Sorry to be boring. I can access hotmail from every other computer I use, except my home one which is a bit of a bugger. When I put in my user name and password I get this message:
The identity certificate uses an unknown signature algorithm.
I don't even know what this means, let alone how to put it right.
― Anna (Anna), Monday, 23 September 2002 10:18 (twenty-three years ago)
My knowledge is a bit shaky but I think it means that the security cetficate on that computer (which is a bit of data that ensures something is what it says it is, i.e. your computer is logging on to Hotmail and not somebody else's computer) might have been corrupted somehow or has been created in a non-standard way for some reason.
I dunno if that's right, but that's an educated guess. I'm afraid I don't know how you put it right.
― Chriddof (Chriddof), Monday, 23 September 2002 10:56 (twenty-three years ago)
I have no real idea and I'm not very good at this kind of thing, but here goes anyway.
Make sure you're using an up-to-date browser (IE might be best if you believe some of the rumours about Microsoft websites). If you are using IE, go to the Tools menu > Internet Options > Advanced, scroll down to the Security section, and make sure all the "Use SSL" options are enabled; in IE6 that should be "Use SSL 2.0" and "Use SSL 3.0" (if you have options for other SSL versions then enable those too; you shouldn't need to enable TLS, if that's an option, but you could try it anyway).
If you're running a personal firewall like Zone Alarm then you could disable it temporarily just in case the web security and privacy settings are a bit hyperactive. And this shouldn't be what's giving you that particular error message, but make sure cookies are enabled and that it isn't blocking cookies from hotmail.com (in IE that's Tools > Options > Privacy, click on Edit, type hotmail.com and press Allow).
Hang on, I'll leave all that just in case, but a quick websearch suggests that you're probably using IE4.5 or older on a Mac and should upgrade to v5. You can get the new version from http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/ie/ but it's quite a big download; if that's a problem then perhaps you could blag a CD with it on from work, buy a Mac magazine with it on the CD (actually it might well be on free trial internet service provider cds, if only they'll let you get at it without installing the rest), or ask other Mac users on here to send you a CD?
Right. Please someone else answer in case I'm wrong, I don't understand Macs and I don't use hotmail...
― Rebecca (reb), Monday, 23 September 2002 10:57 (twenty-three years ago)
Cor.
And ignore what I said about IE6, it seems that the latest Mac IE version [hopes Graham will confirm/refute] is IE5. It's just I'm on a PC using IE6, so if the menu layout or the security options aren't quite what you'd expect from my post then that's why.
― Rebecca (reb), Monday, 23 September 2002 11:06 (twenty-three years ago)
IE5 for MacOS 9, IE 5.2 for MacOS X. Preferences are in the Edit menu I think, though I;m sure Anna can work that out.
― Graham (graham), Monday, 23 September 2002 11:09 (twenty-three years ago)
Rebecca, you godess! It works! I have also passed on your advice to an equally computer confused person I spoke to on the phone today, who was having exactly the same problem. Joy to the world.
― Anna (Anna), Monday, 23 September 2002 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)