Microsoft restores lost Hotmail messages

Microsoft says it has resolved the problem that caused thousands of Hotmail users to lose their e-mail messages.

Some 17,355 people lost their e-mails starting on Thursday, but by Sunday evening, the messages had been restored, according to the Washington Post.

The paper said Microsoft said the problem had been identified and steps would be taken to prevent it from happening again, but did not disclose any details.

Though his team has identified what went wrong, Jones did not disclose any details.

Microsoft's free Hotmail web-based e-mail service has about 360 million users, according to web traffic measurement group comScore.