Windows Live SkyDrive (initially Windows Live Folders) is part of Microsoft’s Windows Live range of online services. SkyDrive is a file storage and sharing service that allows users to upload files to the computing cloud, then access them from a web browser. It uses Windows Live ID to control access to the user’s files, allowing them to keep the files private, share with contacts, or make the files public. Publicly-shared files do not require a Windows Live ID to access.
The service currently offers 25 GB of free personal storage, with individual files limited to 50 MB. A Silverlight-based tool can be installed to allow drag-and-drop uploading from Windows Explorer. Up to five files can be uploaded each time if the tool has not been installed.
Think of SkyDrive as your online filing cabinet. SkyDrive is a free Windows Live service that provides 25 GB of password-protected online file storage making it possible to store, access, and share files online with friends or co-workers, from nearly anywhere.
Keep everyone in the loop. When working on group projects, SkyDrive is a great tool to share the materials you’re working on — whether you share an office, are down the hall, or live in another time zone. Upload files and grant permission to view or edit them to members of your team or include your teacher or manager in a project by sending a link to your files. SkyDrive makes it easy for them to provide feedback and stay appraised of your team’s progress. After editing or reviewing files, team members can upload changes and leave comments from anywhere they have web access.
Got a new computer? Use SkyDrive to transfer files from your old computer to your new one. Simply upload files from your old computer to SkyDrive, and then back to your new computer. If you find yourself at a coffee shop or on your mobile phone and don’t have your computer with you, you can sign in to Windows Live from another computer and get the stuff you need.
Simplified file uploading. With SkyDrive, uploading files is as easy as dragging files on your desktop. Select the files you want to upload, drop them on the SkyDrive upload page, and then click Upload. That’s it. If you’re sharing files with your friends, coworkers, or family, you can make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for by simply e-mailing a link. With SkyDrive, you control who can access your files and what they can do with them
Using Skydrive
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Upload your docs. Go to Office.live.com and upload a doc (or lots of docs). If you have Silverlight (install it here), you’ll get an extra bonus: the ability to upload many more files at once, simply by dragging and dropping them all in your favorite browser. Don’t have a doc to upload? No problem, you can create Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote docs right in the browser.
Drag files from your desktop directly into the browser
- Edit a doc right in your browser. On Office.live.com, you’ll notice that all the files you’ve recently viewed or edited—or your friends have shared with you—show up right in the “Recent documents” section so they’re easy to find.
The Office page on SkyDrive
Click Edit in browser, and start working away in the Web Apps without having to install any special software. If you need a feature (like 3D charts, for example) from Office on your PC, it’s really easy to open your document on your PC with little interruption.
Editing a Word doc in my browser - Work together in real time. Sometimes two brains (or ten brains) are better than one. Like when you’re updating a party invitation list in Excel, or planning a group trip using OneNote. With co-authoring in Excel and OneNote Web Apps, you can work with your friends at the same time and never be locked out of a document when someone else is working on it.
- Read your docs on your smartphone. Browse to Office.live.com on your phone and you’ll be able to view Word and PowerPoint documents without any extra software (on most smartphones).
Viewing a PowerPoint slide on my mobile phone
