You like using the mouse? Opening Task Manager without your keyboard is possible too. Right-click the empty space in your taskbar, then click the Start Task Manager entry. (Windows Vista and XP users: Click Task Manager.)

mynetx: Technogran, it is nice to meet you again.  This time, let’s talk about Windows 7.

Technogran: Okay, fire away!

mynetx: First of all: Are you running the new Windows currently?

Technogran: Yes I am.  I am using my bought copy of Windows 7 Home Premium.

mynetx: How would you judge the setup?  Was it fast, or rather slow?  Did you run an upgrade?

Technogran: Yes I did an upgrade this time from Vista Home Premium.

mynetx: What had your first computer been like—which Windows edition had it been running?

Technogran: My very first computer used Windows XP.

mynetx: Have you been running the Windows 7 beta version or the release candidate?

Technogran: Up until recently I was using the beta version of Windows 7.

mynetx: What were your first thoughts when you got to see Windows 7 in action?

Technogran: I loved it, but then I loved Vista as well.  I think there are some brilliant new things in Windows 7 though.

mynetx: How does the new Windows enhance the experience that users of Windows Vista or even Windows XP have?

Technogran: Oh that’s easy!  Ease of use when connecting anything up to the computer such as your printer, camera, mobile phone etc., you don’t even need the discs with the drivers on.  It’s so much easier now, and also easier to set up your Xbox 360 with media center for sharing all your pictures etc.  I could never EVER get that to work in XP!

mynetx: How does all this relate to Windows Live, in your opinion?

Technogran: Windows 7 is the first OS that really uses Windows Live in a meaningful way.  You are encouraged to make use of the Windows Live Essentials suite in tandem with the new operating system and they work so well together, that anyone who doesn’t use them is missing an awful lot in my opinion.

mynetx: What is your favorite feature in Windows 7?

Technogran: Ohhh, that’s a toughie!  Hmm, let me see, well it will have to be the taskbar I suppose if I can only choose one.  It works exactly how I like my taskbar to work, in fact you could almost imagine that the Windows 7 team had come and asked me personally how I wanted my taskbar to work!  All my programs visible to use in one click even if I am surfing online, right click and there just one click away is all your recent usage in each program or application, it’s brilliant!

mynetx: Windows 8 planning has already started.  What are your favorite wishes?

Technogran: Hmm, that’s a toughie and I think that they are going to be hard pressed to improve on Windows 7.  I would like to see everything in the OS including the virus/malware checker oh, and also they should include a really good screen grabber more capable than the snipping tool.  Similar to how Snag It works.

mynetx: Do you know about a Windows tip that not everybody might already know?

Technogran: Not really.  All of them seem to have been covered by everyone else.  It’s been one of the most hotly tipped OS’s ever!

mynetx: Wonderful!  Thank you for your time. =)

Technogran: That’s okay mynetx, thank you for feeling that I was worth interviewing.

1. Start Windows Live Mail.
2. Right-click on its icon in the notification area.
3. In the opening context menu, check the item Hide window when minimized.
4. Now minimize Live Mail’s Inbox window—done!

You can connect multiple computers to a personal folder, but each one must have a unique computer name. Only you can synchronize files in your personal synchronized folder.

You can connect to someone else’s shared folder, if the owner gave you permission. Just sign in using your Windows Live ID.

1. If Sync isn’t already running, on the Start menu, click Programs or All Programs, click Windows Live, click Windows Live Sync, and then sign in using your Windows Live ID.
2. In the notification area on the taskbar, click the Sync icon .
3. Click Sync website.
4. Under Personal folders or under Shared folders, click the name of the folder that you want to connect with the computer you’re using.
5. Click Add a computer.
6. In the list of available computers, click the name of the computer.
7. Select the folder on the computer where you want Sync to synchronize the files, and then click Sync folder here.– or –To create a new folder, select a location, click Create new folder, type a name for the folder, and then click Create and sync.
8. Choose the synchronization setting that you want, and then click Finish.

