What are the Benefits of Windows Live ID Integration in Windows 8?

We all know that Windows 8 will come with lots of new features and enhancements and one of them is the built-in integration of Windows Live ID.

You can check this new feature in the recently released Windows 8 Developer Preview build as well. Actually you can use your Windows Live email ID as your login account for Windows which provides many benefits to you.

Microsoft has outlined these benefits in an official post at Building Windows 8 blog. According to Microsoft:

Windows 8 will come with Windows Live ID integration which will provide the ability to log in to Windows (optionally) with a Windows Live ID that works across devices, apps, and services, allowing you a uniquely personal experience with Windows.

Signing in with Windows Live ID allows you to:

• Associate the most commonly used Windows settings with your user account. Saved settings are available when you sign in to your account on any Windows 8 PC. Your PC will be set up just the way you are used to!
• Easily reacquire your Metro style apps on multiple Windows 8 PCs. The app's settings and last-used state persist across all your Windows 8 PCs.
• Save sign-in credentials for the different apps and websites you use and easily get back into them without having to enter credentials every time.
• Automatically sign in to apps and services that use Windows Live ID for authentication.

How is it Done?

When you buy a Windows 8 PC and set up your user account for the first time, you can optionally choose to create an account that is associated to a Windows Live ID.

You can either use an existing ID or create a new one. If you choose to create a new one, you can use any email address you want as your new ID, and then create your unique password. You just need to identify an email address that you want to have associated with the Windows Live ID service, and provide a unique password.  Of course, you can also continue to use local Windows accounts as you always have just like in Windows 7. You can also change a local account to link it with a Windows Live ID at a later date.

So, although many people assume they will need to sign up for a new email account to get a Windows Live ID, it's actually not necessary.

What Happens in Background?

With Windows 8, you will be able to have your personal Windows experience on any Windows 8 PC you sign in to with your Windows Live ID. Settings such as your lock screen picture, desktop background, user tile, browser favorites and history, spell check dictionaries, Explorer settings, mouse settings, and accessibility settings, among many others are now associated with your Windows 8 account and stored in the cloud. They are kept in sync and come down to each machine you use as they are changed or updated.

No Need to Sign In Multiple Times!

Once you've signed in to Windows with your ID, you do not need to enter it again to sign in to any app or website that also uses Windows Live ID. For example, once you sign in to Windows with your ID, you can launch the Windows Chat app and start talking with your friends without the need to sign in again.

Similarly, you can browse to your Hotmail inbox page without needing to enter your email address and password again. You can always sign out of a webpage and sign in as a different user, but by default you will be automatically signed in. To be clear, however, those applications and websites do not have special access to your Windows PC or your personal data.

If you choose to, Windows can store separate Metro style app and web site credentials. Those credentials can then sync to each Windows 8 PC that you’ve trusted and verified yourself with. You won’t have to type in your user name or password; just confirm your sign-in as needed. Similar to the Chat application example, when launching a Metro style application that uses this feature, you will be signed in automatically and the application will resume right where you left off.

How to Control?

In Control Panel, there is a section called "Sync PC Settings" where you can manually turn settings sync on or off.

You can choose to turn off all syncing or you can turn off syncing per the type of setting. The settings groups include:

• Personalize
• Themes
• Ease of access
• Language preferences
• Apps
• Web browser
• Other stuff
• Some passwords

Check out following demo video showing benefits of signing in to Window 8 with Windows Live ID:

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Themes, Skins, Icons and Wallpapers for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

If you are following this blog since long time, you might be aware of our exclusive themes, skins and wallpapers which we have released for Windows, Yahoo! Messenger, mobile phones and other software.

We have released many themes for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 and many of them have been featured at various popular websites including Microsoft.com.

We have also released skins for mobile phones and Yahoo! Messenger. Long time back we also released 2 wallpapers to spice up your Desktop.

Today in this topic, we are going to list all these themes, skins, wallpapers, icon packs, etc for your convenience so that you can check them in a single place and don't waste your time in searching for them in different sections.

So without wasting time, lets take a look at all the free eye candy stuff:

VistaVG Theme for Windows XP

"VistaVG" theme is the first ever theme released by us. This theme was created for Windows XP users who wanted to make Windows XP look-like Windows Vista. VistaVG is the first Vista look-like theme for Windows XP and all other similar themes available on Internet are based on it.

