LiveSide - News blog : Windows Live Sync

Windows Live Sync for Snow Leopard is here!

damaster — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:24:00 GMT

Following a bumpy upgrade for the Windows client last week, the Windows Live Sync team had been hard at work on their Mac client to add support for Snow Leopard. Today the team is proud to announce that it is now available for download:

We’re happy to announce that Windows Live Sync for Mac now supports Snow Leopard! Thanks so much for your continued interest in Sync, and for your patience while we worked out some stubborn compatibility issues we had with Snow Leopard.

If you’re a Snow Leopard user, you can get the new Sync software for Snow Leopard here. Mac users currently not using Snow Leopard do not require this update.

Windows Live Sync forced upgrade

Kip Kniskern — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:25:00 GMT

Last week Windows Live Sync was taken offline to fix a “serious problem in Windows Live Sync that could cause problems in rare cases for people who used Windows Easy Transfer”, according to Eric Doerr on the Windows Live Sync blog. Even though it’s caused some users to get a little grumpy about having to reconfigure, the upgrade and the resulting reconfiguration are necessary:

If your computer was already running Windows 7 before this update, you’ll have to go to the Sync website to add your computer back to all the folders you’re syncing. We know this is a hassle and we apologize for this inconvenience. You’ll also see that your computer shows up on the Sync website with a new name—you can safely go ahead and delete the old computer from the website. Rest assured that your files and folders are safe.

We found this problem in Sync through internal testing, and although it was very rare, keeping your data safe is our highest priority. We wanted to be absolutely sure that this problem wouldn’t happen to anyone.

Windows Live Sync should force an upgrade before you are able to use it, or you can try it out at http://sync.live.com. After logging in with a Windows Live ID, you’ll be able to download the latest version (14.0.8089.0726), or install it on your Mac (although we’re pretty sure it still doesn’t work with Snow Leopard, judging by the comments on the blog post).

Windows Live Sync update coming this week, update for Snow Leopard coming soon

damaster — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:32:57 GMT

The Windows Live Sync team blog posted the following announcement today:

Soon [This Thursday], when you sign in to Windows Live Sync on your computers running Windows, you’ll see that you need to go to the Sync website to install an update. You won’t be able to use Sync until you install the update.

In case you’re wondering, this update fixes a serious compatibility problem with Windows Easy Transfer.

Similar to Live Mesh, Apple’s recent update of their OS to Snow Leopard also broke Windows Live Sync for Mac. However, based on the comments from Rachel Popkin from the Windows Live Sync team, “a version of Windows Live Sync for Mac that is compatible with Snow Leopard is coming very soon.”

Still no words on when Sync will support synchronisation to the cloud with SkyDrive, similar to how Live Mesh syncs your files onto Live Desktop.

Windows Live Sync joins the Wave 3 family

Kip Kniskern — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:13:03 GMT

Windows Live Sync, the file sharing/synchronization program formerly known as FolderShare, updated their web component today to be more in line with the rest of the Windows Live Wave 3 properties. The new simple interface has been upgraded from the Wave 2ish look it sported since the name change from FolderShare last December.

Like the other online Wave 3 destinations (Profile, People, Mail, etc.), the header is changeable through Options, giving a consistent look across each of the pages. (Note that I’m more of a Live Mesh user, so not much on my Live Sync page). You can sign up for Windows Live Sync at https://sync.live.com.

Via the Windows Live Sync Team Blog

Windows Live Photo Gallery Sync enabled for some

damaster — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:44:50 GMT

Today both the Windows Live Sync and the Windows Live Photos & Videos team blogs announced the news that the gallery sync feature in Windows Live Photo Gallery has been enabled for a limited number of people. Here’s the announcement:

The Windows Live Sync team has partnered up with Windows Live Photo Gallery to let you synchronize photos between two computers directly from Photo Gallery!

Although you always could synchronize photos manually on http://sync.live.com, setting Photo Gallery to do it is much more convenient. Launch Windows Live Photo Gallery on two computers and sign in on each using the same Windows Live ID. Next, on one of the two computers click Setup gallery sync… from the File Menu in Photo Gallery and follow the instructions. You’re on your way to synchronizing photos!

