If you’re a Hotmail user and use Rules, you may have noticed recently that the "New" button for a new rule doesn’t work. At all. Click-click-click-click-click, and. . . nothing. Why Microsoft is leaving this completely broken for the time being is a mystery.
There is a workaround however. It’s slightly tedious and totally stupid you have to do this, but it works.
Step 1. View the frame source
In Chromium or Chrome, right-click the white space under the New button and then select View frame source.
In Firefox, right-click the white space under the New button and select This Frame > View Frame Source:
In IE9, right-click the white space under the New button and select View Source, which will select the source for the current frame where you clicked:
Step 2. Find EditRule and your ID
While viewing the source, press CTRL+F to initiate a search, then type your search term as EditRule exactly as such using no spaces.
On search of the source you’ll see something similar to this:
The only part you need be concerned with is where it says EditRule.aspx?n=XXXXXXXXX where the X’s are your Hotmail ID number. Highlight, right-click and copy that.
Step 3. Paste at end of address in the address bar and load
Close the Source window. You will now be back a the Rules for sorting new messages window. The end of the address that’s there will look something like this:
After mail/, paste in what you just copied a moment ago:
…and press Enter.
Now you can create a new Rule:
Hey, Hotmail! Fix this.
The fact the New button for Rules is broken is just plain dumb.
I’m sure Hotmail will fix this.. eventually. For the time being, you can use the method above to create new Rules.
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This person seems to have another workaround that looks a bit simpler:
http://liveunplugged.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/windows-live-hotmail-junk-email-filter-override/comment-page-2/#comment-227
I haven’t tried it because I don’t use rules, but it looks like it should work.
I have a better and easier solution: once when you enter to the rules management, in the address bar saids …../ManageRules.aspx?n=XXXXXXXX you only need to edit that and put …./EditRule.aspx?n=XXXXXXXXX and enter… at least works in the chrome, should work in other browsers…
Hi There.
First of all, I would like to thank you for this tip. I do not know you managed to find it out but I have to acknowledge that was amazing.
Interestingly, your tip had helped me to solve another problem with my hotmail: export contacts. I was tidying up my contacts the other day between my accounts but for some reason the export link in the the manage contacts would not work. As you said, click, click, click and nothing happens.
I used you technique and I could figure out the address “options.aspx?subsection=26&n=(some number here)”. Copy and Paste and I was redirected to the window with the Captcha to download my csv file. I hope this helps someone in the future.
Many thanks for your post, it was indeed very helpful.
Tirso Oliveira