Notes

• Your computer must be online for files to synchronize. You can’t view files or the contents of a folder on the Sync website.
• If you created a folder for synchronizing, and you delete a file with a .p2p extension from the folder, the placeholder, as well as the actual file, is deleted from every computer that shares the folder.
• Synchronizing Microsoft Office Outlook .pst files between computers is not recommended because these files constantly change. This can result in frequent sync errors and files that aren’t updated.
• Keep in mind that Sync can’t merge data between database files. If you use a Microsoft Access, SQL, or ACT! database, you can synchronize database files to another computer so that they can be edited and viewed on multiple computers, but a database itself can’t be opened or modified on two computers at the same time.

Source: http://windowsliveblog.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!720E46AE746458F7!5810.entry

mynetx: Technogran, it is nice to welcome you as my guest! Please tell me a bit about yourself. How is your life involved with Windows Live?

Technogran: Thank you very much mynetx, it’s nice of you to invite me! I am very flattered to be asked, especially following others such as Angus!
I am on Windows Live and also use all of the Live Essentials Suite of programs on my desktop.

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

Technogran: Oh, I have been using all of the Windows Live applications and also the site itself since it was first thought of, although it doesn’t show that via my Space because I kept deleting it and starting from scratch. When the applications began appearing, they were all in beta, but I downloaded and tested them, and I loved them all.

mynetx: Do you think the Windows Live team cares for their users’ demands? Why?

Technogran: Tricky one this to answer, but I will be as frank as possible. I think that like a lot of Microsoft, the Live teams tend to listen to the wrong users. They take notice of the feedback from the more able user, such as the MVP’s, their ‘in-house’ users, and the more technically able, and the more ‘ordinary’ users views don’t tend to get heard. Microsoft isn’t alone in this, I hasten to add, lots of ordinary users just don’t know how to get their views across, because they are not as computer savvy as the more proficient user is. I am neither. I’m a sort of in-between user if you like, an ordinary user, but capable of making my views known on behalf of the ‘little everyday user’.

mynetx: You like posting tips and tricks in your Space using Live Writer. Do you think the software does its job correctly? Why did you choose Writer?

Technogran: LOL. What else is there? I love Writer, and in my opinion, Microsoft should be shouting from the rooftops about it! I have done my homework and tried to find an equivalent program that does everything that Writer does, and come up with zilch, so I consider it unique and for blogging (which let’s face it, every man, woman and their dog does these days) it’s a must have. I also like it because it’s on my desktop. I am a desktop person, that’s where I spend most of my computer time, and I love the way I can start a post, change it, save it to draft, and work on it at my leisure, only posting it when I feel it’s perfect.

mynetx: Any tip about Writer that you want to share with us?

Technogran: Hmm. Hard one because Brandon has been doing some great tips for Writer lately. My tip to anyone using it (because it annoys me more than anything that more users don’t make use of it) is to use the Margins feature to put a gap between a picture and their text. It tends to look so unsightly when the text ‘butts’ up to the edge of a photo or picture, and it’s so easy to do!

mynetx: Within the next five years, where could you picture Windows Live?

Technogran: I think it all depends on where the Live Teams want to take it, and which direction. There does seem to be a ‘mis-match’ between how they view Windows Live and how the majority of users view it, as was ably illustrated after the Wave 3 updates. Lots of users saw Windows Live first and foremost as a blogging platform and site which then produced a ‘blogging’ community, but it seems that the teams don’t quite see it as such, and to be honest, have never ever referred to it as such.

mynetx: Please provide two positive and negative comments about any outstanding Windows Live product.

Technogran: Hmm, you ask some difficult questions mynetx! Let me see…
Positives. Windows Live Mail, its ability to set up your e-mail accounts quickly and easily. The way it can fetch down all your e-mails, RSS feeds, and Newsgroups all to one place! Love it.
Negatives. Live Calendar. Wish it had incorporated into it a ‘to-do’ feature. I’m not too keen on having all those different calendars either. And Live Photo Gallery, wish it let me ‘geo-tag’ my pics.

mynetx: Do you run Windows Live Mail 24/7? Do you have some kind of a routine with Mail and the other parts of Windows Live?

