Microsoft is going to disable WebDav access to Hotmail

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but Microsoft has finally decided to close access to its servers via the WebDav (or HttpMail) protocol.  As my hotmail plugin uses this protocol to communicate with the hotmail servers this means that as of June 30th 2008 my plugin will no longer work 🙁

I am looking into their new protocol called DeltaSync, but from what I can see Microsoft is using some proprietry encryption/compression on message contents, so it might take a little while (if ever) for it to see the light of day.
Thanks to everyone for all the donations and support over the last 5 years or so.
If I manage to figure out the compression then a new plugin supporting Windows Live mail should be fairly easy to create.  I’ll post progress here if there is any 😉

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58 Comments

  1. Thanks a lot for sticking in with HttpMail so long, and best of luck getting DeltaSync working. Perhaps you can work together with some open source projects to develop a library that will work with other clients, too.

  2. I am trying to figure out DeltaSync too. From what I know so far, DeltaSync is using a proprietry compression algorithm and not encryption, but i still don’t know which one is it.

    If i’ll know anything else, i’ll be happy to share the information.

    Good luck.

  3. So I was the one to be the bad news carrier…. so sad!
    Thanks Daniel!!!! AWESOME WORK!!! your plug in made a huge difference on the mac community!
    best regards

  4. Well, I for one am happy that I’ve been able to access it as long as I have. I guess I’ll just quit using hotmail I suppose…

    Seriously, I don’t know why anyone would continue using hotmail if you can’t access it via a real mail client – not when you’ve got sooo many better options like gmail.

    I do truly appreciate the good work over the years though Daniel. Thanks.

  5. Just realised that there’s such a great plugin for mail, though it’s not working now…

    Anyway, thank you very much for the work, Daniel.

    Hope to see the new httpmail soon.. 🙂

  6. It is not much solace, but entourage for MAC will support hotmail accounts without Daniels plugin. Of course it is not a very good email client.

    Perhaps a plugin that downloads everything to entourage quietly in the background and then synchs it with mac mail?

    Anyway thanks Daniel for the support.

  7. Mine is still working. I thought it was not going to work anymore. Mine continues to work.

  8. Daniel

    Just got your plug in last november. It really improved my mac experience. I want to say thanks for taking the time to develop it, and it is going to be weird going back to Mail without it. Hope you can figure out the new system.

    Best of lucks and thanks thanks thanks again.

  9. How do I uninstall the HTTPMail Plugging?
    I have Lepaord but I cant see how to uninstall the plugging from mail.

    Thanks

  10. Well, as stated 10.5.3 has broken the plugin and it’s a damn shame Microsoft are disabling WebDav. Thank you for your service to us all! Hope you are able to work out a fix on the new service.

  11. Today I had the same experience, httpmail is not working anymore. I came here for a new version but seems it’ll take a while.

    I googled, and I found a small app called FreePOPs, it’s more like an interface between your computer and many webmail services (including hotmail, yahoo, …) in the form of daemon (service).

    I installed the GUI, i started the service, i created a POP account in Mail.app with the settings given by the FreePOP GUI and voilà hotmail is back!

    Since this app it’s opensource maybe you Daniel could get the source of this small app and try to find out about the new protocol. You’ve done a great job with the plugin and saved our as*es.

    Here are the URL’s, it’s not necessary to install both apps, just install the GUI, but for those who feel curious I posted both addresses.

    Multi-platform app -> http://www.freepops.org/en/
    MacOsx-GUI -> http://www.e-link.it/macfreepops/

  12. Thanks a lot, this plugin was great!!! I think it was widely used.

    @dennis don’t upgrade to 10.5.3 and it will work until MS pull the plug on WebDav

  13. Hello, i updated to 10.5.3 and the plugin its not working anymore, how can I unpgrade???
    Thanks

  14. Thanks much for the great plugin!!! Unfortunately doesn’t work with the new update.

    How do you uninstall the plugin (Httpmail 1.5.1)?

  15. Many thanks for the plugin. I guess MS could not tolerate such a user-friendly interface.

  16. Is this some kind of feud between Apple and Microsoft? On the one hand Microsoft are making it nigh on impossible to use an email client on a Mac that will work with Hotmail, while on the other hand Apple keep pushing out software releases that break Daniel’s httpmail plugin, thus making it impossible to pick up Hotmail on a Mac (unless you spring for MS Office and use Entourage, which is horrible!). The windows live client on a PC is actually quite a good client. Does anybody know if Microsoft will make this available on a Mac?
    In the meantime, Daniel, it would be fantastic if you could resolve the issues introduced with MacOS 10.5.3. Your work has really benefitted millions of Mac/Hotmail users world wide.

  17. Hey thanks for supporting us for all this time. I was hoping if there was a quick fix thing for 10.5.3 you could get us an extension on our hotmail account as they have no delayed switching it off as mentioned by Michael above – use it until apple release me.com next week – I’d rather pay them that Bill!

    Thanks again for your help

  18. Just wanted to let you know that ur work is very much appreciated. Please continue to help us using our webbased Accounts the way we mac users should be allowed to do. A fix for 10.5.3 would be awesome!

