Windows 7: Going direct to hotmail from desktop

I recently created shortcut desktop 'sign-in' links on my two laptops to take me straight to the place where I enter my email address and password so I can look at my mail. That's fine, but somehow on the older machine I managed to create s shortcut straight to my actual hotmail inbox, meaning I did not have to go through the signing in process. I would like to do that on my other machine as it saves a few seconds and I am on and off email all day. If it helps, the desktop link which takes me direct to my account is the miscrosoft windows logo, whereas the one on my other laptop which takes me to the signing in station has a little orange envelope and 'hotmail sign in' on it.

Any ideas how I can change to a direct link on my new laptop please? I must have done something on the older one, but cannot remember!

George

On your other computer, you've probably ticked the 'remember me' checkbox on the Hotmail sign in page so that you stay signed in and therefore bypass the sign in page on subsequent visits. If you do that for this computer too, then it should go straight to the inbox.

Blimey, that was quick! Thanks so much CJ. I do tick the 'remember me' tickbox and just tried doing that before I asked for a desktop shortcut from my hotmail inbox, but nothing changed. I know it would be no problem if I just stayed logged on all day and reducing the hotmail inbox window, but I cannot stop myself hitting the X because I have been using outlook express for years so was always online. I now go to Hotmail in the sky and use that accoung as we spend a lot of time in France and I can of course access my emails from anywhere with hotmail. As I said, the link which takes me direct to the inbox has the windows logo, whereas the one which does not shows a little orange envelope with hotmail on it. Curious. No big deal, but you knw how it is with the little things that irritate you, especially as it is the new laptop I shal be taking to France next month!

The icon is usually 'grabbed' from the website the shortcut points to. The old shortcut probably has the old logo because that's what the site was using at the time. The orange envelope icon is the current Hotmail icon.

With Windows 7 and IE 9, you can pin Hotmail to the taskbar, which may interest you: Internet Explorer 9 - Pin and Unpin Websites to Taskbar or Start Menu (see Option 3)

Nice One CJ. As it happens pinning the website ( I made sure I pinned the site where my inbox was displayed) still only took me to the bit before one signs in and enters the password, but I have learned something new from you and it will come in very hady when doing my next book for quick ref. Sincere thanks again.

G

presumably you have tried to make a shortcut from the url of the open inbox.
im using firefox and dragging the favicon to my desktop creates a firefox icon shortcut to my open inbox.
then i can put it in a folder in my users folder called urls, and on the inbox shortcut i right click it and select properties, in the properties window there is a shortcut field, setting it as ctrl+alt+i (for inbox)
will open my inbox in firefox whenever i press the shortcut keys. better than a desktop shortcut for anyone else to click and get in your unprotected inbox.