Getting ready for Windows Live Wave 3

Chris — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:03:01 GMT

With Wave 2 now well behind us, the focus of our writing is now moving onto the next set of Windows Live products - Wave 3. Kip has already talked about how Windows 7 will see a number of programs being removed from the core operating system, notably Photo Gallery, Mail and Movie Maker.

Only the last of these is not yet available as part of the Windows Live Suite, but that should change in the near future as Microsoft readies Windows Live Movie Maker (Codename Sundance). We certainly expect to see upgrades to most if not all of the other Windows Live products currently included in the Suite, as well as the much-rumoured Windows Live Groups. We've even heard that Favourites may be on the receiving end too :)

Then there has been the talk this week of the new Microsoft Value Box (Codename Albany), that makes Microsoft's current software + services approach available to home users from off-the-shelf. Office and Office Live Workspaces will combine with Windows Live OneCare 2.5, though the Windows Live Suite is also rumoured to be making an appearance as a bunclled program too. The only potential downside to this being included is the seemingly inevitable conclusion that Microsoft is going to start charging users for the Windows Live services they currently get for free (which they won't). Lets hope the PR champions are ready to take this challenge on.

And then there is the service that underpins all of the above, Windows Live ID. This appears due for an upgrade to v5.5 in the near future, with the new Delegated Authentication website already using the new version. WL ID has made great improvements in the last few releases, notably with Linked Live IDs and the new developer SDKs - it'll be good to see what else they have up their sleeves.

(To recap, consent.live.com allows users to manage the websites that have access to their information and contacts, and if they so wish, to remove this access. This is particularly relevant in light of the Microsoft + social networks sharing contact information announcement this week.)

64 Bit Systems And The New Live Installer: A Solution

ScottIsAFool — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:37:44 GMT

It has been discovered since the launch of the Live Installer yesterday that there is an apparent bug that prevents it from being installed on 64 bit systems. Now the programs themselves will run on x64 systems, it's the installer itself where the problem lies.

If you are running a x64 system and want to try the new Live builds, there are three suggestions:

Use the Hex editor hack found at http://www.anti-tgtsoft.com/?p=14
If you know someone who has installed the WL Suite, give them the instructions below to get the installers;
If you have access to an x86 machine yourself, download them and get the files yourself.

To access the files, do the following:

Go to C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\WindowsLiveInstaller\MsiSources\
In that folder are all the msi installers for the products you selected to install, we just have to work out which one is which. Fortunately, we can:
Windows Live Writer
Install_{1F973A7F-3FE4-4D11-A9A2-E869C2899A7D}.msi
Windows Live Messenger
Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi
Windows Live Sign-In Assistant
Install_{CB5EA99C-8A5B-49F2-9A1A-2EF78BE4DB41}.msi
Windows Live Mail
Install_{EDB619FD-4E71-403C-8E99-DFC9CF9DD345}.msi
Windows Live Toolbar
Install_{C6876FE6-A314-4628-B0D7-F3EE5E35C4B4}.msi
Windows Live Photo Gallery
Install_{AA436FBD-2595-479B-8DDE-E9C36F50D99D}.msi

Running those on the x64 system should bypass the x64 check and they should install for you fine.

LiveSide - News blog : Windows Live Suite

Getting ready for Windows Live Wave 3

64 Bit Systems And The New Live Installer: A Solution