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For a few days now, Microsoft has release their latest Windows Live Betas, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger 8.5 and Windows Live Writer. If you follow the latest IT news you will most probably have read about it already. With this article, would like to introduce the new releases and features plus one or two tips to fix some of the installation bugs i did encounter.

I’m running the trio of Live Writer, Live Mail and Live Messenger for a couple of days now and I enjoy it! Just to get them starting the first time, took me some time which I will explain further in this article too.

Windows Live Mail Beta - A faster, easier, and safer way to manage your e-mail accounts
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Ever use Outlook Express? Windows Live Mail Beta offers similar features, plus some great new ones—like free access to Windows Live Hotmail and integration with other Windows Live services.

Fast:
* Access multiple e-mail accounts in one place
* Drag, drop, and organize with one click
* Compose and manage e-mail even while you’re offline—when you next connect to the Internet, Windows * * Live Mail will automatically send and receive messages for youEasy:
* Integrated Windows Live services let you launch Messenger right from Mail, and go to Windows Live Spaces with a single click
* Photo E-mail lets you create and send slide shows to friends and family
* All-new, cleaner, easier-to-use interface supports Aero on Vista
* RSS feeds and newsgroup messages are displayed next to your e-mail, and you can search them from within Windows Live Mail

Safer than ever:
* Get powerful virus scanning on all of your Hotmail messages
* Enjoy increased protection from phishing scams, across all your e-mail accounts
* Block suspicious messages—and senders, too
* Destroy junk e-mail with a single click
* Color-coded messages help you quickly identify suspicious and safe e-mail

You can use Windows Live Mail Beta with non-Microsoft e-mail accounts, like Yahoo! Mail or Google Gmail!
Windows Live Mail Beta is designed to work with most popular e-mail services. All that’s required is for the e-mail provider to support POP or IMAP access.

Official Download: Windows Live Mail

Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta - Connect and share instantly on the world’s most popular IM network
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Windows Live Messenger has a slick new look. But it’s still got all the features you know and love.

Call your friends’ mobile or landline phones:
* It’s affordable, both within the US and internationally. And calling someone’s PC is always free.See them on the screen:
*Show and tell: Grab a webcam and start a video conversation within minutes.

Share stuff:
* Set up a Sharing Folder with a friend. Drop in photos and other stuff, as many as your computer can handle.
* See your Sharing Folder even when one of you is offline.

Official Download: Windows Live Messenger 8.5

Windows Live Writer Beta - Publish rich content to your blog
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Windows Live Writer is a desktop application that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog.

Compatible with your blog service:
* Writer can to publish to Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, Moveable Type, Community Server, and many other weblog services.WYSIWYG editing:
* Writer knows your blog’s visual theme. So you can see exactly what your posts will look like as you write them, before you publish. No more wasting time previewing your posts online.

Rich media publishing:
* Writer makes publishing rich media as easy as sending e-mail. Insert and customize photos, maps, tags, and lots of other cool content—then click the “Publish” button. It’s that easy.

Powerful editing features:
* Creating compelling blog posts is much easier with the ability to insert and edit tables, check spelling as you type, and format and hyperlink content at your fingertips.

Offline editing:
*Now you can blog anytime, from anywhere. Writer synchronizes drafts on your blog with changes you make when you’re offline, so you don’t have to worry about reconciling different versions.

Official Download: Windows Live Writer

Other Windows Live Products and Languages:
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More Betas at: Windows Live Betas More Languages: Keznews

Screenshots: Messenger 8.5 Beta 1 Gallery or Writer Beta Gallery

Free add-ins and extensions: Windows Live Gallery Beta

Installation of Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Writer and Windows Live Messenger
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The installation is easy, just download the Windows Live you wish and double click on the file,…. Yet for me and many others it was not so easy.

I was using Windows Live Mail Desktop (how the version before Windows Live Mail was called) for long time with no issues; however I was never able to start Messenger 8.1!

>>> If you are an Acer Desktop or Laptop user, you have to download the Acer eDataSecurity Management Patch to be able to start MSN Live Messenger v8.1 or higher under Vista. See: MSN Live Messenger v8.1 has a problem starting in Windows Vista

>>> If you install any combination of the Messenger 8.5, Mail, or Writer betas on one computer, each beta must be the same language version. If you try to install one of these betas in a different language, the installation will fail.

>>> If you installed the Spanish version from a couple days ago you need to uninstall it from ‘Add and Remove Programs’ in the Control Panel and delete the following directories:

>>> If you are still not able to install, you can try to delete those folders:

and reboot.

>>> If you are not able to start Windows Live Mail, check in “services” if the Telephony service is running. Telephony service must be set manual or autostart. If the service is disabled you will not be able to “sign in”.

I will post more installation tips, should I find any.

A-Patch 1.40 RC1 for Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta - Tweak your Messenger and remove the ads
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With a new (beta) version of Windows Live Messenger (8.5) comes a new and improved A-Patch. A-Patch makes patching Messenger easier than ever before. Not only are there tonnes of options to choose from, but now there’s a Preview which lets you see the changes as you select them!

Download: A-Patch 1.40 RC1 for Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta

Homepage: http://www.apatch.org

Enjoy it and leave your feedback here