How To Use The Windows Live Photos Upload Tool

Today, for a change, I decided to use the Windows Live Photos upload tool instead of Windows Live Photo Gallery desktop software to add photos into my Windows Live online gallery. If you’ve never added photos this way, you may want to give it a shot, because there are a few advantages to going this route instead of using the desktop software.

When you click the “Add Photos” link for the first time, you should see a message prompting you to “install the upload tool” for faster and easier uploads. You’ll definitely want to do this as it sure beats having to browse for each photo individually. To install the tool, just click the link highlighted in yellow.

In the pop-up that appears, you can either click “Run” or you can click “Save” to download the installer to your PC instead: 

The upload tool will then begin to install. Vista users will need to authorize the tool to run by accepting the UAC prompt that appears. After installation, you’ll see the Windows Live Photos “Add Photos” page now looks different. Where before there were boxes that let you browse for files, there’s now a big white space that says “Drop Files Here.”

Now, to add files, you just drag and drop them from the folder on your PC right to the empty box on the web page.

(If you change your mind, and decide you would rather browse for files instead, you can still do so using the link below the box.)

Once you’re done adding files, just click the “Upload” button.

Notice, though, that there’s a drop-down box that allows you to pick the photo upload size in the top-right corner of the Upload Tool. If you would prefer your photos be uploaded in their original sizes, you’ll want to use this tool instead of Live Photo Gallery, which does not let you choose the size. From the drop-down box, you can select Large, Medium, or Original, depending on your preference.

That’s it! After the upload completes, your photos will be available on Windows Live Photos.