at least until Windows 7 is released and fully workable.

As a consumer, regardless a free consumer or a paying one, I expect messengers such as MSN to run without a hitch. I have several group projects I need to get done, and I communicate heavily with my group members using MSN and AIM on a daily basis. I hate using Yahoo to communicate with the people I know, but since I am not able to use MSN to talk to those on it, I have to resort to using the latter.

It's highly annoying to see that yellow bouncing smilie face every time I log on to it. Apparently right now it has me as offline when I am online on yahoo as well, perhaps a glitch on their side? I've thought of restarting but I'm just too far into what I'm doing now to waste that kind of time.

Well my rant it over ^^;

[overlogger]

I'm headin out Californy way I hear they still have a little hot mail left out there.