Windows Live ID now uses Windows CardSpace

[Electric Jolt]

Today I was looking through the help documentation on Windows Live Account because I wanted to secure my Windows Live ID more than just a password. I saw somewhere in the documentation a few months ago about using a special pin for extra security and I couldn't find it but what I did find was something called an information card.

I don't know if this has been mentioned but I did search the forums to make sure and I didn't see anything. Windows Live ID can now use Windows CardSpace, just go the link below and enter your password and then just choose a secure card to use with the Windows Live ID currently signed in. You will then be able to sign in using your password or information card, its a drop-down menu on the Windows Live ID login screen.

I do not know if this is like this on all logins now, but now I see everywhere on the Windows Live ID login screen about using an information card or password. I recommend to everyone to now start using these information cards because I have tested it, and I find it a lot more easier to use. I just made new passwords for all my accounts and realized I don't even have to remember the password now that I have switched to using an information card for all logins.

Picture of Windows Live ID using Windows CardSpace.

Link to "Manage your Information Card (Beta)"

[theyarecomingforyou]

Welcome to 2007.

[The_Observer]

Interesting, thanks for the info.

[Steeley]

Yeah, that's news to me! Thanks

[+BeLGaRaTh Subscriber¹]

How exactly does this work? I cannot test it at the moment as I my IE is acting up :(

Do you just use an image file instead of a password, then upload the image file each time I want to login? or something similar. I'm just intrigued. I did try clicking on the "Learn more about Information Cards." link underneath the login area, but that just links me to a Windows Live Help page which has a constant "loading" message in the top left hand side.

[Electric Jolt]

How exactly does this work? I cannot test it at the moment as I my IE is acting up :(

Do you just use an image file instead of a password, then upload the image file each time I want to login? or something similar. I'm just intrigued. I did try clicking on the "Learn more about Information Cards." link underneath the login area, but that just links me to a Windows Live Help page which has a constant "loading" message in the top left hand side.

The link I linked to is where you set it up, you just follow the prompts until it asks for your password and then continue on until your computer enters the secure desktop just like it would if UAC popped up except Windows CardSpace loads, you choose a card to send to login.live.com, and then it returns you to the page, it says it did it successfully and now whenever you login using that computer, just make sure its using information card on the drop-down menu instead of password. Click your name on the login screen as you would usually do, but this time instead of entering your password, it will enter secure desktop and Windows CardSpace loads, and you choose the card you used to setup this account previously, just send it, and boom, your signed in.

This is best used on a standard computer that can run Windows Vista because sometimes when I'm using a slow computer and UAC is on, sometimes it takes time for the secure desktop to load, now if it is capable of running Windows Vista fine, then the secure desktop loads in a second. You can run this on Windows XP too, you just need net framework and a version of IE that can do cardspace and stuff, if you update your computer all the time, then in control panel you can manage your cards in Windows CardSpace just like you can with an RTM version of Windows Vista.

I hope this helps! :)

Note: To use an Information Card, you must have Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 installed on your computer. If you don't have the correct version installed, you'll be prompted to download and install them before you can associate an Information Card with your Windows Live ID.

[Electric Jolt]

Welcome to 2007.

Like I said, I did not find anything on this on Neowin. I'm not a good googler either so I didn't find anything on Google either.