Windows Essentials 2012

Corrine · Aug 7, 2012

Microsoft has released Windows Essentials 2012 which includes new versions of Movie Maker and Photo Gallery for Windows 7 and Windows 8. Details about the new features in Movie Maker and Photo Gallery are available in the Windows Experience Blog, Introducing the New Windows Photo Gallery and Movie Maker.

Windows Essentials 2012 includes the new SkyDrive for Windows app as well as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Family Safety, Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Messenger, Outlook Connector Pack and Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker.

Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive

If you install Windows Essentials 2012, it is important to note that if you have Windows Live Mesh installed, it will automatically be removed if you install the new Movie Maker or Photo Gallery. In its place Microsoft SkyDrive will be installed. Microsoft has specified that if the new Movie Maker and/or Photo Gallery in Windows Essentials 2012 are installed, you can not have Windows Live Mesh on the same PC.

In order to sync folders from the cloud to all of your PCs, it will then be necessary to install SkyDrive on all of your PCs or Macs. (Windows Live Mesh continues to be available from the Download Center: Windows Live Essentials.)

Download: Windows Essentials 2012 (Web install)

Masterchiefxx17 · Aug 7, 2012

Downloading right now! Thanks for the infomation Corrine!

Laxer · Aug 8, 2012

Next they just need to include a media player... :rofl12:

Thanks for the info Corrine :grin1:

Masterchiefxx17 · Aug 8, 2012

You do know you can use Windows Media Player right?

Laxer · Aug 8, 2012

Yes, but it is nowhere near as compatible as VLC...

I was saying they need an updated version without awful third-party codecs... :grin1:

Corrine · Aug 8, 2012

The important thing to keep in mind is the one major difference between Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive. With SkyDrive, all files are "in the cloud". Unless you update to Windows Essentials 2012 and install the new Movie Maker and/or Photo Gallery, with Windows Live Mesh, you can also have files in the cloud but you can also avoid the cloud and just sync files across PCs/Mac.

Windows Live Mesh, Help & How to: Access your PC from anywhere with Windows Live Mesh. Also see Windows Essentials: Other Programs.

Sky Drive: SkyDrive for Mesh users and SkyDrive Help & How-to.

Masterchiefxx17 · Aug 8, 2012

Anybody else having problems with Movie Maker? One the installation finished I launched movie maker but it tells me my graphics card is out of date, which its not, and also tells me to upgrade my DirectX to 9.0 or higher. I am running DirectX 10.0.

Any ideas what is wrong with it? I even tried to reinstall it.

Kosh Vorlon · Aug 13, 2012

Notice the absence of the word Live in this release (it's being phased out). Aside from the changes Corrine mentioned above (and though she did note that the two new mentioned product upgrades were for W7 and W8), it should be emphasized that Windows Essentials 2012 is NOT compatible with Vista. If you use Vista, you need to stay with Windows Live Essentials 2011 (at best). For more, see this: http://betanews.com/2012/08/09/micr...randing-vista-support-and-pumps-up-windows-8/.

[[Aside to those who make such decisions: Neither suggesting it here nor that it even be discussed here, but when y'all meet you may want to think about (or keep as an open item to possibly add to a future or far future meeting agenda) at what time things like "Live" in the Forum name should be amended to "Windows Essentials" and so forth (at the risk of confusing users of MSE {as I've seen that almost every day in other forums anyway from people who think it means "the essentials of Microsoft security of all types" rather than as a separate product entirely} and those looking for help with what they still think of as Live products and who will be using pre-2012 versions for years to come). FWIW (which probably isn't much :smile9:), I'd suggest leaving it alone for now and waiting until its "death" becomes more publicly appararent in months or maybe more.]]

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Windows Essentials 2012

Corrine

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

Masterchiefxx17

Sysnative Staff

Laxer

Co-Founder
Senior Administrator

Masterchiefxx17

Sysnative Staff

Laxer

Co-Founder
Senior Administrator

Corrine

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

Masterchiefxx17

Sysnative Staff

Kosh Vorlon

Contributor

Windows Essentials 2012

Administrator, Microsoft MVP, Security Analyst

Sysnative Staff

Co-FounderSenior Administrator

Sysnative Staff

Co-FounderSenior Administrator

Administrator, Microsoft MVP, Security Analyst

Sysnative Staff

Contributor

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

Co-Founder
Senior Administrator

Co-Founder
Senior Administrator

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst