Hotmail - cookies

lee99

New Email
I recently cleaned out a large supply of cookies via SpyBot. I have reset security to alow cookies only after a "prompt" warning. Now everything works except HotMail which claims that cookies are required. As said everything else including Windows Live and g-mail work fine.The only way I can access Hot Mail is to allow ALL cookies incluiding 3rd party and tracking.

What is going on? Does Hotmail have an undercover deal with tracking people to spy on my mail?

This is the message I get.

Hotmail requires cookies to be enabled in order to work correctly.
Please set your browser to enable cookies
 

EQ Admin

EQ Forum Admin
Staff member
Hello,

Not all cookies are evil. Some sites require cookies to function.

For example, this site requires a cookie to maintain your login to the forums.

It's not tracking or spying on you, it's how the software is programmed.

If they requiring you to allow 3rd party cookies that's a little different.

Actually I didn't catch that part of your comment until I got this far.

Yes, requiring 3rd party cookies to use the webmail interface is not good.

If you want to use Hotmail, but don't want to allow the cookies, you can use a pop3 mail program on your computer such as Windows Live Mail to read and send your Hotmail.

:welcome: to Email Questions!
 

lee99

New Email
Thanks Popowich, now can I provide just the specific cookies that HM requires without allowing all such? If so how do I identify and do that? I was unable to identify the specific HM cookies from among the several hundred that Spybot found.
Actually, I alreasdy have a Windows Live account but prefer the Hot Mail format. I just would like to avoid most of the 400+ trackers that were clogging up my machine.
Thanks again
 

EQ Admin

EQ Forum Admin
Staff member
My Firefox is set to keep 3rd party cookies (those are usually the advertising ones) to keep until I close Firefox.

Within Firefox the setting is under Tools -> Options, then click Privacy

You'll probably need to find a balance that blocks as much as possible without creating too much inconvenience.

Please let us know which combination of settings across your programs (web browser, security software, etc) you find works best for you.

:thanks:
 

lee99

New Email
So far I have my MSN home page back but even after setting security to a minimum Hotmail is still blocked because no access to cookies. Perhaps part of the problem might be a conflict between my explorer and firefox since both seem to have different settings for cookies. However even reducing settings on both does not help with HM.
It appears that I will have to give up HM and just use my Windows Live and gmail. Too bad since they are not as user friendly.
Anyway, thanks for the effort.
 
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