Link your online ID and share files in Homegroup

Microsoft recently enabled the link online id feature which allows you to link your user account with online services such as Windows Live ID. Using this will make it much easier to share files with other similarly registered friends.This may sound something similar to .NET Passport account in Windows XP, but it looks like it is totally different and it is way more useful than just linking your online account.This is indeed an useful addition to lots other Windows 7 features and it makes file sharing easier along with the new homegroup feature.

So if you want to share files with the live id, you will need to download Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 (Beta), and follow this steps:-

• Open Control Panel and go to Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\User Accounts
  
• Click on the Link online IDs link in the left side panel.
  
• Click on Add linked ID which will bring up the Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant.
  
• Here you can enter any microsoft Live ID account such as your hotmail username or your messenger username.
  
• It will take a few moments to generate the certificates and login for your account.
  
• When thats done you'l be taken back to your windows user account page.
  
• Click on the OK button and your done.

The Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 (Beta) installs the Windows Live ID online provider for Windows 7. By making it possible to link a Windows Live ID to a Windows 7 user account, this online provider helps enable Windows 7 applications to deliver great features like sharing documents, pictures, music, and video.

Thats really great...Thanks for this info. But how to start the sharing in the homegroup who has already linked their user accounts with an Online ID Provider ?

To share a file with someone else in the homegroup who has already linked their user accounts with an Online ID Provider:-

• Right click on that file and choose share with specific people
  
• This will open the file sharing wizard where you can select who you want to share the file with.
  
• This will give you a list of everyone whose been setup to share files across the network. You can add who you want and give them appropriate permissions.

This new feature not only allows Windows Live ID, but also several other online ID providers, but for now its only Windows Live ID. Additional online identity providers might be listed when Windows 7 is commercially released.

This makes it easier for people to share files with you, because they can use the online ID they are familiar with instead of adding your Windows user account to their computer. For example, if you have an e‑mail account that your friends and family use to communicate with you, such as taimur@example.com, they can use that online ID to share files with you on a network. You can also use that online ID to access your information on other computers on a network, such as accessing files on a home computer from your work computer.