Windows Live Toolbar
Encyclopedia
Windows Live Toolbar was an browser extension
toolbar
for Internet Explorer
. It superseded MSN Search Toolbar. Windows Live Toolbar provided a simple search interface that starts to list results as the user types in a search query, and uses Bing as its search engine. The toolbar also allows users to synchronize their Internet Explorer
favorites across multiple computers, and provides an interface to Windows Live
and MSN
services.
Microsoft also added additional tools to Windows Live Toolbar by acquiring Onfolio and integrating it into Windows Live Toolbar. Onfolio was an online research tool that could be used to collect data from the web and make anotations such as inking and text highlighting. Onfolio could be used to download online pages for offline viewing, including document files such as Adobe PDF. It could also be used as an RSS reader. Users could share the information and feeds collected by Onfolio via email
and blogs. After Microsoft acquired Onfolio, it integrated the product with Windows Live Toolbar, which was the only way to get Onfolio. As of August 2008 however, Microsoft announced that the Onfolio has been discontinued.
Older versions of Windows Live Toolbar also provided a form filler
and a highlight viewer, but these features have been removed.
Windows Live Toolbar is included with Windows Live Essentials
"Wave 3" release. However, it is no longer a part of the "Wave 4" version of Windows Live Essentials (released on 30 September 2010); it is replaced with Bing Bar. According to Microsoft, Windows Live Toolbar was officially discontinued on March 31, 2011.
For the IE Favorites syncing option previously included initially as favorites.live.com and then in the Windows Live Toolbar, it is now part of the Windows Live Essential suite, in the Windows live Mesh solution.
Browser extension
A browser extension is a computer program that extends the functionality of a web browser in some way. Depending on the browser and the version, the term may be distinct from similar terms such as plug-in or add-on. Mozilla Firefox was designed with the idea of being a small and simple web browser,...
toolbar
Toolbar
In a graphical user interface, on a computer monitor, a toolbar is a GUI widget on which on-screen buttons, icons, menus, or other input or output elements are placed. Toolbars are seen in office suites, graphics editors, and web browsers...
for Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
. It superseded MSN Search Toolbar. Windows Live Toolbar provided a simple search interface that starts to list results as the user types in a search query, and uses Bing as its search engine. The toolbar also allows users to synchronize their Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
favorites across multiple computers, and provides an interface to Windows Live
Windows Live
Windows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
and MSN
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
services.
Microsoft also added additional tools to Windows Live Toolbar by acquiring Onfolio and integrating it into Windows Live Toolbar. Onfolio was an online research tool that could be used to collect data from the web and make anotations such as inking and text highlighting. Onfolio could be used to download online pages for offline viewing, including document files such as Adobe PDF. It could also be used as an RSS reader. Users could share the information and feeds collected by Onfolio via email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and blogs. After Microsoft acquired Onfolio, it integrated the product with Windows Live Toolbar, which was the only way to get Onfolio. As of August 2008 however, Microsoft announced that the Onfolio has been discontinued.
Older versions of Windows Live Toolbar also provided a form filler
Form filler
A form filler is a software program that automatically fills forms in a UI. Form fillers can be part of a larger program, like a password manager or a enterprise single sign-on solution....
and a highlight viewer, but these features have been removed.
Windows Live Toolbar is included with Windows Live Essentials
Windows Live Essentials
Windows Live Essentials is a suite of freeware applications by Microsoft that aims to offer integrated and bundled e-mail, instant messaging, photo-sharing, blog publishing, security services and other Windows Live entities...
"Wave 3" release. However, it is no longer a part of the "Wave 4" version of Windows Live Essentials (released on 30 September 2010); it is replaced with Bing Bar. According to Microsoft, Windows Live Toolbar was officially discontinued on March 31, 2011.
For the IE Favorites syncing option previously included initially as favorites.live.com and then in the Windows Live Toolbar, it is now part of the Windows Live Essential suite, in the Windows live Mesh solution.