This program has been superseded by Windows Live Essentials

Windows Live

Free Windows Live is a set of services provided for free by Microsoft Corporation
3.8 
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Microsoft
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Freeware
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Software Informer Editor Rating 4
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Windows Live is a set of services partly comprising online in-browser applications and partly desktop apps. It aims to offer integrated e-mail, instant messaging, photo sharing, blog publishing and security services. To work with Windows Live you need to have an ID, which you are offered to create upon the first start of any of its components, be that mail, messenger or any other.

This set of programs consists of: Family Safety, Mail, Mesh, Messenger with Messenger Companion, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and Writer. Let's have a short look at each of those.

Family Safety allows you to set up parental controls on your computer helping you to provide safe browsing for your children. Assuming that Windows accounts are already created for your children, you just need to follow several steps in the program and set up specific properties for each account. You do not have to create separate Windows Live IDs for kids.

Windows Live Mail can work with various mail domains collecting all emails in one place. The desktop client provides you with mail and a calendar, which can serve as a daily planner. Its interface resembles that of Outlook, which makes it very easy to use if you have already worked with Outlook.

Windows Live Mesh is a service that provides file sharing and synchronization. Besides, you can remotely access your computer via the Internet using this app. Synchronization can be done between computers (PC-to-PC) or between your computer and Cloud (PC-to-Cloud). You can also synchronize settings for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office between multiple computers. more

NV Senior editor
Nova Vozrak
Editor rating:
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Review summary

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Light photo mails due to on-line storage for photos
  • Free
  • Many useful services

Cons

  • Allows to communicate only with other Windows Live users

Comments (56)

5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
379
2 stars
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1 stars
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Your vote:

R
Ron
Don't install the 2012 update if you like and use Live Mesh. The 2011 edition seems to still work. (11/2012)

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M
Great software but sometimes buggy or very slow... overall it's rather nice.

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A
The best email messenger ever Dirol

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