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I'm starting a new laptop and it's asking me if I want to install Windows Live Essentials.
There is reams of text explaining payment/subscription/usage policiesbut nothing to tell me what it actually does.
I want to install as little as necessary -part of the reason for buying a new machine is to work without clutter.
I don't do any Messenger networking.
I don't want to use Bing.
I don't need online storage or galleries.
I always strip my browsers down to 1 or 2 lines so remove all toolbars except Navigation / Address / Google tootbars.
I primarily use Firefox.
However... I DO use Hotmail extensively.
Can I use Hotmail without first installing this 'Windows Live Essentials" Program?
Thank you.
[Moved to: Windows / Windows 7 / Programs]
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Answer accepted by question author
Windows Live Essentials is an optional set of free programs/services provided for free by Microsoft. See:
http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials?os=other
for an explation of what they do.
You could just install Windows Live Mail for Hotmail. If you have Outlook you can bypass this and download the Homail Connector plug-in for Hotmail and collect your mail using Outlook.
That link ONLY leads to Microsoft ADware for Windows X devices.
It does NOT address the question... and Windows Live Essentials was apparently
discontinued in 2012.
You are replying to a six year old thread which is why the link has changed. And support did not end in 2012, it ended on January 10, 2017. But then Windows Essentials still works.
All Windows Essentials 2012 programs reach the end of support on January 10, 2017.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/18614/windows-essentials
That link ONLY leads to Microsoft ADware for Windows X devices.
It does NOT address the question... and Windows Live Essentials was apparently
discontinued in 2012.
Microsoft keep sending messages they will switch to skype (that I had installed already). So why do I still need this archaic software? Appearantly I do, if I want to use add-inns in Microsoft Office 2010...
