14 DAY TRIAL // The end of 2010 and the start of 2011 brought with it a nasty surprise for some Windows Live Hotmail users that found their inboxes blank.
A number of people owning Hotmail accounts started complaining about their messages and customizations having gone missing just a few days ahead of the end of 2010.
Microsoft confirmed the issues at the debut of 2011, and noted that it was hard at work attempting to restore inboxes to affected users.
However, the software giant did not reveal just how widespread the problem was, or the number of accounts that were affected.
Considering the volume of feedback related to Hotmail inbox content being deleted, the problem is bound to have affected only a limited number of users, although, it’s impossible to say just how many.
“We have identified the source of the issue and are working to restore email access to those who have been affected.
“We expect the process to take several hours and will post an update as soon as it is complete. We sincerely apologize and thank you for your… continued patience,” revealed Windows Live Corporate Vice President Chris Jones (via LiveSide).
PCMag quoted one user claiming that Hotmail delivered the experience for a newly created email when signing into an account dating back to the past century, with all the email, custom folders, etc. having been removed without warning.
Obviously, this is more the case of a bug than a premeditated act from the software giant, which as a general rule, doesn’t “clean” users’ inboxes uninvited.
No additional details on the issue are available at this point in time, but some users started reporting that they had gotten their emails restored.
Microsoft has yet to provide an official statement or explanation for what has happened to Windows Live Hotmail inboxes.
UPDATE: Emails Restored to 17,355 Windows Live Hotmail Empty Inboxes