MSN Hotmail, an email service that the Microsoft Corporation provides, is Windows Live Hotmail’s predecessor. Hotmail, which was launched in 1996, is one of the most popular email services on the Internet today and is free to use. Windows Live Hotmail was subsequently launched in 2006 and has additional features such as unlimited storage, additional security, a calendar, contacts, and integration with Windows Live Messenger. Although Windows Live Hotmail is a Microsoft product, the application is not registered by default with the default programs tool in Windows Vista. This results in the user not being able to designate Windows Live Hotmail as the computer’s default email application. In order to make it the default, a freeware utility application must be used to register the program with the computer’s Operating System (OS).

How to Make Windows Live Hotmail the Default Email Program

Step 1 – Download the Windows Live Hotmail registration tool from http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/224/1/Register-Windows-Live-Hotmail-with-the-Default-Programs-tool-in-Windows-Vista.html, and save it to the computer’s desktop.

Step 2 – Right click registerhm.zip and save the files (registerhotmail.exe and readme.txt) to the computer’s desktop.

Step 3 – Scan the files with the computer’s anti-virus program if the zip file was not checked for viruses when it was downloaded. The scanning process depends on the computer’s specific anti-virus program.

Step 4 – Double click the registerhotmail.exe file to run it on the computer. Depending on Windows Vista’s configuration, a subsequent dialogue box requesting permission to run the program may appear. Accept it.

Step 5 – Select “Register Windows Live Hotmail with Default Programs.”

Step 6 – Choose “Set Windows Live Hotmail as the default” in order to make it the primary option on the computer. This applies only to the user account that the user is currently logged into the computer under.

Step 7 – Restart the computer and Windows Live Hotmail will be available in the default programs listing under Windows Vista.