Technogran: Yes I do. Windows Live Mail is the first program I open in a morning to check my e-mails, then I check all my RSS feeds and read them all. Also most of the newsgroups (about Windows Live natch). Obviously I only open Gallery if I am doing something with my photos, and Writer is open when I am constructing a blog post.

mynetx: Use your fantasy: how do you think Mail will look like within the next five years? What new features could it present?

Technogran: Hmm. Again a toughie because I think a lot will hinge on Google Wave, and whether or not us ‘ordinary users’ take to that or not. Mail has been around for a long time without really changing its format, and it IS based on the letters arriving on your doorstep. IF Google Wave does take off, especially with the ordinary user, then it’s ‘all change’ as they say, and Mail as we all know it will wither and die. It all changes so quickly these days, and change is speeding up, so who knows, but obviously as we have all seen with Windows XP and IE6, there are loads and loads of users who will resist change to the end, no matter how good the replacement is!

mynetx: Comparing these ideas with Mail’s current features, which of these might be added in the next release, Wave 4?

Technogran: Well, we know that Calendar is getting Alerts added—and hopefully for Gran, reminders or even better ‘pop up on your taskbar’ to-do’s. (to aid lousy memories! You’ll all get there some day!) I think the team will want to keep the clean interface, and I know that I am one of its fans, though many don’t like it and think it looks ‘washed out’. I would personally LOVE to see the return of Active Search which was in the old incarnation of Windows Live Mail when it was better known as Windows Live Mail Desktop (and was a pig to type each time you mentioned it!). I loved it but again, lots didn’t and it was eventually removed from the completed product, despite the fact that the team made it ‘choosable’.

mynetx: Windows Live Movie Maker—does its release, only some 24 hours ago, contain any surprises? What do you feel when thinking about it?

Technogran: I love the way the guys were brave enough to take Movie Maker (which was already well liked) and just begin again from scratch. I also love the fact that their new ideas all hinge around making Movie Maker easier to use for a newbie! This is an attitude that this Gran is all for, then everyone benefits! Sure if you are more technically able, there is all the features that you want, but for anyone who has never used a Movie making application before, I applaud their use of the ‘Ribbon’ interface, lovely large easy to see icons, etc. Bet you it won’t be long before we see the video out of a seven year old who has single handedly created a movie with his/her pictures! (Mind you, less of the youngsters, they should show one of a 80 year old Granny or Granddad using their apps as well!)

mynetx: Nice that you already tried the new version of Movie Maker and that you blogged about it.
—Are you satisfied with the Windows Live services that are provided to you? Why?

Technogran: Yes I am. However, I wish their was an easier way to give feedback, and to get feedback back. When the Essentials programs were first in beta all those years ago, I can remember conversing with the teams responsible for all of them via e-mail! Yes it’s true! And you really felt that your feedback was actually not only being read, but also being acted upon. I know it can be time consuming to sift through, but it just makes users feel closer to contributing to a program or application.

mynetx: What is your favorite feature in Photo Gallery?

Technogran: The fact it’s free! LOL. No, that’s difficult because I love all of it. As different features have been added over the course of time, it has become a really powerful photo manipulation program, and I just hope that this continues in the future. I love using the Panoramic Photo feature for example, I love how easy it is to edit your pictures and improve them as well. I would love it if Photosynth and DeepZoomPix were also added as well. That would make Photo Gallery really one of the most awesome free photo programs out there (although it already is in my book!).

mynetx: Ever heard of Live Mesh? What was your first impression of it? Could it be a new diverse method of file sharing among peers, or could it improve the current system at hand?

Technogran: Yes I am beta testing Live Mesh and have it on my computer at all times. Trouble is, I don’t really have any other computer to sync with, but I tend to use it to allow my eldest son to access my files that I need to share with him. I have also used it with a few others who I needed to see a video for example.

mynetx: Do you wish one of the Live Services/Essentials would have a feature that a third-party service/software already has?

Technogran: Yes! I wish Windows Live Mail had a reminder feature such as the one for Thunderbird/Firefox called Reminderfox! I love that program, and found it almost indispensable but no one has ever made one similar for IE or Live Mail. Drat!

mynetx: What is your intention behind talking with everyday users in your section “Living with Live”? What inspires you?