Another cool thing about synchronizing your photos with Sync is that your edit history is also synchronized! You can undo edits you've made to your photos and even revert back to the original photo from any of computers synchronizing with the gallery.

Keep in mind that the current Sync limits (20 synchronized folders containing up to 20,000 files each) still applies. Also if some of your folders in your gallery are already synchronized, you’ll need to visit the Sync website to modify your existing sync settings.

Has this feature been turned on for you? Leave a message here and let us know!

Windows Live Sync downtime notice

Sunshine — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:25:59 GMT

The following appeared on the public newsgroup:

On Monday, January 19th, Windows Live Sync will be unavailable from 11 AM
PST until 4 PM PST while we perform some upgrades. We apologize for the
inconvenience and promise to have Sync back up and running as soon as we can!

The Windows Live Sync Team

Just so you know ;)

Windows Live Sync
Windows Live Sync Blog

Having problems with Windows Live Sync / Favorites sync? This might help

Kip Kniskern — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:16:50 GMT

An admission right off the bat: I’m not a Toolbar user. I guess I’m partial to as much browser real estate as I can get, but I don’t generally install any toolbars, from Windows Live or anywhere else. That being said, if you have the Windows Live Toolbar installed and are having issues with syncing your Favorites across computers, John Pollard, a Senior dev on the Live Search team, thinks he’s found an answer. From his blog post:

I had no idea what the problem was, and was going to try the trusted uninstall/reinstall route, but when I went to the uninstall control panel I realised I still had the old Favorites toolbar add-in installed:

John uninstalled the old Windows Live Favorites for Windows Live Toolbar, and his sync options re-appeared on his (new) Windows Live Toolbar. In one case he needed to re-install the new Toolbar, but after that everything worked.

So if you’ve had problems, make sure the old Live Favorites is uninstalled.

Also, if you’ve tried to install Windows Live Sync and have been getting a network error, there is a fix for that. From a comment (from Rachel Popkin MSFT) on the Windows Live Sync blog:

The issue you are experiencing should now have been resolved. To install Sync, please try the following steps:
1. Visit https://sync.live.com/clientdownload.aspx and select the Windows client
2. Save the program to your computer (Desktop, etc.)
3. Run the installation
4. Once the installation is done, run Sync from the Windows Live folder in the Start Menu.

Rachel also comments that there is a new Mac client, so if you’re having issues on a Mac, make sure you have the latest version.

Windows Live Sync Is Now Available For Windows And Mac [updated]

Sunshine — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:23:00 GMT

Windows Live Sync is now Live at http://sync.live.com. The team just announced it on their new blog:

Hello, Sync and FolderShare friends.

We've been hard at work on the new software, and we're pleased to report that the new Windows Live Sync is now available for Windows and the Mac.

We've listened to your feedback, and Sync will continue to offer the same great service as FolderShare, along with several new features:

Higher file limits—up to 20 synchronized folders (formerly known as libraries) with up to 20,000 files in each one.

Integration with Windows Live ID.

Integration with the Recycle Bin.

Unicode support.

More languages for Windows (46 in all).

And lots of bug fixes.

The old FolderShare blog and newsgroup will retire, but the team is not leaving you in the cold. There is a new Windows Live Sync blog and a new public newsgroup where you can leave your feedback.

FolderShare users: please head over to the new blog for installation instructions!

If you didn’t use FolderShare then there’s nothing you can do with this until you install it on a second computer. It will also be installed automatically as a dependency when you install the to be released Windows Live Photo Gallery (part of Windows Live Essentials). You can uninstall Windows Live Sync manually through Control Panel if you don’t want this afterwards, but then you won’t have the full features in Photo Gallery.

Update: The software will not launch automatically after installation, you need to start it from the Start menu yourself. There are currently some issues with signing in/connecting from the software, the team is working hard to solve this.

Update 2: The sign in/connecting issue has now been resolved. If you have the Mac client you should download the updated Mac Client in order to connect.

