Windows 7 Guides: Windows Live Applications

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The much maligned and highly publicized bloat of Windows Vista had Microsoft thinking about how they could streamline their new OS. Microsoft did cut out some of the excess with their new operating system, but Windows would have to lose some useful programs that had previously been packaged with Windows. Movie Maker, Windows Mail & Messenger just to name a few, are programs that some users find useful, but cannot seem to find in their copy of Windows 7.

The answer was simple. Among other things, in order to cut back on the operating system, Microsoft decided to trim off some of the programs that were not a necessity, while leaving some staple programs intact (Wordpad, Media Player, Paint…). These “lost” programs will still be available to Windows users, but they will be available through Windows Live as a download. This essentially allows Windows users to “have their cake and eat it too”. For those who may not be familiar with the Windows Live setup and how to download these programs, we will take a quick “how to” look at Windows Live.

To setup Windows Live you can visit here and click on the Download button.

OR

To begin, we can click on Windows Update, located in the Programs menu.

Check the Windows Live Essentials option and click OK.

You will then be prompted with a screen where you can chose which programs you would like to install.

A brief description of the program will appear to the right as you chose each program.

Once the download and installation completes, you will be prompted to redo your Internet Explorer settings. I’m not quite sure what this has to do with Windows Live, but nevertheless…

Once you are finished, you will find the new program(s) in the Winows Live folder located in the Programs menu.

When rumors of Windows 7 first surfaced, there were articles and opinions about how to make the operating system sleek and smaller. One thought that I ran across very often was an operating system where most of the programs were separate add-ons. At first, the thought of an operating system with its programs as seperate downloads was not an appealing option, but now that I’ve had a chance to see Windows 7 in action and how it operates, I am most impressed with the new Windows Live setup. Most important, you are not charged for these programs that were historically shipped with Windows. How about it? Do you find it troubling or refreshing that Windows has trimmed the fat, but kept it available as a download for no cost?

I will try and go through each Windows Live program and review and show some “how to’s”. Stay Tuned…