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MS Hotmail Offline For Hours

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the trustworthy-computing dept.

chalker writes "According to CNN, and others, the Hotmail online e-mail service, operated by Microsoft, was down for most of the working day on Friday, affecting 'a significant portion of MS customers.' People are also having trouble accessing products such as the MSN Messenger instant messaging program. The company said it was an internal problem rather than an attack on its system and that it hoped to have service restored by 5:30 p.m. PST. As of 8:15 PM EST, Hotmail appears to be online again."

8 of 443 comments (clear)

  1. 3rd party connections by Cliffy03 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I thought they had blocked other programs again. Trillian and Gaim couldn't connect, but I installed MSN 6.1 and got right back on.

    --
    In Soviet Russia, Nigel makes plans for you!
  2. Redundancy anyone? by OriginalSpaceMan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That article didn't go into much detail. I don't know what kind of system MS uses to run Hotmail, MSN and other services, but where's the multiple location clustered redundant load balancing system? My only guess is that someone at MS really messed up their own DNS systems, which of course would take it all "down" (by name at least). Does anyone know what actually happened?

    --

    You talk better than you fool!
  3. Looks like "Passport" problems by Betabug · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Judging fromt the description that people had problems logging in, but that things work fine once logged in, and OTOH that Messenger had problems too, I would conclude that the problem is with their Passport infrastructure.

  4. Re:News for nerds? by mstefanus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually many... Nerds use Hotmail for junk email accounts, like when they want to download something that needs registering first but don't want to receive the newsletter junks.

  5. i was talking to MS customer support when by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    i just got hung up on, and that was approximatly the same time on friday. i was trying to get an activation code for win xp when i was disconnected from them all together. i waited a while thinking that like all good cutomer support they would call me right back because i was hung up on, but waited half an hour and called them to try to talk to the guy i was dealing with, and they told me that they were having serious internal problems. im not sure how it works, but i think MS might use some kind of internal VOIP system because there was a delay in speech with th guy i was talking to as well, but hotmail and their tech support both went down around the same time as i was informed of "major internal problems." so something big happened.

  6. Re:News for nerds? by addbo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is a great account for your junk mail! Then again so is Yahoo... but hotmail was the first I believe =)

    It is also my first email account (got it in 96) and so now people can still contact me after I've moved around the world.

    When a service like Hotmail and MSN go down for a few hours it affects ALOT (millions) of people... nerd included... why shouldn't it be on the frontpage? I know I was interested enough to click on the articles (though I agree they are sparse on details)

    Addbo

  7. Considering I got this ... by SmoothTom · · Score: 5, Interesting
    ... trying to get to the Hotmail FAQ at 0125 on Sunday the 14th, I'm not at all convinced "all is well" (or ever was).

    Luckily I don't use Hotmail (or any other Microsoft product).

    bScreen = 'True'; var searchtextsize="21"; var bSkinny = (screen.width<=800); if (bScreen == 'True') searchtextsize=(bSkinny)? 19:25; var cu, cb, br, INI_Encoded, INI, H_APP, H_APP_Encoded, ITSFile, Filter, BrandID; var v1, v2, v3, v4, bShowSearch,t_contactus,Survey ; cu='http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/ua_inf o.asp?pg=ar_eform&_lang=EN'; Survey=''; cb=''; INI_Encoded = 'MSN_Hotmail_PIMv9_FAQ.ini'; INI='MSN_Hotmail_PIMv9_FAQ.ini'; H_APP_Encoded = 'MSN+Hotmail'; H_APP = 'MSN Hotmail'; ITSFile = 'msn%5Fhotmail%5Fpimv9%5FFAQ%2Eits51'; Filter = ''; BrandID = ''; H_VER = '2.6'; bITFind = 'True'; t_contactus="Contact us" v1 = 'http://www.hotmail.msn.com'; v2 = '?&_lang=EN&country=US'; v3 = ''; v4 = 'DH_FREE'; var sTMT = 'MSN_Hotmail_PIMv9_FAQ'; ; bShowSearch = true; NoMax = '0'; var LEVELMAX = 10; var levelNodes = new Array(LEVELMAX); var activeNode, activeIdx = 0, bActiveSet, activeLevel = 0; var XMLTOCLoaded = false; var sHTTP_REFERER = 'http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/ua_info.a sp?&_lang=EN&country=US'; function CULink(ExtURL) { if (navigator.appName.indexOf("TV") >= 0) { if(ExtURL.indexOf("http") == -1) ExtURL = "http://" + ExtURL; parent.location.href = ExtURL; } else { window.open(ExtURL,'_helpext'); } }

    Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a01f4'

    Variable is undefined: 'agent_isSafari'

    E:\WEBROOT\PRODUCTION\HELP\CON TENT\EN_US\..\!shared\frameset.inc/searchfooter.in c, line 27
  8. A successful migration? by niittyniemi · · Score: 5, Interesting


    From the MS case study on converting Hotmail from FreeBSD to 2K:

    > Changing the operating system on each server should have
    > zero impact on day-to-day operations.
    No impact whatsoever....if you ignore uptimes :)

    > Under FreeBSD, bugs and memory leaks would often go
    > undetected because of the lack of tools. With Windows 2000
    > and IIS 5, the tools exist to optimize the performance and
    > truly understand exactly what the code is doing at all
    > times.

    Crikey, handy they've got all those tools to help them out (soooo unlike FreeBSD with all it's bug leaks). Looks like it's saved their asses this time round...
    </sarcasm>

    Microsoft: Where do you want go today?

    Customer: I want to take a rock solid service that has true customer value and turn it into a spam ridden, bug infested hole that doesn't work half the time and customers hate.

    Microsoft: Consider it done!

    --
    The Machine stops.