old hotmail address - how do I get back in?

the redirect is normal, hotmail is just outlook now. go to the outlook website, sign in, and type the full address including @hotmail.com. same account, same password. if the password doesn't work, use forgot password on that screen and it'll try your old recovery phone or email. if neither of those exists any more it gives you a recovery form, and the more old details you can fill in (subjects of emails, contacts you mailed) the better your chances. one thing to be ready for: microsoft closes accounts that haven't been signed into for a couple of years, and the mail goes with it. if it says the account doesn't exist, that's probably what happened.