I tried to add the complete folder to synchronize, but all I got was this message:

Oh snap!  Why did nobody tell me about a 20,000 files limit?  Well, in the end I could work around it by adding several folders to Sync, leaving out the ones that never change anyways, but… in my opinion this limit is useless.  My current hope is that Wave 4 will remove the limit.

And when we’re about enhancing Windows Live Sync: Browsing for a folder to synchronize is a pain.  Some AJAX would surely speed it up.

By the way: Windows Live Sync is now compatible with Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Did you test Sync yet?  What do you think about it?

Windows 7 is generally available since yesterday. Never have the expectations for a new operating system been as high as this time, as we as end users have never been integrated into finding ideas for a new Windows, like we have this time. On top of that, Windows Vista has moved to the storage siding and is called a big flop by some people. Surely expectations climb up then—can Windows 7 embrace them?

Comparing the editions

What should run with Windows Vista is also suitable for the new Windows. That is because the system requirements have not been elevated, like normally. The lights are green for programs as well: Either a software runs directly, or you can convince it to run with the integrated Windows XP. Just in case. That’s called “Virtual XP Mode.”

But not every Windows 7 edition contains this mode. Which versions exist, and what are their differences? The editions important for us are Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate.

Windows 7 Home Premium

The successor of Windows Vista Home Premium will be the version sold most. It is preinstalled on PCs by manufacturers, and includes all features necessary to work and play.

Windows 7 Professional

The professional edition can do everything that Home Premium can, and additionally supports Windows Virtual PC as well as data backup and restore on network places.

Windows 7 Ultimate

The high-end edition has all that and on top of it, the BitLocker encryption. Furthermore, you can install more language packs here and for example use your Windows in German—without any reinstall, just a logoff/reboot is required.

Other versions

Thanks to the European Union, there are the “N” variants, coming without Windows Media Player and more media features. They cost the same as the normal versions, so rather don’t touch them.

Windows 7 Home Basic, Starter and Enterprise remain, where the first 2 are only interesting for developing countries and the last one is only offered to companies that can take advantage of extended network features.

Buy Windows 7

What does Windows 7 cost?

That depends totally on your home country. Sorry… =)

All editions are also available as OEM versions. These are normally only meant for computer manufacturers, but depending on your local laws, they might also be sold independently of hardware. You have no right for support by Microsoft, in exchange, the OEM versions are much cheaper than editions in the colored boxes.

You’re a student? Even better. If you have the corresponding legitimations, you can get Windows 7 for as low as $29.99 USD. More info on this special offer at www.win741.com.

Is my computer ready?

You can find out if your computer is ready to run Windows 7 with Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. This is a free program that checks your system for known problems. If something is found, you get a notice. This way, you know where problems might arise even before you install Windows.

Some update tips:

• Please take some minutes for backing up your data. If you don’t and something goes wrong, you’re going to have a problem. (We don’t want to hope, but who knows.)
• You are using Windows Vista: Upgrading to Windows 7 is possible.
• You are using Windows XP: You cannot upgrade to Windows 7 directly. The system must be reinstalled.
• You want to take your settings and data with you? Have a look at Windows EasyTransfer (for Windows Vista and Windows XP). Moving is easier with this tool.

Summary

Long awaited, now published—the new Windows sounds solid. That is what the prerelease tests confirm as well. How Windows 7 will work in the wild remains to be seen.

What do you think about Windows 7? Tweet me your opinion!

Ab Anfang September 2009 kannst du keine neuen Ereignisse mit Windows Live Events mehr erstellen. Du kannst deine vorhandenen Events immer noch bis 2010 bearbeiten, und wir ermuntern dich, deine Fotos und Dateien aus deinen existierenden Events vor diesem Zeitpunkt zu sichern.

So geht’s: Deine Fotos und Dateien sichern

Fotos sichern

1. Gehe zu http://events.live.com/ und melde dich mit deiner Windows Live ID an.
2. Klicke oben auf der Seite auf Ihre Ereignisse anzeigen.
3. Klicke auf das Ereignis, von dem du Fotos speichern möchtest, und wähle dann den Link Fotos auf der linken Seite des Ereignisses.
4. Wähle das Fotoalbum aus, das du sichern willst, und klicke dann oben auf der Seite auf den Link Mehr.
5. Im Menü, das sich unter Mehr öffnet, klicke auf Herunterladen, und dann auf Mit Fotogalerie herunterladen.
6. Wähle die Fotos aus, die du sichern willst, und klicke dann auf Herunterladen.

