Freeware Integrates Windows Live SkyDrive with Windows Explorer
With all of my looks at web-based storage, I overlook Microsoft’s SkyDrive every now and again. It’s definitely worth the look due to the generous 25 GB of free storage. While you can download an ActiveX control to integrate your SkyDrive into Windows Explorer, but there’s another option pointed out by gHacks: SkyDrive Explorer, which just got an updated beta version yesterday.
The free download of SkyDrive Explorer adds some features that the ActiveX control currently doesn’t offer when using SkyDrive in a browser, namely: renaming objects, deleting groups of object and copying folders with subfolders and files from SkyDrive. And it makes it easier to take basic file or folder actions on your SkyDrive:
- View the structure and contents of folders in SkyDrive
- View files information (type, size, creation date in GMT format)
- Create new root folders and subfolders
- Copy files into storage
- Delete files and folders
- Copy files from storage to the computer
- Copy folders and subfolders from the storage to the computer keeping their structure
- Use Drag & Drop for files operations
- Rename files and folders
- Create links to SkyDrive folders on your computer
While I tend to work in a browser, there are plenty of folks that want to access files with in Windows Explorer. If you’re one of them, SkyDrive Explorer is worth the look. My installation in Windows 7 went without a hitch and the program integrated my SkyDrive in Windows Explorer as if it were a local system folder. Clicking the “local” SkyDrive does prompt you for your Windows Live credentials, but you can allow the app to remember them for quicker access. Now if I could only get my SkyDrive mounted as a drive so I could easily integrate cloud tunes with a local music player, I’d be really happy. Aside from Windows 7, SkyDrive Explorer works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003 / 2008.
How strange. I was just looking into this on the weekend hoping that I could use it to backup my WHS to SkyDrive. Unfortunately I gave up on it (mostly due to a lack of patience) but it is a strange coincidence.
You’re not spying on my are you Kevin?
Nope. But that is a nice new shirt you’re wearing today.
Gladinet is another tool that can map SkyDrive as a network drive, in addition to map Google Docs, Google Picasa, Box.net and others.
It may be possible to use Gladinet for the cloud tunes since it has a drive letter so it will show up in media player.
http://www.gladinet.com
Am I the only one concerned about using my hotmail login credentials? I appreciate that they Gladinet indicate the credentials are maintained on my computer and not shared with them, but I’m still concerned.
@Bacco: that’s exactly what’s been holding me back. Utilities like these would make for perfect trojan horses! But we’re probably just too careful…
@Bacco,@jan van mourik: Softpedia(http://www.softpedia.com/progClean/SkyDrive-Explorer-Clean-142743.html) assures that there are no trojans etc for this tool… Sounds reliable to me. Will give it a try tonight..
Jan Van Mourik, thanks very much. I think I’ll give it a try too now
I actually installed this and it can be a coincidence but I think it may actually be an ingenious phising scam. It is ALL over on popular news sites to download it but shortly after I did (and used my junk hotmail, not my live mail) I logged into my hotmail, and saw a ton of nondeliverables and emails from friends saying they got spam from me (and it was my hotmail which i never use to send email anymore) and it was sent shortly after I installed this program. Its ingenious because the program DOES work, but I do think it is sending your hotmail login info to the creator. Until someone tells me otherwise, be VERY careful of this.
Rob, I installed it as well and haven’t had any issues with spam at all. I actually did something similar to what you did…I used a dormant email account and after 2 days not a single email was sent or rec’d in the account.
I will post if there is strange activity.
Bacco, thanks for the heads up. I don’t know if it was the offending program so hopefully it wasnt this because I do like that it works and hope it is not the reason why.
I cast another vouch for gladinet here. It’s pretty simple and gets timely updates.