Technogran: Why the newbies of course! It has always annoyed me that we ‘ordinary users’ don’t get heard. Especially this applies to what has become known as ‘silver surfers’ meaning us users who are now retired and now beginning to get to grips with using computers for the very first time. All of the coders, engineers, and those who work in Information Technology as a whole tend to forget that we didn’t have computers at school, no one taught us how to use them, we don’t know you can ‘right click’ to find another menu list, we are of a different mindset and age where we have always used pen and paper, and full words, not all this ‘messenger speak’ that the younger end use today! (I have to often ask my grandchildren to interpret most of what they send in a messenger conversation! In fact my messages usually consist of ‘what does that mean?’) So getting back to your question about what inspires me, it’s that someone has to try and help those users in an easy to understand manner, and as it’s not all that long ago since I was in that position of not knowing anything about using a computer, it’s still all pretty fresh in my mind. Besides, they might listen more to someone who is just an ordinary user like themselves. My ‘how-to’s’ on the Clubhouse are often posted in response to someone on my Network having trouble with either the Windows Live site OR one of the desktop applications.
When Wave 3 was launched I was at my busiest, trying to do posts to help users find their friends, or find their Space etc.

mynetx: Are you working on any project related to Windows Live currently?

Technogran: Not at the moment, although it’s the ‘lull before the storm’ of course, as we all wait for the Wave 4 updates to arrive. I shall most likely be glued to the keyboard night and day when all that occurs as users post up with ‘can’t find this’ or ‘can’t find that’. I would rather do a post to help than give an answer in a forum, simply because you can illustrate the steps to take with pictures and it’s easier then for a user to follow. Also they can always print it out to follow it as well. It’s time consuming doing them, as I like to get my ‘how-to’s’ just right, and make them as easy as possible, but I love doing it and being helpful to other users on here. After all, the last thing we want is users getting so frustrated that they either don’t bother joining and using Windows Live or they just give up because it’s all too much trouble.

mynetx: Technogran, seeing Windows Live from your point of view was very interesting. Thank you for sharing this all with us!

Technogran: No problem!

You liked this interview?

Technogran and me have started a cooperation—look forward to regular rant conversations about the most recent news and happenings in the world of Windows Live!

More about Technogran

• Follow her on Twitter
• Read her Windows Live Space

mynetx: I find it great that you got some minutes to talk with me about Windows Live and You.
Tell me a bit about yourself. Is your life directly or indirectly involved with Windows Live?

Frans-Willem: I’m not as much involved with Windows Live as I used to, mainly because studying and everything around that (yes, drinking and having fun) takes up a lot of time, but Windows Live Messenger is still my primary means of day-to-day communication with friends.

mynetx: How were you involved with Windows Live? What is your history, that is, how did you come to Windows Live Messenger?

Frans-Willem: Well, I don’t quite remember how I got in touch with Windows Live (or at that time MSN) Messenger. I do remember what got me started on developing though. Back in the time of Messenger 5 or 6, Patchou suddenly launched a plug-in architecture for Messenger Plus!. I’d always been interested in writing programs, but I’d never gotten round to serious development with C, mainly because command line was so incredibly boring compared to the forms that you could get with Visual Basic. But then suddenly I *could* make fun things with C. I started out with some simple code to convert text for you, e.g. leet speak, but as I kept finding out more things, I kept adding more and more stuff to my plug-in. That’s mainly how StuffPlug got it’s name: It was a plug-in without a clear goal or feature set, it was just a plug-in with all the stuff I’d written: StuffPlug.

At some point though I got better at C, and that got me into Assembler, and I started adjusting small things in Messenger to make it better fit my wishes. It started out with bigger display pictures, and then time-zone adjustable clocks as I talked with lots of people overseas, and I just “fixed” any annoyance I had with Messenger.

Nowadays however I think WLM 9 is pretty close to perfect. I don’t see an immediate need to adjust stuff, and I’m not even using Plus! anymore as the built-in logging is pretty good.

Anything else you wanted to know on that subject ? I feel I’m just rambling on now.

mynetx: Do you think the Windows Live team cares for their users’ demands? Why?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, good question. I’m not sure. They used to be very open to the community, I remember Leah was very passionate about the blog, but these days I feel the messengersays blog is mostly just marketing. Also I’m not sure I or you still fall in their desired user-group, all they seem to be focusing on is 10 year olds obsessed with nudges, winks, sounds, and emoticons.

