What is Windows Live Essentials?

Windows Live Essentials is software application developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is most commonly found on computers running Windows 7 with nearly 59.90% of installations running this operating system. Windows Live Essentials's installer is typically 155.00 MB in size and installs around 257 files. The most common release is 15.4.3555.0308 with 17.31% of all installations currently using this version.

Windows Live Essentials is most popular in the United States with 54.79% of installations residing in this country.

Windows Live Essentials adds 5 scheduled tasks to the Windows Task Scheduler launching the program at randomly scheduled times. When using a computer that is connected to the internet, Windows Live Essentials is known to create 3 firewall exceptions to allow inbound and outbound connectivity.

About Windows Live Essentials?

The Microsoft Windows Live Essentials software suite offers a collection of free applications designed to provide users with integrated and bundled email, instant messaging, photo-sharing, blog publishing, and security services. These programs are carefully designed to seamlessly integrate with each other, as well as with Microsoft Windows and other web-based services such as SkyDrive and Outlook.com. This seamless integration creates a unified user experience across multiple platforms.

Software Behaviors

Services:

wlcrasvc.exe runs as a service named 'wlcrasvc' (wlcrasvc) "Lets you connect over the Internet to this computer and work on it as if you were sitting in front it - you can run the programs on it and browse all the files and folders on it.".

Firewall:

wlcomm.exe is added as a firewall exception for 'C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Contacts\wlcomm.exe'.
WindowsLiveSync.exe is added as a firewall exception for 'C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Sync\WindowsLiveSync.exe'.
wlmail.exe is added as a firewall exception for 'C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Mail\wlmail.exe'.

Scheduled tasks:

wlmail.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{EC6E793B-762A-4AB2-B4C6-6C72CFE31B44}' (runs on registration).
WLSync.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{DDA04842-A6A7-43F3-BBF0-D3C302B312CB}' (runs on registration).
WindowsLiveWriter.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{E21A98AA-7A51-4EE0-9DB5-78A1A3697310}' (runs on registration).
wlcomm.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{AF87002E-9DAE-48A8-837F-15C8847DEE43}' (runs on registration).
wloobe.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{8C7D117A-DB14-453B-931D-21AB37765527}' (runs on registration).

Startup Entries

Startup tasks:

wlmail.exe is automatically launched at startup through a scheduled task named Windows Live.

Registry entries:

wlmail.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'Windows Live Mail' and executes as C:\Program Files\windows live\mail\wlmail.exe.
WLSync.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'WLSync' and executes as "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Mesh\WLSync.exe" /background.
WindowsLiveSync.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'Windows Live Sync' and executes as "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Sync\WindowsLiveSync.exe" /background.

Registry entries (User):

wlmail.exe is loaded once in the current user (HKCU) registry as a startup file name 'Application Restart #2' which loads as C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Mail\wlmail.exe /mailurC:"mailtC:?subject=Invitation%20to%20view%20photographs&body=Gallery%3A%0D%0Ahttp%3A//stevenbarber.zenfolio.com/p1048386488%20%20%0D%0A%0D%0ASlides.

Software Details

URL:

https://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials

Support:

https://support.live.com

Installation path:

C:\Program Files\Windows Live\

Uninstaller:

C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Installer\wlarp.exe

Size:

155.00 MB

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