P.S. The transition to Windows Live Sync will not uninstall FolderShare, you will have to do that yourself. This can be done before or after installing Live Sync, personally I'd choose the latter.

Windows Live Sync FAQ
Previous articles on Live Sync

Windows Live Sync to be released next month

damaster — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:06:53 GMT

We told you that Windows Live FolderShare will be rebranded as Windows Live Sync. We also reported that Windows Live Sync will play a part in both Photo Gallery and possibly Toolbar. Today the FolderShare (or Windows Live Sync) team blog officially announced the rebranding and revealed some of the new features and improvements over the original FolderShare, here’s the announcement:

We plan to announce a product called Windows Live Sync. You can think of it as FolderShare 2.0. It's going to look familiar and offer the same great features, plus:
- More folders and files - sync up to 20 folders with 20,000 files each
- Integration with Windows Live ID - no more extra sign-in stuff to remember
- Integration with the Recycle Bin - no more separate Trash folder to fiddle with
- New client versions for both Windows and Mac
- Unicode support - sync files in other languages

Existing FolderShare users should also take note of the following:

When Sync releases, FolderShare goes into retirement. That means your FolderShare software will stop working and will ask you to upgrade to Sync. Once you do, Sync will automatically rebuild your personal folders. We expect a lot of new users when Sync is released, so if you can't sign in right away, please give it a little time.

Here's the part you need to pay attention to: Sync will not be able to rebuild your shared libraries. If you have a lot of shared libraries, you should hop over to the FolderShare website while it's still available and copy all that information. You'll need it to rebuild your shared libraries in Sync.

You should also note that the Professional option is being retired with the FolderShare name. Sync has a single offer, which provides free synchronization for up to 20 libraries and 20,000 files. We'll be working to raise those numbers as our service grows.

The Windows Experience Blog also added that Windows Live Sync is scheduled to go live in December at http://sync.live.com . We should be expecting that the “release candidate” versions of the Windows Live Essentials suite should also be coming soon too, perhaps at the same time as Windows Live Sync (after all, Sync is part of the Essentials suite).

Windows Live Toolbar – upcoming new features, Sync, SkyDrive and Favorites integration

damaster — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:06:31 GMT

Credits goes to Jamie Thomson for reviewing the upcoming “release candidate” version of Windows Live Toolbar. From the post we’re able to preview some of the high-resolution screenshots of what’s to come in the new Toolbar. Here’s what Jamie had to say about the new Toolbar:

Do you use toolbars? I generally don’t. Actually no, that’s not true; I didn’t, but I do now.

I’ve been using the new Windows Live Toolbar for about 6 weeks and so far so good, I’m still using it and for me that’s something of a toolbar record. The reason is the brand new toolbar buttons that allow me to see my What’s New feed and (importantly for me) my Calendar straight from within the Toolbar. In other words, without going to a website.

When the last Windows Live Essentials wave 3 suite got released into public beta, Chris reviewed the Toolbar and mentioned the lack of cross-service integration with other Windows Live services (no, “buttons” don’t count). Well, the new release addresses just that – integrating many of the upcoming Windows Live wave 3 services into one “useful” Toolbar. Instead of talking about what we already knew, we’ll focus on what’s new and updated in this upcoming release.

First, as seen across all of the new Windows Live internet services, we have the What’s New feed integration. Clicking on What’s New, Profile and Photos tabs will give you at-a-glance what your friends in your Network have been doing lately, and also instant access to your Windows Live Home, Profile and Photos web pages.

The Mail and Calendar also shows the latest emails from your Hotmail inbox and upcoming appointments in your Windows Live Calendar, with a nice little calendar to help you find out which dates you have events and appointments.

I guess what is most exciting about the new Toolbar is the new Favorites, Sync, and SkyDrive integrations. We mentioned in our last review that while installing Windows Live Toolbar it requires you to close down Windows Live Sync. We also knew that Microsoft is killing off Windows Live Favorites, but this also meant that the original Favorites syncing through the wave 2 version Windows Live Toolbar will no longer work. With the new version, we’ll see Toolbar taking advantage of Windows Live Sync and will be synchronising all your Favorites from Internet Explorer between different computers, provided you have Toolbar installed on both computers and signed in to the same Windows Live ID.

