Yahoo! Messenger Archives

How it all began...
...back in May 2001 when Yahoo! introduced low-rate international PC-to-Phone calling, integration with Yahoo! Address Book, ability to Send Contact Information, Create friends list Nicknames, new smileys and... the ability to archive our Instant Messages... woohoo!

"Archive Instant Text-Message conversations, alerts and conferences for future reference. Yahoo! Messenger now offers users the ability to archive their conversations on their computer hard drive, allowing them to retrieve past conversations with family, friends, and associates whenever they want." press release 7 May 2001

Version 4.0.0.953 (beta release) was a front line leader and paved the way for v 4.1.0.992 (released in June 2001) which stamped it's mark firmly into the IM world by being the first instant messaging service to integrate webcam functionality.. but back to Archiving...

Once Enabled.... (on Yahoo! Messenger v8+)
from within Yahoo! Messenger
click on Messenger > Preferences
click on Archive
select Yes, save all of my messages (to enable)
click Apply
click OK

where are they located?
As the press release stated, the Archives were stored on the users hard drive and they still are, they are not and have never been stored on Yahoo's servers, because of this, you cannot log in from another computer and access your archives... they are stored (if enabled) as encyrpted .dat files on the computer from which the conversation originated. If I spring open and reinstate one of my early backups of version 4,1,0,996 I can see that the encrypted archiving (to .dat files) and directory structure is still exactly same as it is today in the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger, that being Yahoo! Messenger stores and encypts your conversations to...
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\{yourYahoo! ID}\Archive\Messages\{ friendsYahoo!ID}\date-yahooIDused.dat
NOTE: Windows Vista users will find their archives located at:
C:\Users\{WindowsUsername}\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\ Program Files\Yahoo!\ Messenger\Profiles\{yourYahoo! ID}\Archive\Messages\{ friendsYahoo!ID}\date-yahooIDused.dat

The default Yahoo! ID that you sign into Yahoo! Messenger with has its own folder inside the Profiles directory
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\{yourYahoo! ID}\
if you login with multiple ID's you will notice multiple folders, one for each ID that you have used.
and each person who you have a conversation with has their own folder inside your profiles folder
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\{yourYahoo! ID}\Archive\Messages\{1_friendYahoo!ID}\
and each day you have a conversation with them a new encypted .dat file is created and stored in their Yahoo! ID folder
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\{yourYahoo! ID}\Archive\Messages\{friendsYahoo!ID}\date-YahooIDused.dat

Here's how the directory structure is formed...
I log into Yahoo Messenger with my default Yahoo! ID wackybonline, I start an IM session with one of my friends stickercam and we have a conversation on 7 August 2001 so our conversation is stored at...
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\wackybonline\Archive\Messages\stickercam\20010807-wackybonline.dat

What About Alias ID's?
if you log in directly to Yahoo! Messenger with your alias ID you will find a folder has been specifically created for it in your Profiles directory
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\{yourDefaultYahoo!ID}\
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\{yourAliasYahoo!ID}\
but, if after logging in directly with your Alias ID, you start an IM session using that ID also, your archives wont be stored in the Alias ID profiles directory, they will be stored in the Default ID's profile directory, just as they are if you login with your Default ID yet chat under your Alias ID.
The archives are distinguished only by the .dat file name, e.g. I log in with my default ID wackybonline, but using my alias ID the_coffee_bee I start an IM session with stickercam on 10 August 2001, the archive of our conversation will be stored at...
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\wackybonline\Archive\Messages\stickercam\20010810-the_coffee_bee.dat
if I then turned around and had a conversation with stickercam under my default ID wackybonline it would be stored in the same location but the .dat file would contain my default ID instead....
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Profiles\wackybonline\Archive\Messages\stickercam\20010810-wackybonline.dat

Opening \ Viewing your Archives?
You can only view your Archives from within Yahoo! Messenger when it's connected to the internet and you can only view the archives created under the ID you are logged in with (exception to this being if you have an Archive Viewer / Decoder available for download here), so to view your Archives login to Yahoo! Messenger...
select Contacts > Message Archive
this will give you complete access to all the archive generated under the Yahoo! ID that you are logged in with.
or right click on the a username in your friends list and select Message Archive
via either method above, you will be taken directly to that users archive listing.
The main Message Archive window will pop up, in the left hand column is a list of the all the Yahoo! IDs that you have had a conversation with, if you click on a username the full listing of archived conversations load in the top right hand frame, these are arranged by date, to view the contents of an archive simply click on the listing and it will load in full colour (including Yahoo! smileys and formatting) in the frame below.

for more information about Backing up, Restoring, Deleting (and more) your Yahoo! Messenger Archives check out our article Yahoo! Messenger Archives FAQ

view your archives how and when you want to...