Looking Behind the Curtain to See the Magic Behind the New Windows Live Installer

www.istartedsomething.com - The cookie magic behind Windows Live Suite installer

"...

Unsatisfied with “it just works”, I decided to investigate further. I first analyzed the HTML to see what effect it had on the download link when I selected the different options, but no luck there, it pointed to the same “WLinstaller.exe”. To prove a point, I then downloaded the executable without going through the form to compare it with the other executable I already, it was the same. So if the executable didn’t change, then it can only be the website.

One more look at the HTML and specifically the Javascript reveals the secret, cookies. By clicking “Install”, the Javascript generated a unique cookie for me under the name of “wlxp” that contained sets of globally unique identifiers (GUID) which I now know are the references to the particular applications I selected.

..."

So that's how the main Get Live website (http://get.live.com/WL/all) communicates to the WLInstaller.exe on what options you selected.

Interesting. And looks like something that's easy to extend and is pretty flexible.

The only issue I see is for those who download and install without going through the website (I wonder if they would get some default apps pre-selected and installed? Or just a full list of the available applications to "Select any additional products you would like to install" frame and nothing automatically installed?)

Anyway, after a couple days, I'm still pretty darn happy with the install experience and the new set of Live applications (though I've only really used WLW).

(via shahine.com/omar/ - Windows Live Suite Installer)

 

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