Thus started the most frustrating back and forth with Microsoft on what was going on. They were clueless and I finally gave up. If someone else got my name @outlook. com I didn't care anymore because I am happy to continue with my Gmail account. I sent out a notice that I was fed up with Hotmail and to please update my contact to Gmail. I might also point out here that, in all the time I have used Gmail, I have just over a hundred SPAM messages that I just haven't bothered to delete. In just one month with Hotmail I have over three thousand junk emails, everything from "make it bigger" to "Viagra". 

I happened to get a new computer which came with Windows 7 and Office 2013 (hate it). I setup my Outlook t receive several of my different email accounts, including my Hotmail. Everything worked fine until today. My Hotmail won't open because "the file is in use by some other application", with, of course, no clue as to what that might be. I signed into my Hotmail account in my browser and my "Hotmail" loaded just fine, but when I checked my Account Settings, low and behold I now have two alias - @hotmail.com and @outlook.com. No clue as to what my actual account is so that I can add it to my Outlook. 

What a mess! Microsoft has become a pathetic joke. As if Office 2013 isn't bad enough, now they're screwing up Hotmail. Hey guys! If it ain't broke, don't fix it!