Manage multiple email accounts, calendars, and your contacts, even when you're offline.Ĭreate stunning blog posts in minutes, with photos, videos, maps, and more. Get them all at once, or choose just the ones you want. Windows Essentials is a suite of products available in one easy download. Microsoft reportedly released a patch in December 2015 for Windows Live Mail 2012, but that reportedly caused problems.Īccording to Microsoft, customers can still use Windows Live Mail when support ends, but many email providers have moved on to newer, more secure protocols that the client does not support.So much for free in one simple download, including Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, and Messenger. A new version of a suite has not appeared since 2012 and the company has not provided a stable update to the current suite since 2014. On a whole, Microsoft has focused on its Windows Store and offering first-party apps through that interface rather than distributing a bundle of free software. Additionally, Blogger changed its authentication API, breaking Windows Live Writer’s ability to access Google’s blog site. This change broke the Facebook aspect of several Microsoft programs, which the company never did fix. The downhill slope of many Windows Essentials programs seemingly accelerated with the change of Facebook’s Graph application program interface that connected Microsoft accounts to Facebook. The separate Family Safety program was integrated into Windows itself, allowing customers to set up restricted accounts for kids and manage them remotely through Microsoft’s website. The Windows Live Essentials suite originally included Windows Live Messenger, which Microsoft eventually scrapped after its acquisition of Skype.

The company does not exactly say when, but merely states “soon.” However, the company states the program will eventually be served up as an app for Widows 10 in the Windows Store. Customers still wanting to stay attached to Microsoft’s blog writer can use Open Live Writer, which is based on Microsoft’s tool and is free to download and use.Īs for Movie Maker, there does not seem to be an official replacement in Windows 10 just yet. The latest operating system already provides built-in apps for photos, mail, and OneDrive. The Windows Essentials suite is essentially no longer needed given Microsoft’s focus on Windows 10.

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