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Summary: MSN Messenger allows you to save your conversations. But what if you don't have that turned on? Is there a way to recover the conversation anyway? No. Can I retrieve old MSN Messenger conversations? Instant messaging is very popular - it's immediate and it's easy. But it does have its drawbacks. Most people treat it like quick, throw-away conversations unlike email where we (hopefully) put a little more time and thought into what we write. But what if you didn't mean to "throw away" that conversation and find yourself wishing you could recall or retrieve what was said? In email you might have your sent mail folder but what about instant messaging? If you use MSN messenger and have the right setting you might just be in luck. • MSN Messenger has the ability to keep an indefinite log of all conversations. In MSN Messenger select the Tools menu, Options... menu item, and then the Messages tab. At the bottom of the dialog is an item labeled: Message History. Select it and your conversations will be recorded in the directory listed in the box bellow. (Of course you can set that to be whatever you like but the default directory is probably fine for most.) When conversations are saved in the listed directory you'll find several files, typically one per person that you've had a conversation with. The files will all end with ".XML". Not to worry, Internet Explorer can open these files and will display them properly. If IE fails to open the file and spawns notepad instead you can still force it. Right click on the file in Windows Explorer, select Open With..., and then select Internet Explorer. If you're looking for past conversation archives and they're not present on your own machine then try having the person you were conversing with look. It's quite possible that they have an archive. Related Links:
Article 162 | Posted March 11, 2004 |
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i need to recover a conversation on msn live messenger but the message history was not saved. is there a way to pull this off the hard drive or any other way to recover it. i need it asap.
Posted by: ljones at April 16, 2008 4:37 PMhi, i need to know if the msn chat will get recorded in our home Belkin N1 wireless modem - router. if it does how do i clear it..
Posted by: anjalig at May 31, 2008 11:08 AMMy computer upgraded Windows Messenger last night. Now I no longer have my custom emoticons and most important, my message histories have all disappeared. I have checked under the tools menu and there is no option to even refer to message history. They have also changed the program to where you have to save each conversation each time. Have I understood this correctly? Where would my old conversations be stored (I did have the save conversations selected previously)
Posted by: Sibella at May 31, 2008 11:28 AMhi
Posted by: chris wallace at June 2, 2008 3:49 AMis it possible to retrieve an old profile that i have looked at on the internet but which has since been deleted online
I CLICKED TOOLS INTERNET OPTION BUT THE ARCHIVE MESSENGER DID NOT APPEAR
Posted by: JUDITH at June 18, 2008 10:40 PMWhen I log on, it allows me to choose "Tools" then, "Options" but there is no "Messages" tab???
Posted by: Candice Freeman at July 10, 2008 2:57 PMHow then can emails be retrieved by computer forensics for court cases
Posted by: Lisa at July 16, 2008 8:43 AMhow do i set up conversation
Posted by: monalisa at August 1, 2008 11:26 PMHi There Leo, you have saved me from many a slapping my own forehead moment in the past so thanks for that!
Posted by: Micky Bananas at August 26, 2008 1:26 PMAnyhow, my question regarding messenger hitory.... have always had the save history tickbox checked since day one, but when I try to recall it I find there are coversations that don't appear. For example, speaking to my girlfriend who's the other side of the world at the moment virtually everyday, yet when I recall our history there are gaps of several days between recorded chats, and some of the once recorded haven't saved the complete chat.
Any ideas? Could really do with getting that history back cos she's given me some inportant dates for my diary that i didn't write down at the time and she will get mighty cross if I ask her again!
Thanks Leo, and keep up the excellent work!
Mike
When I went to tools and opened options there wa no messenger tab. How else can I delete my IM history
Posted by: Liyah at September 5, 2008 11:00 PM?