Sharing Files Using Shared Folders

With Sharing Folders (New!), you can share the same files with more than one contact and update the content automatically. To share or transfer files, you and your contact must have Windows XP or Windows Vista and Windows Live Messenger 8 or later. You also need to set sharing options in Windows Liver Messenger. After you’re set up, you can simply drag files to share them. When you are online with a contact, the files you share are automatically synchronized. When you no longer want to share files with a contact using Sharing Folders, you can remove the contact’s shared folder, which doesn’t delete them from contacts. To keep your computer safe, you can set options to reject potentially unsafe files and install the free Windows Live OnCare safety scanner to check for viruses, and other disk management operations.

Set Sharing Folders Options

Select Tools, and then click Options

In the left pane, click Sharing Folders.

Select the Use a sharing folder when I drag a file onto a contact’s name in my contact list check box.

Select the When I drag a file onto a contact’s name, automatically create a sharing folder if that contact doesn’t already have one check box.

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In the left pane, click File Transfer.

To reject potentially unsafe file types, select the Automatically reject file transfers for known unsafe file types check box.

When you try to share a potentially unsafe file an exclamation point appears over the icon for the file, and a Tooltip describes the security reason for blocking the file.

To scan received files, select the Scan files for viruses using check box, and click Browse or click Install to use the free virus scanner for Messenger.

Click OK.

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Share Files Using a Shared Folder

• To share files, drag them from your file folder onto the contact in the main Messenger window or drag them onto the message area in the Conversation window.

• To add files, pause sharing, or view the Activity log, click the Sharing Folders button in the main Messenger window.

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  Important:

  If a contact deletes a shared file, the local file on your hard drive is permanently deleted. However, if you delete a shared file, you can recover it from the recycle bin.

  
  

Stop Sharing Files

Select Tools, and then click Options.

In the left pane, click Sharing Folders.

Select the contact you want to remove.

Click Remove.

Click OK.

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