In Windows 8, SkyDrive came as a separate desktop program. Windows 8.1, by contrast, builds SkyDrive directly into Windows: You can access your SkyDrive storage space from any desktop folder. However, even though Windows 8.1 makes SkyDrive more convenient, you still need the following things in order to put SkyDrive to work:
Microsoft account: You need a Microsoft account in order to upload or retrieve files to SkyDrive. Chances are, you created a Microsoft account when you first created your account on your Windows PC.
An Internet connection: Without an Internet signal, either wireless or wired, your web-stashed files remain floating in the clouds, away from you and your computer.
Patience: Uploading files always takes longer than downloading files. Although you can upload small files fairly quickly, larger files such as digital photos or movies take much longer to upload.
For some people, SkyDrive offers a safe haven where they’ll always find their most important files. For others, SkyDrive brings another layer of complication, as well as another possible hiding place for that missing file.
Sometimes you may need to access your SkyDrive when your computer is out of reach. To help you, Microsoft offers SkyDrive access from any Internet browser.
When you need your files, drop by any computer, visit the SkyDrive website and sign in with your Microsoft account name and password.
The SkyDrive website offers plenty of control when shuttling files between your computer and the cloud. From the SkyDrive website, you can add, delete, move, and rename files as well as create folders and move files between folders.
If you find yourself using SkyDrive regularly, take note that Microsoft offers free SkyDrive apps for iPhone, Android, and Windows smartphones. In fact, SkyDrive simplifies transferring files between your smartphone and PC.