Microsoft SkyDrive, previously known
as Windows Live SkyDrive and then as Windows Live Folders, is a
cloud-based file hosting service. You get 7 GB of storage with your
Microsoft account and can purchase additional storage as needed. You
can upload files of up to 300 MB to SkyDrive.
SkyDrive files can be made available to any
device that is logged in to your Microsoft account, including
notebooks, tablets, phones, and Macs.
SkyDrive is accessible in three different locations:
• The tile-based SkyDrive app
• Internet Explorer
• SkyDrive.live.com
Since SkyDrive is based on HTML5 technology,
you can drag-and-drop files and folders to and from your browser, as
well as access SkyDrive from Internet Explorer. The tile-based SkyDrive
app is part of the Windows 8 standard installation. The Desktop
SkyDrive app is part of the Windows Essentials package; the tile that
the Windows Essentials installer creates is a shortcut to the SkyDrive
folder in Windows Explorer.
When you add a file to SkyDrive, the file
type is retained and the appropriate icon is displayed. SkyDrive has
application viewers that let you open and use documents right in the
drive. You can search within SkyDrive, but the search works only for
Microsoft Office formats.
There’s also some additional functionality in SkyDrive that might not be clear to you at first glance. SkyDrive can:
• Save documents from Hotmail/Outlook and share them with other connected devices.
• Allow you to edit Microsoft Office documents in a browser (using Office Web Apps).
• Integrate with save and share features, as exemplified by the integration with Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.
• Enable you to share files from social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Run a photo slideshow.
• Store folders as a ZIP file (compressed archive).
The limit for a ZIP file is 4 GB or 65,000 files.
From a Windows 8 perspective, the most
important thing SkyDrive does is serve as the mechanism by which
settings and files are stored and synchronized.
Almost anything you can do in Windows Explorer, you can do in SkyDrive.
SkyDrive is built into Windows Explorer, and
you don’t have to do anything special to work with it there. It is
fully drag-and-drop enabled.
When you open SkyDrive in Windows Explorer
for the first time, a wizard appears that asks if you want to change
the default location of your local SkyDrive folder (C:\Users\<username>\SkyDrive).
You will also see an option that allows you to share files in that
folder with other connected devices. Content in that folder is
synchronized with your cloud storage.
1. To add a file to the tile-based SkyDrive app
1. Tap or click the SkyDrive tile. SkyDrive opens.
The SkyDrive tile
2. Swipe from the bottom or right-click SkyDrive to view the Apps bar .
SkyDrive with the Apps bar showing. The Add button is the center button in the bar.
3. Click the Add button to open the SkyDrive tile-based picker.
4. Select the file you wish to add .
SkyDrive’s file picker allows you to navigate the file system and select files to add.
5. Tap or click the drop-down menu to move to another folder within SkyDrive.
Use the drop-down menu to move between SkyDrive’s built-in folders.
