Yes, Thunderbird can download and send mail through outlook.com.

Looking through the updates to WLM and the fact that the update adds a new protocol to WLM that is not new to the outlook.com repertoire of protocols I do not see the change impacting Thunderbird at all.

Thanks for the reply. It was helpful, but I'm not sure you are aware of the changes the email referred to. It directs me to KB3093594. The Microsoft Community moderator says it is to fix WLM to work with the transition from outlook.com to Outlook Mail. See his response below:

"The patch is to let Windows Live Mail sync emails, calendar, and contacts after Outlook.com changes to Outlook Mail (Preview). It has nothing to do with Windows 10."

I can't find anything on this transition, so I'm not sure any third party client will work with it.

Thanks again...if you have more info on Outlook Mail, please share.

The knowledge base article (3093594) actually has one specific line that could indicate trouble coming:

This article describes an update that offers Windows Live Mail 2012 support for Exchange ActiveSync.

If Microsoft's mail services were not going to work with IMAP any more, only ActiveSync, that would be a problem for Thunderbird. But based on some further reading, and the lack of general outrage around the web (not counting outrage about the patch killing WLM on Windows 10), I don't think IMAP connectivity is being discontinued, just something called DeltaSync that WLM used and Thunderbird does not use.

See: https://messengergeek.wordpress.com/2.../microsoft-to-discontinue-deltasync-for-windows-live-mail/

Thanks a lot for your excellent response. I followed your links and found you described the issue perfectly. The Microsoft Community moderator didn't seem to know that the patch doesn't work with Windows 10. So, I will probably switch my allegiance to Thunderbird, where there appears to be excellent support, as opposed to no support from Microsoft.

One point however. My email is @msn.com via an HTTP server. Is that included in your link (Live Mail still only allows use of Outlook.com/Hotmail/POP3/IMAP email accounts)? Possibly your reference to Outlook.com or Hotmail?

Thanks again

As far as I know, Thunderbird does not connect using HTTP but the standard webmail protocols -- either POP or IMAP for incoming mail, and SMTP for outgoing mail.

Assuming you now access MSN mail on outlook.com, these setup instructions should work for you in Thunderbird: Thunderbird and Hotmail.

The database has the correct settings for Hotmail in in's may useless name changes. Got to love an company that sells a desktop mail client called outlook, then names their free mail service the same thing and later enhances the similarity with a further name change. Consumer confusion.. Check, nobody has a clue what anyone else is talking about as the outlook name now has so many meaning that is is actually meaningless.

Given the WLM used web-dav to emulate imap for hotmail, They actually synchronise files between a local copy and hotmail and call it mail. hence the HTTP server name,

Whiles Microsoft might try on an active sync only approach, I do not think it would fly. The windows mail app that comes with windows 8 can only interact with an IMAP server (they were forced by that fact to enable IMAP on Hotmail when they released Windows 8, until then it was POP only.. So they sort of have to support that while ever they have loads of folk on Windows 8. I am not sure what protocols the Windows 10 mail app works with. My windows association will be closing with Windows 7 I think. This is probably my last windows device.