Although I must say that somewhere along the line some pretty nifty features snuck in, like built-in polygamy or the word wheel, that makes me feel that there are at least a few developers or Program Managers at Microsoft concerned with the actual usability

mynetx: Yahoo—Microsoft. What did you think last summer?

Frans-Willem: Well, to be honest, I was hoping that it had marked the start for more interoperability between IM networks, but I feel a bit let down. I don’t actually know anyone that uses Yahoo as their primary IM client, but when I tried it I felt like they only did the bare minimum to get people to talk to each other. I’m still waiting for interoperability between WLM and Google Talk, but I’m afraid that’s never going to happen…

mynetx: – what about Windows Live & Facebook?

Frans-Willem: Well, it’s handy that my PSM gets synched up with Facebook, but that’s about it, I guess

mynetx: Within the next five years, where could you picture Windows Live?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, I’m not sure really. I mean, there’s a lot of things I’d *like* to see, like GTalk and WLM interoperability as I mentioned before, but for some reason Microsoft always seems to surprise me, and never seems to go the obvious routes. I mean come on, they just renamed their search engine after they pumped millions of dollars into getting a global brand name for all their online services. wtf ?

One thing I do hope though is that they’ll come up with something new for once. Instead of constantly following (e.g. Spaces after blogging, social networks just while Facebook was coming up, etc.), I’m hoping they’ll come up with something new and exciting and start leading again

mynetx: Give two positive and negative comments on any Windows Live product.

Frans-Willem: Hmm.
Positive:
- They’re really reaching out to other platforms, Yahoo, Facebook.
- Most of the products are always properly finished and polished, even the beta products just work.

Negative:
- Too much following, not enough leading.

mynetx: Do you run Windows Live Messenger 24/7? Do you have some kind of a routine with Messenger and the other parts of Windows Live?

Frans-Willem: Not 24/7, I shut down my PC at nights, but if I’m awake, my PC is on, and WLM is on Not really a routine, although I do make a point of answering all offline messages I get

mynetx: Use your fantasy: how do you think Messenger will look like within the next five years? What new features could it present?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, well, GTalk and AIM integration for one . Not sure what else I’m missing though :/

mynetx: What about Tabbed Chatting?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, I’m good with the Vista taskbar grouping to be honest.

mynetx: Your guess for the next release, Wave 4—what might be in the oven for Windows Live Messenger 2010?

Frans-Willem: I’m hoping much more integration with other, non Windows Live, services. Seeing as they’ve only just begun with that, I think there’s a fair chance they’ll be expanding that in Wave 4.

mynetx: Services like?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, I’m not sure if they’ll be expanding to more services. I think it’s more likely the integration they currently have will be expanded. e.g. see Facebook info in WLM instead of the other way round, automatically linking up contacts to their Facebook accounts, etc.

mynetx: Are you satisfied with the Windows Live services that are provided to you?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah, in general I am

mynetx: Why?

Frans-Willem: Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but they’re all free services. Yes, they might have a few shortcomings (like ads), but it’s free, so what right do you have to complain about those ?

mynetx: Heh, good point though…
What is your favorite feature in Messenger?

Frans-Willem: Hah, that’s easy! The conversations

Seriously though, there’s lots of nice features, but in the end I use it because I can have conversations with my friends using it. If all my friends would be using AIM, I’m pretty sure I’d been using that instead. But if you really want me to pick a feature outside of chatting, I’d go for the word wheel above the contacts. With the number of people in my list that’s pretty essential

mynetx: Ever heard of Live Mesh? What was your first impression of it? Could it be a new diverse method of file sharing among peers, or could it improve the current system at hand?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah, I have Live Mesh installed on both my computers. I’m not really using it though, for file sharing I usually just use a simple off-line USB-key (just bought a nice new one actually, LaCie iAmAKey, totally love it ), and for remote administration I have Remote Desktop enabled. I kind of dislike Live Mesh not being able to use a different resolution than the one I have at home apart from scaling, viewing 3200×1200 on a 15″ laptop screen doesn’t really allow me to read anything.

mynetx: So you would like to see a resolution customization like the one in Remote Desktop?