You can download it using following link:

Download VistaVG Theme for Windows XP

VistaVG Blue Theme for Windows XP

VistaVG Blue theme is a blue version of VistaVG theme. This theme was released after getting lots of demand for a blue version of VistaVG theme.

You can download it using following link:

Download VistaVG Blue Theme for Windows XP

VistaVG Black Theme for Windows XP

VistaVG Black theme is a dark version of VistaVG theme. This theme was also created after getting several requests for a dark version of VistaVG theme.

You can download it using following link:

Download VistaVG Black Theme for Windows XP

SevenVG Theme for Windows XP

We continued our tradition to make themes for Windows XP to transform it in newer versions of Windows. SevenVG theme was created for Windows XP users who wanted to make Windows XP look-like Windows 7. SevenVG theme is also the first Windows 7 look-like theme for Windows XP and all other similar themes available on Internet are based on it.

You can download it using following link:

Download SevenVG Theme for Windows XP

SevenVG theme comes with Windows 7 like superbar which is an enhanced version of traditional Taskbar. It's a bit large in height. If you want a normal Taskbar version, check out following special version of SevenVG theme:

Download SevenVG Theme with Normal Thin Taskbar

SevenVG Black Theme for Windows XP

Similar to VistaVG theme's dark version, we created a special dark version of SevenVG theme as well. If you are a dark theme lover, you can download SevenVG Black theme for Windows XP:

You can download it using following link:

Download SevenVG Black Theme for Windows XP

Download SevenVG Black Theme with Normal Thin Taskbar

AeroVG Theme for Windows Vista

When Windows Vista was released, it introduced Aero UI for Windows which provides transparency with glass effect. But customization lovers wanted to have as much transparency as they could. That's why we created "AeroVG" theme for those people who wanted to enhance Aero theme and make it perfect.

AeroVG theme became very popular among Windows Vista users.

You can download it using following link:

Download AeroVG Theme for Windows Vista

Vista Blue Theme for Windows Vista

When AeroVG theme for Windows Vista became popular, people started requesting to make a special version of the theme for Windows Basic theme users who didn't have dedicated graphics card in their system and can't enjoy Aero theme.

To make those people happy, we created "Vista Blue" theme.

You can download it using following link:

Download Vista Blue Theme for Windows Vista

Vista Black Theme for Windows Vista

When we released Vista Blue theme for Windows Vista users, lots of people asked to create a dark version of this theme. So we released Vista Black theme for Windows Vista Basic theme users:

You can download it using following link:

Download Vista Black Theme for Windows Vista

AeroVG Se7en Theme for Windows 7

When Windows 7 was released, AeroVG theme users started requesting to create a port of the theme for Windows 7. "AeroVG Se7en" theme was created for Windows 7 users who wanted to enjoy AeroVG like interface in Windows 7.

You can download it using following link:

Download AeroVG Se7en Theme for Windows 7

Y! Vista Skin for Yahoo! Messenger

When we released VistaVG theme for Windows XP, lots of people requested to create a similar skin for Yahoo! Messenger. We created "Y! Vista" skin for Yahoo! Messenger to match its UI with VistaVG theme. Almost all Yahoo! Messenger users agree on the fact that the default messenger skins are not that good.

You can download it using following link:

Download Y! Vista Skin for Yahoo! Messenger

Y! Vista Blue Skin for Yahoo! Messenger

Y! Vista Blue skin was created on request for a blue version of Y! Vista skin for Yahoo! Messenger. This skin perfectly matches with VistaVG Blue theme:

You can download it using following link:

Download Y! Vista Blue Skin for Yahoo! Messenger

VistaVG SE Theme for Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones

This theme was created for Sony Ericsson mobile phone users who wanted to have a Windows Vista like UI in their mobile phone. This theme transforms your cell phone menus into Windows Desktop like interface:

You can download it using following link:

Download VistaVG SE Theme for Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones

SevenVG SE Theme for Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones

This theme was an update for VistaVG Se theme. We released this theme when Windows 7 was released to public. This theme provides Windows 7 like UI in Sony Ericsson mobile phones:

You can download it using following link:

Download SevenVG SE Theme for Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones

Google Android Theme for Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones

This theme was created by AskVG reader "Hackerpunk1". This theme transforms your Sony Ericsson mobile phone UI into Google Android OS.