Previously we also noted that you can share favorites with SkyDrive using Windows Live Toolbar, however, exactly how Favorites, SkyDrive, Sync and Toolbar will interact together is ~~still a big question mark~~. Update: Jamie updated his blog today about how “Shared Favorites” works in Toolbar, integrating it with SkyDrive. Apparently there is a “Share” button in Toolbar which, if clicked on, allows you to add the currently viewing page as a link to the “Shared Favorites” folder on SkyDrive. This will also show up as an entry on your Profile’s What’s New feed:

However, Jamie also noted that in his build of Toolbar the “Favorites Sync” button isn’t available, so question still remains on how Windows Live Sync will play its part, and whether the Favourites stored on SkyDrive can be accessed from the Toolbar or not. Stay tuned on LiveSide as we cover the latest Wave 3 news in much more detail.

Windows Live Photo Gallery gets new OEM partners, Sync integration, and more

damaster — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:59:33 GMT

Windows Live Photo Gallery from the Windows Live Essentials suite is getting some upgrades in the upcoming “Release Candidate” release too. Besides the many bug fixes (including the wlcomm.exe crash and 100% CPU usage bug), we also found out from Brian Hall’s interview that Windows Live Sync (FolderShare) will come installed along with Windows Live Photo Gallery to sync your photo albums across multiple PCs, as long as you sign in with the same Windows Live ID on more than one computer:

Perhaps more good news for Microsoft’s Windows Live push is that HP had recently signed up to include Windows Live Photo Gallery with all installs of HP’s Photosmart and Deskjet series printers. Here’s an except from their press release:

HP, the worldwide leader in printing solutions, will distribute Windows Live Photo Gallery with its consumer printers, including Photosmart and Deskjet lines, starting next year. The combined offer provides HP customers with Windows Live Photo Gallery, an end-to-end photo management and printing solution.

“Beginning in 2009, HP will feature Windows Live Photo Gallery and HP Creative Print Projects across the HP Photosmart and HP Deskjet consumer printing portfolios,” said Sam Greenblatt, general manager of Core Technologies, Imaging and Printing Group, at HP. “We are pleased to be working with Microsoft to provide an enhanced user experience for our customers. This offering will allow users to print, share, organize and edit a wide array of creative print projects at home, such as photo books, collages, cards and calendars.”

Comparing the interfaces between the current beta version with the upcoming new “RC” version, we’ve also noticed some minor enhancements that makes publishing to Windows Live Photos much easier. Notice how instead of “publish to Spaces”, you’re now able publish your photos directly to the new albums in Windows Live Groups and Events too! The new support for publishing metadata to your online albums also means that People tags will be synced across Photo Gallery and Windows Live Photos.

With a whole set of new partners signed up with Microsoft on Wednesday, we’re bound to see many more services (such as Photobucket) taking advantage of the new Publishing API to make photo sharing for us even more easier.

Wave 3: So much news, so little time

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:23:00 GMT

Hi, I’m a PC (lol just wanted to get that out of the way). Wow lots of attention about Wave 3, funny how that happens when there’s no news for a year. In this post we just want to clean up some odds and ends before we get to deeper dives into Wave 3.

First, and we have to excuse damaster’s zeal in his original post on Photo Gallery, but facial recognition does indeed exist in this beta version. He updated the post to correct his initial impression with some nice new screenshots. Check it out (and thanks for the tip, Ryan!).

Next up, and as we reported previously on LiveSide, Windows Live FolderShare is changing it’s name to Windows Live Sync, as confirmed by our friend Raphael Rivera, who did some nice digging of his own. He even found a download link for the new Windows Live Sync beta. (and another tipster to thank, this time Suril!)

And finally in a fit of self aggrandizement (just kidding Robert), Robert McLaws “tipped” us that he posted on getting Windows Live Wave 3 to work on Windows Server machines (now why would you want to do that, we wonder?). Anyway, check out Robert’s post if you want to bring social networking to your server box.