How to find someone's hotmail email address

It can sometimes be difficult to find an e-mail address for a specific person when all you know is that person's name, and this is particularly true when the e-mail address you're looking for is hosted by a domain that offers free e-mail accounts to anyone. But with regards to Hotmail accounts, MSN, which owns Hotmail, has set up an easy-to-use member directory that will help you track down the address you're looking for.

Open your internet browser, and navigate to the main page for the MSN Member Directory (see Resources).

Click the link for your Windows Live ID account on the right side of the page. Log in with your password if you already have one of these accounts. If you do not have a Windows Live ID account, click the "Sign Up" button on the left side of the page. Once you're redirected to the registration page, complete the required form fields and click the "Submit" button. You will be automatically logged in and taken to your personal MSN Member Directory page.

Click the empty search bar in the top right-hand corner of the page (it has "Search people or web" inside). After you click once, select "Search people" from the drop-down menu and wait to be redirected.

Enter the complete first and last name of the person you're trying to contact in the main search field in the middle of the page. If you have more information on the person you're looking for, click the advanced search link and narrow your search with additional criteria. Once you've entered the name and any other information, click the "Search" button.

Review the search results, which may be several pages long. Each result will have an avatar, or identifying picture, which may allow you to recognise the person you're looking for immediately. However, the avatar may just be the default image for some entries. Most results will also have some basic identifying information that may include age, sex, city of residence and occupation. Use this information to identify possible matches for the person you seek.

Click the "Add" link next to any profile that you think might belong to the person you're looking for. When you click this link, it will open up a small form with a message field. You can write whatever you want in this field. If you're sure the profile belongs to the person you're looking for, you can just type "hello." But if you're unsure, you can ask a question that will help you verify if this is the right person. Click the "Send Invitation" button when you are finished.

Wait for the person or persons to confirm your invitation. If anyone accepts, he or she will be added to your network.

Click the "People" link at the top of your personal MSN Member Directory page while you are signed in, and you'll be redirected to a list of the people in your network.

Find the row of all the letters in the alphabet at the top of the page, and click the first letter of the last name of the person who accepted your invitation. You should then see the profile listing for this person in your network directory. Click the avatar or profile name to open the profile.

Read the profile to find the Hotmail e-mail address for the person in question. Since MSN owns Hotmail, all associated Hotmail addresses are automatically listed in these profiles. However, no one is required to have a Hotmail e-mail address to have a profile in the MSN directory. Therefore, if you do not see a Hotmail e-mail address listed in the profile, it means that person either does not have a Hotmail account or has registered a Hotmail account under a different name.