Dateien sichern

1. Klicke auf das Symbol SkyDrive auf der linken Seite eines Ereignisses.
2. Wähle den Ordner Dokumente.
3. Wähle eine Datei aus, die du herunterladen willst.
4. Klicke auf Herunterladen, und dann öffne die Datei oder speichere sie auf deinem Computer.

• I started with signing in to Live Mesh and testing if my account is still active.
• I had also installed the Live Mesh Windows client (XP/Vista 32-bit, Vista 64-bit, Mac Tech Preview: visit with your Mac) earlier.
• I went to the folder where Chat Logs are stored. If you are using Messenger’s own chat logging, this should be “My DocumentsMy Received FilesyournicknameYOURIDHistory”; if you’re using Messenger Plus! logging like me, it’s “My DocumentsMy Chat Logs”.
• Create a backup of the folder! I might avoid heart attacks if Live Mesh behaves unexpectedly.
• Given that the Live Mesh client is running and signed in, right-click the folder and choose “Add folder to Live Mesh…”.
• Confirm the new Mesh folder and wait for the logs to get uploaded – that’s it!
• You should now see the Logs folder within your Live Mesh Desktop.

mynetx: It’s great that you got some minutes to talk with me about Windows Live and You. To start over, please describe yourself and your connection with Windows Live, in one sentence.

Gregory: Hello, I am Gregory Sampson, an ex-Beta tester for Windows Live Messenger 8.0 through 9.0. It has been an honor testing and using Windows Live Services, as a whole.

mynetx: What is your favorite feature in Messenger?

Gregory: Everything, I use about every feature in Windows Live Messenger. The best of them all is being able to connect with everyone on my Contact List smoothly and easily.

mynetx: And what do you like most in Windows Live at all?

Gregory: SkyDrive and Photo Gallery, utterly amazing innovations by Microsoft. Oh, and Live Mesh.

Gregory: I do certainly use SkyDrive to make online backup of my current data, indeed the web space is insufficient, but is efficient enough for a free solution.

I use Photo Gallery to organize my photos and images in an orderly manner.

mynetx: Wow, an all-round user . What is the thing you’d love most to be added to Messenger?

Gregory: Tabbed chatting, an enormously useful feature. I would love to send a massive shoutout to Patchou for making an amazing add-on, Messenger Plus! Live, for Windows Live Messenger, to add many of the extra amazing features to Messenger, as well as tabbed chatting. Would be neat if Microsoft added it in it’s core code, as then people will not see the need to install external software to achieve what they would want to have, with all due respect to all the software developers, especially Patchou and Matt.

mynetx: Do you think this feature will be added in Windows Live Wave 4?

Gregory: I do certainly hope, let’s see what the people in charge have got to say. Angus, hear me?

mynetx: Heh .
Running Messenger 24/7? Maybe you’ve got kind of a daily routine with Windows Live.

Gregory: Well, close to 24/7, but it is pretty much a daily routine. I cannot imagine myself living without internet, let alone all the Windows Live services that are put forward to be used by everyone.

mynetx: Seamless online presence, hmm?

Gregory: Yep.

mynetx: Since when are you in the Live business? Tell me a bit about your history.

Gregory: Back in 2006, I got a “Troubleshooting” message from Messenger 7.5 while attempting to sign in. Therefore, I went to the help section on their website and checked for the given error code, it mentioned something about WLM 8.0. I was in complete astonishment and hype for a new Messenger version. Since then, I started Googling around and trying to find some more information, until I stumbled upon http://ideas.live.com/ and http://connect.microsoft.com. I signed up for both sites. I was a Closed Beta tester for WLM 8.0 and was a Managed Beta tester for WLM 8.5 and 9.0.

Gregory: This is how I got to know about all the Windows Live products, starting from WLM 8.0, then spreading my wings and sight to the other products at hand.

mynetx: Back in 2006? Pretty long…

Gregory: Yes, sir. But it was worth it after all.

mynetx: Nice to hear!