You can download it using following link:

Download Google Android Theme for Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones

Windows 8 Skin for RocketDock Utility

We here at AskVG love RocketDock utility. Its one of the best dock available for Windows. AskVG reader "Rtyh-12" created a cool skin for RocketDock after getting inspired from Windows 8 Metro UI.

The skin comes in 2 variations:

You can download it using following link:

Download Windows 8 Skin for RocketDock

Icon Packs and Wallpapers for Windows

We have also released 2 icon packs and 2 wallpapers for Windows users. VistaVG icon pack and SevenVG icon pack were created to provide Windows Vista and Windows 7 icons in Windows XP respectively.

Download VistaVG Icon Pack for Windows XP

Download SevenVG Icon Pack for Windows XP

And following are download links of 2 exclusive wallpapers which were released by us long time back:

Download Exclusive AskVG.com Wallpaper

Download VistaVG Starts Now Wallpaper

source: Askvg

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Microsoft reveals its online upgrade experience for Windows 8.

Microsoft detailed a number of changes in its Windows 8 setup experience on Monday.

Microsoft’s planning of Windows 8 involved looking closely at the setup experience on its next-generation operating system. “We wanted to hear from customers who chose not to upgrade to Windows 7 even though their PCs would run it,” explained Microsoft’s Christa St. Pierre in a blog post on Monday.

The software giant commissioned a study of how people purchase their PCs to better understand why users chose not to upgrade their operating system and opted for new hardware instead.

Microsoft found that many users wanted to upgrade but that the current experience was difficult.

“Hearing that some customers think it is too difficult really highlights the fact that we have many different customer needs we need to fulfill with setup,” explained St. Pierre.

Microsoft is addressing the setup process with Windows 8 in several ways. The biggest change is the user experience of upgrading Windows, however Microsoft is also shifting towards web delivery methods. Microsoft plans to make Windows 8 installable from a web page. “With our web setup experience, we actually “pre-key” the setup image that is downloaded to a unique user, which means that you don’t have to type in the 25-digit product key when you install,” says St. Pierre.

Microsoft has also combined its Upgrade Advisor, Setup and Windows Easy Transfer applications into one experience for Windows 8.

Windows 8 upgrade report.

The first step in the upgrade experience involves Microsoft scanning a machine to determine what it can and cannot run. “It provides information on the apps and devices that will work in Windows 8, those that won’t work, and any other system information that is useful to know when determining whether or not to purchase and install Windows 8,” says St. Pierre.

The compatibility data then compiles a report to check whether certain applications will work automatically or require an upgrade. The next step involves an integrated download manager that checks which version of Windows 8 is compatible with a system and the required language version.

“Once the download is complete, you are presented a choice to continue the installation, or install on another partition,” explains St. Pierre. Microsoft will allow users to simply save the install as an ISO or create a bootable USB drive for installing the operating system later. The next step will then ask a user whether they want to keep their personal data, Windows settings and apps or just personal files.

Windows 8 upgrades can also opt to wipe everything and upgrade. The new “just personal files” option allows users to clean install Windows 8 but keep their personal data without a separate tool such as the Windows Easy Transfer application.

Overall the upgrade experience is vastly improved from Windows 7 upgrades. Users will only need to navigate through one end-to-end experience in 11 clicks.

Microsoft claims this is an improvement of 82% fewer clicks in Windows 8 and a lot less screens and wizards to work out. “We accomplished all of this with no loss of functionality or customization,” explained St. Pierre. “We simply streamlined the existing experience.”

Windows 8 online download.

Microsoft has also done a lot of work on improving the speed of a Windows 8 upgrade. The underlying Windows 8 upgrade engine has been upgraded to reduce the impact on upgrade times. Microsoft has achieved this by moving entire folders instead of moving things file-by-file. In Windows 7 upgrades, Microsoft preserved files by using the upgrade process to move each file during install and then moving them back.

The upgrade process uses a transport folder during the transition and Microsoft has reduced this to one folder instead of two and used hard link operations to link the actual data on disk in the transport location without having to physically move it. The result is a “significant performance gain” according to Microsoft.

“With Windows 8 setup we have greatly improved both speed and ease of use, while still retaining all of the advanced setup functionality that many customers will demand.” explained St. Pierre. “We hope that you will find these improvements to be a great way to start your experience using Windows 8.”

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