SkyDrive Getting Started

Getting Started with SkyDrive

Creating a Microsoft Account

Watch the video (3:58). Need help?

To Create a Microsoft Account

1. Go to www.skydrive.com. Locate and select Sign up now.
   
   Clicking Sign Up
2. The sign up form will appear. 
3. Type your first and last name and then select your birth date, and gender. Enter a fake date if you do not wish to give out this information.
   
   Entering your information
4. Next, you will need to choose your Microsoft account username. Your username can be either:
   
   • Your current email address.
   • A newly created Microsoft email address. In our example, we'll choose this option. Click Or get a new email address to continue.
   Creating a Microsoft email address
5. Type your desired username and then select your desired email address, either @hotmail.com or @live.com.
   
   Creating a Hotmail address
6. Type your desired password. Just like with any online service, it's important to choose a strong password—in other words, one that is difficult for someone to guess. When you enter your desired password, a box will appear to the right to tell you if your password is strong enough to be secure. For more information, check outPasswords Tips in our Tech Savvy tutorial.
   
   Choosing a password
7. Reenter your password to continue.
8. Next, you will need to provide a phone number and alternate email address so Microsoft has a way to give you your password if you ever forget it. If you prefer not to give your phone number, you will need to answer asecurity question instead.
   
   Entering an alternate email address and choosing a security question
9. Select your country, then (if applicable), enter your ZIP code.
   Choosing a location
10. Enter the letters in the verification image into the box below. If you can't read the words, click New to get a new image or Audio for an audio verification test.
    Typing the verification text
11. By default, you will receive emails with advertisements and product surveys from Microsoft. If you don't want to receive these emails, uncheck the checkbox.
    
    Opting out of promotional emails
12. Finally, review the Microsoft service agreement and privacy statement, and then click I accept.
    
    
    Accepting the terms and conditions
13. Your Microsoft account is now created. Your SkyDrive will appear.
    
    Microsoft SkyDrive

Accessing Your SkyDrive

• From your Microsoft account, click the drop-down arrow and then select SkyDrive from the drop-down menu.
  
  Accessing SkyDrive
• Navigate directly to skydrive.com.

Installing the Microsoft SkyDrive App

To Install the SkyDrive App:

1. Navigate to the Download SkyDrive page. Locate and select Download SkyDrive for Windows.
   
   Downloading SkyDrive
2. Once the file is downloaded, click Run to open the SkyDrive Installer.
   
   Opening the SkyDrive Installer
3. The SkyDrive Installer will open. Click Get Started to continue.
   Clicking Get Started
4. Enter your Microsoft account name and password, then click Sign in.
   
   Signing in to your Microsoft Account
5. The SkyDrive Folder window will appear, which explains how the SkyDrive folder works with your computer. Click Next to continue.
   
   Clicking Next
6. Click Done to complete the installation. If you want to be able to access files on this computer remotely, leave the checkbox checked.
   
   Clicking Done
7. SkyDrive is now installed on your computer. A SkyDrive folder will be added to your Windows Explorer. We'll talk more about using this folder in our lesson on how to Upload, Sync and Manage Files.
   
   The SkyDrive Folder