  19. Thanks for you support for so long. As the 10.5.3 update has disabled the plugin, and Microsoft is pulling the plug, can you provide instructions how to remove HttpMail? Thanks!

  20. Just wanted to echo the thoughts of other users – thanks a lot for your hard work in creating and distributing the httpmail plug-in. I installed the 10.5.3 upgrade today, lost my Hotmail link, discovered your this thread, and feel a bit sad now. Looks as though I’ll switch over to inbox.com for my primary account now. Boo.

    Thanks again,

    Pete.

  21. This plugin made my life so much easier, but now i have to keep going to firefox and opening my hotmail account there.. 🙁

  22. Daniel, as you say, it was fun while it lasted… it’s the last piece of micro$soft that I’ll be getting rid off, and although the email address has been with me longer than I’d like to remember, it is for the better ;o)

    For those that want to uninstall it: RTFM (yep, read the bloody manual!)

    Cheers mate!

  23. I understand that 10.5.3 breaks httpmail… but if I upgrade to 10.5.3, will all my Hotmail messages in Mail from before 10.5.3 still be visible?

    I have switched to GMail, so I’m fine with not being able to send/receive Hotmail anymore, but I’d still like all my old messages to be viewable/searchable

    TIA

  24. I need 10.5.3 because it fixes some other issues I was having. Shame it helps to break your wonderful plugin, but to be honest, like others, I’ve been having issues anyway. Even before MS started talk of pulling the plug on WebDav. None of the other methods work either, unless I forward, which I don’t want to do. Been having other issues with Hotmail too though. Never been able to get it working in Mail on my iPhone. Not that they’re listening to feedback. I’ve had Hotmail since before MS owned it, even paid the $20 a year for it for the upgrades. I’m now considering changing to something else. I swear, it’s like MS doesn’t want people’s business sometimes. Haven’t found anything I really like, not to mention the massive undertaking this will be, but if that’s what it takes, so be it. Hoping something happens soon so I don’t have to though.

  25. As a quick solution, I am using the hotmail option that allows you to send all your hotmail stuff to another account. Obviously, you need another account that works on Mail to send it to. I would still like to know how to UNINSTALL HTTPMAIL though and add my thanks for the past service.

  26. What I can suggest to all you is the Vacation reply option in the hotmail options.

    There you can say somthing like:

    ” I’m not using hotmail anymore, you can reach me at xxx@xxx.xx

    It’s a shame we should do this, but at least is the beginning of the end of hotmail in our lifes.

    Good Luck, Ag

  27. Hey!! thanks a lot, I used your plug in for about two years, and It was really great and made my life so much easier!! You’re great man!! don’t give up these are the kind of solutions that really count!! Greetings from Mexico, which is constantly increasing its macintosh population he he….. see you man you roock!!!!

  28. Thanks Dan. Used plugin for about 2 years and its been extremely usefull. I guess i’m moving to gmail now 🙁

  29. Dear Daniel,
    you changed our lives with your plungin. Offline hotmail, searchable mails… I do hope we can continue to use this conmfort without changing adresses.
    Many thanks for all your work
    S. from France

  30. Would really love it if you would take a look at supporting 10.5.3 with the current plugin, as Microsoft is delaying the shutoff of WebDAV. Thanks!

  31. Well it is July 1st; the day after Micro$oft were to have disabled WebDAV (although I have seen some comments that they are delaying the shutoff… but do not know until when?).

    I have just installed v1.52 of the plugin today on my new MacBook Pro running 10.5.3 and it appears to work great, within its limitations. The first time that i tried to run the installer, it failed, but I realized why, I had *never* run Mail on this box; after running Mail, closing it down, then re-trying the installer, it worked without problem.

    I do hope that MS scrap their plan to block the protocol. I can always run the MS Live mail from a Windoze session under VMWare Fusion, or from my XP MCE installed under Boot Camp, but it IS very nice to pick up my Hotmail under OSX, without having to use webmail.

    Keep up the great work…

    Richard.

  32. Hello, I haven’t used my laptop for ages (OS 10.4.11) and the plugin & hotmail/mail is still working! Maybe Microsoft have buggered up the changeover 😉

    Thanks for all the hard work Daniel x

  33. Hai Daniel,

    I’v used you plugin for quite some time. But for some reason Mail decided that I had to redownlaod all my messages again from the server. No problem so far but now all mijn sent messages that I sent via de HTTPMail Plugin are gone. Is there a way to get them back?
    Thanks!!!

  34. Hi Daniel, Just to say thankyou for your work on the Http Mail plug in, had it around 2 years now,

    I’m still using the plugin for Hotmail & it continues to work perfectly for receiving & sending (OS X 10.4.10) I tried installing for a friend also on Tiger & it wouldn’t work at all……I’ve also been using GMail with Mac Mail IMAP which works fine with no problems

  35. I recently upgraded to 10.5.6 and my hotmail no longer works. Any ideas or direction would help me tremendously.

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