Microsoft still struggling to fix Outlook.com glitch
Microsoft restores Web access to SkyDrive and Contacts but admits fixing an issue with Outlook.com is "taking longer than we hoped."
Microsoft is still trying to resolve a nagging problem that has affected access to Outlook.com for many users.
A few of Microsoft's key online services started suffering from hiccups on Wednesday. Many users reported trouble trying to access Outlook.com, SkyDrive, and Contacts. Microsoft's status dashboard confirmed the trouble with all three. The problems with SkyDrive and Contacts were apparently resolved on Wednesday, and they were given a clean bill of health later in the day via the status page.
Outlook.com has remained the sole problem child, and it's proving to be a difficult one. In the latest update to its status page at 6:39 a.m. PT Thursday, Microsoft said: "Fixing the problem is taking longer than we hoped. We'll provide an update by August 15, 1:00 PM [ET]. We apologize for the lengthy interruption in service."
Microsoft seems to have made some progress with the Outlook issue. On Wednesday, the status dashboard told Outlook.com users: "We're having a problem accessing email. You might not be able to see all your email messages." That message was later updated to say: "You might have issues syncing email with your mobile device."
A Microsoft spokesperson sent CNET the following statement:
Outlook.com experienced an incident that caused some customers not to be able to access their account or share their SkyDrive files. We have restored web access for all customers, but some people might still see issues with their mobile devices. We are working to restore full mobile access as quickly as possible. For the latest information, we encourage users to visit the status page.
Update, 7:40 a.m. PT: Adds response from Microsoft.