View your Web-based e-mail account from within Outlook

Would you like a quick way to see your Hotmail® or other Web-based e-mail messages from within Outlook 2000? While Outlook doesn't offer a direct means of connecting to Web-based e-mail accounts and email Support (you can't save or move Web-based e-mail messages, for example) it does provide you with an easy way to read and reply to these messages by using a folder home page (a Web page assigned to a specific Outlook folder).
First, create a folder, giving it the name of the Web based e-mail service. Then assign the e-mail service's Web site to be the home page of that folder. You can then view the Web page in the folder to read and reply to messages. Note that while this works for any Web-based e-mail account, the procedure below uses Hotmail as an example. To view a different Web-based e-mail account, in step 3 of the first procedure, type the name of the e-mail service, and in step 2 of the second procedure, type its URL.
Create a Web-based e-mail folder
1. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
2. In the Name box, type Hotmail.
3. In the Folder contains box, click Mail items.
4. In the Select where to place the folder list, click the location for the folder
Assign the Web site as the home page of the folder
If the Folder List isn't visible, on the View menu, click Folder List.
1. In the Folder List, right-click the Hotmail folder, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2. On the Home Page tab, in the Address box, type http://www.hotmail.com.
3. Select the Show home page by default for this folder check box, and then click OK.
Now when you click the Hotmail folder in your Folder List you'll see the logon screen for Hotmail.
Tip You can add a shortcut to the Web-based e-mail account folder on the Outlook Bar by right-clicking the folder and then clicking Add to Outlook Bar on the shortcut menu.
Caution If you're reading Web-based e-mail and switch to another Outlook folder, when you return to the folder for the Web-based e-mail account, you'll need to log on to the service again.