C.O.
As of 1 Marchh 2013 - I THINK - hotmail moved to "outlook" as Microsoft tries to improve their foothold in the technical world.
Try using your e-mail address with the outlook.com extension and see if that works.
If not - then you need to go this link: http://www.hotmail.com it may automatically change to http://www.live.com
Depending upon how long it has been since you logged in to your Hotmail account - you should have received this e-mail....telling you about the change to Outlook.com
Soon, your Hotmail inbox will be automatically upgraded to Outlook.com. You can also upgrade quickly now by clicking the button below.
The data from your Hotmail account—your address, password, old emails, contacts, and settings—will stay the same. When you upgrade to Outlook.com you also get great benefits like:
Streamlined design — Outlook.com shows you more messages in the inbox and helps you get more done with fewer clicks.
Familiar Hotmail tools and more — Many of your favorite Hotmail features like Sweep and Instant Actions are still here, along with 7GB of SkyDrive storage and free Office Web Apps. Soon, you'll be able to use Skype right from your Outlook.com inbox.
You should have received twisted numbers and letters under your sign in boxes and that would have helped you as well. You can also go here:
http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/msn/thebasics.aspx
and get help from customer service!
Good luck!