Frans-Willem: I wasn’t aware you could use it to share files with friends though, I should take a look at that. But I’m not convinced it’ll be a “new diverse method of file sharing among peers” really, I’ve heard that claim one too many times (remember Messenger shared folders?).

Hmmm, not sure I need Live Mesh actually, Remote desktop really does everything I’d want it to :-/ But then again, for people that didn’t set up a subdomain to always link to their home IP might find it more convenient to use Live Mesh

mynetx: Do you wish Messenger would have a feature that a third-party IM software already has? As add-on developer, this question might be especially interesting for you…

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, I haven’t really used any other IM applications recently, so I wouldn’t know. I did hear Pidgin does some nice things like set the window icon to the display picture of the other person

mynetx: Yes, I’ve seen that recently as well.
As Messenger user, I’m sure you’ve got a good tip that not everybody might know about yet.

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah. The word wheel, use it It’s so incredibly easy to just Alt-Tab to Messenger, type in whomever you’re looking for, hit Enter, and start typing immediately

mynetx: Are you working on any project related to Windows Live currently?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah, LiveScratcher, but not very actively at the moment, some university deadlines coming up. I hope to be able to get some major work done in July though

mynetx: What’s it about?

Frans-Willem: Well, it’s about putting every technical trick I know about Messenger into a big library. I’m hoping I can write a framework that I can use myself to write another StuffPlug like add-on on, as well as allow other developers to use it to write theirs. It’s like Plus! scripting, but then with all of Plus!’s own features implemented in scripts too.

mynetx: That sounds exciting!

Frans-Willem: For people interested, there are some really early previews on livescratcher.com, and there’s a mailing list you can use to get in touch with me and other interested people. Mind you though, the current stuff is only for developers. So normal users beware, but developers please check it out and let me know what you think. Loads of feedback ensures that it ends up a nice platform to work with

mynetx: Down to what level, do you think, might your library reach?

Frans-Willem: Well, for now I’ve only done some DirectUI stuff, which allows you to play with Messenger’s user interface. Like remove something here, add something there, change a background or a picture. Like skinning, but then instead of replacing everything, just targeting small bits.

I intend to write a nice wrapper around all the messenger API’s, and add extra functionality like send text and data from scripts. And at the moment I’m doing some research on in-memory patching, to allow for things like removing the nudge limit. I’m hoping to expose everything I used in StuffPlug to scripting.

And as with StuffPlug, it’ll always be a work-in-progress. I do intend to keep adding new stuff I learn. But it’s set up in a very modular way, that allows me (or maybe other developers) to plug in extra parts when needed. And there’s also a way for scripts to communicate with each other, so someone might write a script that doesn’t really add any features for the user, but will expose some new functionality for other scripts to use.

mynetx: And—what about compatibility with the existing Messenger add-ons (Messenger Plus!, MessengerDiscovery, SweetIM and more)?

Frans-Willem: Hah, what kind of question is that Of course it’ll be compatible, I always put a lot of thought into that sorts of things If Patchou and Matt are ok with it, I might even add methods to communicate with Plus! and MD scripts

mynetx: How patient should we be until we see usable bits of all this appear, especially if they’re not developers? Can we get excited?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, developers can get excited, but I’m afraid it’ll take some time before there’s something user-friendly enough for normal users. Mind you though that it’s a massive project, and I want to think through each and every aspect of it carefully to make sure it turns into a nice API, so it will take some time

mynetx: Okay — “StuffPlug 4”?

Frans-Willem: Yes, hopefully at some point My slogan while developing is
“Hmm, I wonder if I can do this better…”

mynetx: I think that’s a great thing you got in mind. Anyways, I’ve bothered you enough for now!
Thank you for spending these minutes on Windows Live and You.

Frans-Willem: You’re welcome

Chaitanya Sareen, senior program manager on the Windows Core User Experience team, says:

With more developers leveraging its functionality, the Notification Area has grown in popularity over the years. Some may observe that it has changed from a subtle whisperer to something louder. Based upon the feedback we’ve collected from customers, we recognize the Notification Area could benefit from being less noisy and something more controllable by the end-user.

