Installing New Plugins in Windows Live Writer
In this instructional video, let’s take a look at how you can add plugins into your Windows Live Writer software application. The purpose of adding plugins is to help you add more features and functions to your Windows Live Writer software. You can use plugins to add features and functions to enable the use of images, videos, or other media. You can add these plugins simply by opening up your Windows Live Writer software and finding the appropriate plugin link. Make sure Windows Live Writer is already installed on your computer and that you have the latest version of Windows Live Writer.
Update to the latest version of the Windows Live Writer software
If you have not installed Windows Live Writer software previously, or if you need the latest version of Windows Live Writer, you can download the program now.
- Go to Google.com
- Type in “Windows Live Writer” into the search box
- Access the download link
- Select the additional software downloads, or uncheck unwanted items
- Download Windows Live Writer
- Launch the .exe file
- Install the software
- Open Windows Live Writer
You can find the Windows Live Writer program by going to Google.com and typing in “Windows Live Writer” into the search box. You may also want to double check your PC to make sure you haven’t already downloaded the software. Often times, if you have downloaded MSN Messenger, you will also have downloaded Windows Live Writer since they are bundled together.
Once you perform the Google search, the first link will most likely be the Windows Live Writer download link. Go ahead and click the link to access the Windows Live Writer webpage. Once you are on the homepage, feel free to browse through the menu items to learn more about the Windows Live Writer product. Most importantly, after you are through browsing the information, you will want to download the product.
You will be prompted with the option of downloading additional programs along with the Windows Live Writer software. Feel free to browse the optional programs and download accordingly. Remember that MSN Messenger and Windows Live Writer are always bundled together, so you cannot elect to separate the two. You must download both programs.
Go ahead and click the download button to begin downloading the product to your computer. Next, install the software. Now you will have the latest version of Windows Live Writer installed on your computer. Let’s get started with adding plugins to maximize your user experience.
Find plugins to install on Windows Live Writer software
- Launch Windows Live Writer
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen
- Click on Add a Plugin
- Access the Windows Live Writer website automatically
- View the available plugins
- Sort plugins according to rating
- Select the plugin you want
- Download the plugin
- Launch the download
- Select location of download
- Install the plugin software
Go ahead and launch the Windows Live Writer software. Next, scroll to the bottom of the screen. Here, you will see all the plugins that you have already have installed, if any. If you want to install a new plugin, just click on Add a Plugin. This will open the Windows Live Writer website via Live.com. Here, you can see all the available plugins that you can install into your Windows Live Writer software. Since all these plugins have ratings submitted by users, you will be able to see which plugins are more popular or more functional, versus the poorer plugins that do not perform as well. Go ahead and sort the plugins according to rating. This way, you will have access to the best performing plugin software which assures your user experience will be highly productive.
Once you have sorted according to rating, you can begin selecting the plugin that words best for you. For instance, one of the most popular plugins is called Flickr4Writer. This plugin connects to your Windows Live Writer and synchronizes with your Flickr account. It will allow you to insert or embed media directly into your Windows Live Writer. In this example, just click on Download. You will be prompted with a warning message that informs you the software has been developed by third-party developers. Next, click on Install to download the file.
Once the download is completed, go ahead and launch the plugin file. You will get a security warning message depending on the Windows platform you are using. Often times, you may be prompted with more than one pop-up screen. If so, just click through them. Of course, feel free to read the information that is presented to you before moving on. After you have read through the general security warnings, you may go ahead and click on Run to begin the installation.
After you are prompted with the setup screen, click on Next. Some of the plugins have Terms and Conditions as a part of their use agreement. Read through the terms and conditions, and be sure you agree to them. If so, go ahead and click on I Agree. Then, click on Next.
Now, you will prompted to determine the exact location of where you want to install the Windows Live Writer plugin. By default, it will install the plugin into your Windows Live Writer folder, under a subfolder called Plugins. If you agree to this location, go ahead and click on Next. Of course, you may customize the location if you require it.
Once you have selected your location and have successfully completed the download, your installation is now complete. Go ahead and close out the window.
Verify the functionality of your Windows Live Writer plugin
- Open Windows Live Writer
- Find plugin
- Click link to access plugin
- Adjust configurations, if necessary
- Launch the plugin
- Verify functionality
Let’s verify the plugin installation has successfully been downloaded. You can now open your Windows Live Writer application. The plugin should appear right away within the body of the interface. Click on the appropriate link to access the plugin. Here, you can adjust certain configurations of the plugin, which allows for more customization. In the example above, if you downloaded the Flickr4Writer plugin, you can now access the plugin to enter your username and password. Depending on the actual plugin you have installed, there will be a variety of available customized options.
Once you have verified the settings and functionality of your plugin in, then you have successfully installed the application into your Windows Live Writer program. Continue to add Windows Live Writer plugins according to your needs just by following the easy steps above.
