So for those of you I haven’t already told…

Live.com email addresses and accounts are now available. Here’s the steps you need to take:

1) Go to any “Passport” site and sign out. I recommend http://www.passport.com.

2) Go to http://get.live.com/getlive/overview and create your new Live account.

You’re all set! “But Jeff, wait a second…how does that help me? If I want to use this for Messenger, etc., how do I do that easily?”

Here’s the rest of the steps:

3) Go back to http://www.passport.com.

4) Sign in with either your new @live.com address, or your old Passport address.

5) Click on the “Settings” section on the left side of the page.

6) Click on “Linked IDs” in the Other Accounts section.

7) Click “Link an existing Windows Live ID”

8) Enter the password for the account you’re logged in as, and the email and password for the account you want to link up. Here’s more information on linking IDs.

9) Only a few steps left…go to MSN Messenger, and log in as your “old” account. In the Menu Bar, choose Contacts > Save Instant Messaging Contacts.

10) Save the file to your desktop or something.

11) Log out of messenger.

12) Log into messenger with the new account credentials.

13) Choose Contacts > Import Instant Messaging Contacts… and choose the new file we created from your desktop.

14) Change your tagline for a few days to let your messaging contacts know that you’re now on their list twice, and that they can delete the “old” account. For example, my tagline currently reads: “I’m on your list twice. Delete the HOTMAIL one.”

Ta-da! You now are using a new @live.com address, and you have access to all of your old settings, etc. that you had through your old passport account!