The problem: Messenger might be in your way

If you have recently downloaded Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 and installed Windows Live Essentials on it, especially Messenger, you might notice that it reacts differently from previous versions of Windows when you minimize its main window, that is, the Contact list. Instead of moving the Messenger icon to the notification area like in Windows XP and Vista, it just minimizes to the taskbar—following the guidelines the Windows team has set up, in order to keep the notification area clean and tiny.

However, if you are running Messenger quite frequently, perhaps even permanently, the rather big Messenger icon in the “normal” taskbar might get into your way rather quickly. How would it be to force Messenger to act like in previous versions of Windows—that is, to “minimize to tray”? Here is how you can.

The solution: Move it out of your way

1. Click , then choose Computer.
2. Double click Local Disk ( C: )
3. Browse to Program FilesWindows LiveMessenger.
4. Right click the file msnmsgr.exe, and choose Properties from the appearing context menu.
5. Switch to the Compatibility tab.
6. Check the check box next to Run this program in compatibility mode for.
7. Open the drop down field, and choose Windows Vista (Service Pack 2).
   
8. In the dialog box msnmsgr.exe Properties, click OK.
9. Close Windows Explorer, and start Messenger from the Start menu.
10. When you minimize Messenger’s main window now, it will silently minimize itself to the notification area again. If you cannot see the Messenger icon there, try unfolding the expanded view, using the arrow button pointing upwards.

Sources:

• Engineering Windows 7: User Interface: Starting, Launching, and Switching
• Life Rocks 2.0: How to Minimize Windows Live Messenger to System Tray in Windows 7

Vista-rians go here:

1. Right-click your taskbar, and choose “Task Manager”. Leave its window open.
2. Open the Windows Vista start menu – it should be in Windows Vista mode, not in Classic mode. Now hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys on your keyboard, and right-click the blank area above the Standby/Shutdown buttons.
3. In the appearing context menu, click the item “Exit Explorer”.
4. In the Windows Task Manager window, choose “File”, “New Task (Run…)”.
5. Enter “explorer”. After pressing “OK”, it gets restarted and everything is fine again.

Err – you’re on Windows XP?

1. Right-click your taskbar, and choose “Task Manager”. Leave its window open.
2. Open the Windows XP start menu, and choose “Turn Off Computer…”.
3. Now hold down the Ctrl, Alt, and Shift keys on your keyboard, and click the Cancel button in the Shutdown dialog. Explorer will quit.
4. In the Windows Task Manager window, choose “File”, “New Task (Run…)”.
5. Enter “explorer”. After pressing “OK”, it gets restarted and everything is fine again.

• Das Design wurde auf Wave 3 aktualisiert.
  

  

• Das Design der Benachrichtigungen wurde geändert. Sie nutzen jetzt Direct3D 9.
  
• Die Einträge in Was gibt’s Neues-Feeds sind nun ordentlich verlinkt.
  
• Es gibt eine Reihe neue Szenenbilder, und auch einige neue Standard-Anzeigebilder.
  
• Du wirst nun benachrichtigt, wenn jemand mit dir vom Web aus anonym redet.
  
• Du kannst die Informationsleiste im Unterhaltungsfenster nun schließen, die dich über den Status deines Kontakts informiert (siehe das Schließen-Kreuz “x” oben im Bild).
• Die Benachrichtigung über eingegebene Nachrichten hat sich leicht geändert.
  
• Gruppen werden nun ordentlich in einer Kategorie “Gruppen” einsortiert, selbst wenn die Kontaktliste unter Vista nach Kategorien sortiert ist.
  
• Individuelle Anmeldesounds wurden entfernt.
• Gruppen zeigen Benachrichtigungen, wenn jemand kommt oder geht.
  
• Die Funktion PhotoShare erlaubt nun das Übertragen und Speichern des unkomprimierten Originalbilds.
  

Du hast etwas anderes Geändertes gefunden, das ich noch nicht aufgeführt habe? Du hasst oder liebst eine Änderung? Schreib doch einen Kommentar!