How do I choose the SkyDrive folders to sync with the desktop app?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Ludwig

The SkyDrive desktop app by default syncs, that is, copies to the computer, all folders in SkyDrive. If you do not wish to replicate all folders, you can choose which to sync. Here is how:

Right-click the SkyDrive icon in the notification area.
Click Settings in the small menu.
Click the Choose Folders tab
Click the Choose Folders button.

The SkyDrive folders will now be displayed with checkboxes in front. Uncheck the folders that you do not want replicated on your computer in the SkyDrive folder.

The first time you do this you will see a notice as shown here. It says:

If you stop syncing files or folders, they’ll stay on SkyDrive but won’t be on this PC. If they’re already on this PC, they’ll be deleted.

You can select root folder or sub-folders as you like.

Make the selections. Checked folders will be synced.
Click OK and click OK in the prior dialog.

The changes will be made momentarily.

Here are some screen shots showing the SkyDrive folder before some folders were removed from syncing and after, as well as the – unaffected – online SkyDrive.

.:.

Technorati Tags: SkyDrive,selective sync,choose folders,SkyDrive in Windows Explorer,SkyDrive in File Explorer

What is that “Links” item on the Windows 8 taskbar?

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Ludwig

The taskbar in Windows 8, and earlier versions of Windows, provides a very convenient place to manage your tasks, keep track of them and launch applications.

You can pin shortcut icons for applications, even documents and folder to the taskbar. In addition there are a number of toolbars than can be placed on the taskbar to make this even more powerful.

The “Links” toolbar is one of these. It provides a quick way to launch Internet Explorer and go to a favorite site.

First you have to have some websites marked as “favorites” so you can get back to them quickly. When you are viewing a site and wish to mark it for future visits, click the star near the top right the browser window. Click the down-arrow by the “Add to favorites” command, then click Add to Favorites bar. See the red arrows in the illustration. There are some other ways to accomplish this task, you may prefer another.

The “Favorites bar” will get turned on. This lets you get to your most often needed sites with just a click.

Before long you will have more favorites sites than fit on the bar and you need to click on the double-chevron at the end of the bar to see the rest. You might also prefer to not have this bar take up real estate in the browser window. You can turn it off by right-clicking in the top area and unchecking the tool bars. Those that are checked will be displayed.

So what good is a “Favorites bar” if it is turned off? You still have quick access to your favorites with the “Links” bar on the task bar. If you don’t see it there, right-click on an empty spot on the taskbar. In the pop-up, click on Toolbars. Then click Links so the checkmark shows.

You will now have the Links toolbar. Move the pointer to the area where the double-chevron shows and click, the menu that pops up shows all your sites on the Internet Explorer Favorites bar.

You can edit the names, you can rearrange the order by just dragging the listings up or down. You can, of course, also change the size of the taskbar and the toolbars that are on it. With the taskbar not locked, you can drag the taskbar top edge to change the height, you can drag the dimples at the end of the toolbars to resize them. Here is a view of part of my taskbar so rearranged.

Some things that are possible, are not necessarily good ideas. Having the Links toolbar, however, is very useful.

.:.

Technorati Tags: Windows 8,taskbar,toolbar,Links toolbar,Internet Explorer,Favorites bar

How do I lock the screen for Windows 8 in a virtual machine?

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Ludwig

Aha, you noticed that when running Windows 8 in a virtual machine the lock-screen shortcut, logokey+L, locks the host system as well as the guest system. This is true for VMware Player and Oracle Virtualbox.

This shortcut is intercepted by both the host and the guest and you have to sign in to both to get back. It is a very convenient and quick way to blank the screen when you need to leave the computer.

To lock just the virtual machine here is the long way: Press the logokey, then click on your name in the upper right and click Lock.

If you are mostly working in the desktop you can also place a shortcut on the desktop to allow locking with just a double-click on an icon.

Here is the procedure for setting up a desktop lock shortcut

Right-click on a free space on the desktop.
Click New and in the secondary menu, click Shortcut.
In the Create a Shortcut dialog, enter this text: shutdown /l – the word “shutdown” followed by a space then a slash and a lower-case L. Don’t worry, this command will not shut down the system just lock the screen.
Click Next.
Replace the default shortcut name “shutdown” with lock or lock screen for the name of the shortcut.
Click Finish.

You now have an shortcut on the desktop that looks about as shown here. For a better looking icon, right-click the shortcut, click Properties, then click Change icon. Click OK in the complaint dialog.

An icon selection dialog opens. Click the one you like. I like the padlock symbol.

Click OK to close the Change Icon dialog.

Click on Normal window in the Run box and click on Minimized. This will prevent the command box from flashing on the screen when the icon is double-clicked.

Click OK to close the Properties dialog.

You now have a nice looking “lock screen” icon.

To lock the screen, just double-click this shortcut. Only the guest system will be locked down, your host system will not have to be unlocked.

.:.

Technorati Tags: Windows 8,virtual machine,VMware Player,Virtualbox,lock screen,lock screen shortcut

How do I install SkyDrive in Windows Explorer?

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Ludwig

Microsoft released a preview version of the app “SkyDrive for Windows” that adds SkyDrive to Windows Explorer and allows accessing SkyDrive as if it were just another folder on the computer.

It is just a simple download and a quick install. This works for Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Here is the download site:

Download SkyDrive for Windows

Click the above link, you will next see the download banner. Click Run. Sign in to your Microsoft Account and follow the dialogs.

In about a minute there will be a SkyDrive listing in Windows Explorer, in the Favorites section as shown in the illustration above.

Presently that entry cannot be expanded like other folders, however it works the same in the main pane.

It takes a bit to synchronize Windows Explorer with your SkyDrive – there is still the Internet download and upload delay – but shortly SkyDrive will work like any other folder.

And, yes, you can now drag and drop folders, including contents and sub-folders, right into SkyDrive.