Problem accessing hotmail messages

I have XP Pro SP2 which is fully updated. I use IE7 and have had problems accessing my hotmail account over the last few days. The only thing which I have done is a Windows Update a few days ago.

I can access the hotmail login screen and enter the correct password. When I try to sign in, it tells me that the page cannot be displayed. I thought that the hotmail server was playing up, so I tried using a different PC. I could log in without any problems. A further confusing matter is if I log in with an account which has admin rights on my own laptop, (I normally log in with an account which has limited rights), I can access my hotmail account without any problems.

These facts lead me to believe that there is a problem with the limited user profile that I normally use. I have cleared the Temporary Internet Files and all of the Temp Files. Spybot reveals no problems as does an AV scan. Finally, I've tried System Restore to before the problem started and that's not made any difference either.

Any ideas?

Thanks for your time.

Hi,

It sounds as if your profile has become corrupted somehow. On the machine with the problem please try creating a new limited user profile and see if that works.

I am not sure that system restore affects profiles?

:)

No...I have the same problem ...today

where IE 7 would lock up totally....ctrl\alt\del end task worked...tried 3 seperate times

When I finish posting here I will try again from this computer\site

Different OS and network

MLF

appears to be working now

MLF

It's not 100% but I still think that a corrupt profile is the favourite.

OK

Works from this computer....still locks up on my other one

This is a limited account....and it works just fine....no ISA though

This is XP home other is XP pro

Same patch level

Definately different software\ 3rd party stuff

No other issues with sites or software...just hotmail

MLF

Thanks for all the valuable feedback. It's started working again (but for how long?). I've created another account and accessed hotmail without any problems.

This has "spooked" me a bit. I don't like the idea of a corrupted profile. I've been thinking about reinstalling the OS for a couple of months (as an ultimate "spring clean"), so maybe this is forcing my hand.

Hi Ignatius,

Local profile corruption just seems to happen with XP. Much more so than with Windows 2000. I have no idea why, but it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the OS installation.

When "strange things" start to happen on a previously stable system it is frequently the first thing that I try.

This is pure speculation, and I have absolutely no evidence:

The system saves the profile on shut down. If there were some sort of problem such as power supply or a "slow" application, this may cause problems.

The problem does seem to be more likely where there a lot of applications still running when you shut down.

I am old fashioned and still behave as if I had a 286 :shocked: I run things when I want them and close them when I have finished. I close applications before shutting down, and I always shut down clients when not using them ( so I create plenty of opportunities for corruption).

I have 1 XP box and 4 Windows 2000s. In the past 7 years I have never had a profile corruption, but I have encountered quite a few on other people's systems.................. OK, they were mostly XP boxes, but that is because that OS is far more popular with home & SOHO users.

[I went 2000 ......> XP because I came from NT 4.0 SP6a, rather than 98SE/ME :D]

That is why I suspect some sort of shutdown corruption.

EDIT: To be on the safe side I would go to the HDD manufacturer's site and get their diagnostic tool and run that. Unfortunately, S.M.A.R.T. is not as clever as it's name implies ;)

Wow Nihil, HDD malfunction is worse than profile corruption. I'll do a HDD diagnostic test and get an up to date backup ASAP!