When you’re using Messenger intensively, I’m sure you’ve got a breaking tip for an “aha” effect. Give me a tip you consider precious

Gregory: :-O! Utterly interesting question. I get that effect when three people sign in: Pamela, my best friend; Lance Manasse, a WL Butterfly known since 2006–a very dear friend, he is–; and yourself, mynetx, my second best friend. This is when I most get excited to use Messenger excessively, to talk to y’all.

mynetx: Heh. Any suggestion for average Messenger users on doing something that not everybody knows?

Gregory: Try out Windows Live People, similar to Facebook, but has a neater UI. Avoid the scam links that are sent, and be utterly careful when entering your credentials in random sites that you do not know much about.

mynetx: (Y). And finally, why do you do beta testing and engage in the Windows Live Community nowadays?

Gregory: See, in reality, people usually think less of me because I have physical discomfort. Therefore, I tend to prove the opposite and show them that I can do more, I can make a difference, I can be successful, thus I do happily enjoy helping Microsoft with the improvement of their software.

mynetx: Wonderful! I appreciate it very much that you took your time to talk with me about Windows Live and You. Thanks!

Gregory: You’re most welcome, sir.

Toen herinnerde ik me een functie in het script “Music Now Playing”, die indruk op me maakte enige tijd geleden, toen zag ik het: Online backup, automatisch. Daarna speelde ik nog rond met PHP en wat JScript, en het resultaat is PrefsBackup, een nieuwe Messenger Plus! script (nog in bèta).

De eenvoudige manier: PrefsBackup

Met dit script maakt u zo gemakkelijk als niets back-ups van uw Messenger Plus! instellingen. Volg deze eenvoudige stappen:

1. Download en importeer PrefsBackup.
2. Kies voor die Windows Live ID’s (Messenger-accounts) die u wilt inschakelen in het script.
3. Lees de changelog, en bevestigen dat u begrijpt dat het script nog steeds beta is.
4. Open nu de scripts menu en kies “PrefsBackup > Backup preferences…”.
5. De eerste keer dat u dit doet, wordt u gevraagd om een nieuw wachtwoord en een alternatief e-mail adres in het geval u het wachtwoord vergeet. Het wachtwoord wordt gebruikt om uw voorkeuren te beschermen tegen diefstal.
6. Oh, en aangezien dit een beta is, moet je een uitnodigingscode voor elke Windows Live ID hebben. In de komende tijd, ziet u een aantal websites die een paar uitnodigingscodes aanbieden, maar in het geval je er geen te pakken krijgt stuur je best een e-mail naar mynetx Creations via scripts@mynetx.net.
   Vergeet niet: wie het eerst komt, het eerst maalt.
7. U kunt ook proberen of één van de volgende uitnodigingscodes nog werkt:
   733da5d3, d26fdbae, d8bd91f8, 57e5c6b1, 828060c0, 53efc6c2, e95e5f75, ba349d68, 85e3e08b, 9f337066

Download: PrefsBackup 1.0.5

Then I remembered a feature in the script Music Now Playing, which had impressed me some time ago when I saw it: Online backup, automatic. After that, I played around further with PHP and some JScript, and the result is PrefsBackup, a new Messenger Plus! script (still in beta).

The easy way: PrefsBackup

With this script, backing up your Messenger Plus! settings is as easy as nothing. Follow these simple steps:

1. Download and import PrefsBackup.
2. Choose for which Windows Live IDs (Messenger accounts) you want to enable the script.
3. Read the changelog, and confirm that you understand that the script is still beta.
4. Now open the scripts menu, and choose “PrefsBackup > Backup preferences…”.
5. The first time you do this, you will be asked for a new password and an alternate e-mail address in case you forget it. The password is used to protect your preferences from theft.
6. Oh, and since this is a beta, you will need an invite code once for each Windows Live ID. In the next time, you will see several websites offering a bunch of invite codes, but in case you didn’t catch one: e-mail mynetx Creations at scripts@mynetx.net to apply for an invite code.
   Remember: First-come, first-served.
7. You might also try if one of the following invites still work:
   733da5d3, d26fdbae, d8bd91f8, 57e5c6b1, 828060c0, 53efc6c2, e95e5f75, ba349d68, 85e3e08b, 9f337066

Free download: PrefsBackup 1.0.5
Any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems: mail us!