How to Export Emoticons from Microsoft Windows Live Messenger

Do you have this problem? Every time when I need to migrate to another computer, I will be missing all those custom emoticons on Windows Live Messenger. The emoticons are not easily exportable. Finally, thanks to eHow, I managed to transfer them (with a little tweak to their instructions).

Lets get to the point. BTW, this is for Microsoft Windows 7 version.

Instruction:

How to Export Emoticons

On the computer that stores the emoticons

  1. Close the Windows Live Messenger program
    • You can right click on the Windows Live Messenger icon to “exit” the program
  2. Click on “Start”. Type “cmd.exe“.
    • It should show cmd.exe in the search. Click on it.
    • If not, click on “Start”, Click “All Programs”, go to “Accessories” Folder.
    • You can see “Command Prompt” program. Click on it
  3. Once you are at the Command Prompt (i.e. C:\Users\<your profile name>\), type “md\messengercontent” and enter
    • You have now created a directory at the root directory (i.e. C:\messengercontent)
    • This directory is to prepare you to copy entirely the emoticons into it.
  4. Type in this command “cd\c:\users\<your profile name>\local settings\microsoft\messenger\<your Windows Live ID>\Objectstore
    • Basically, this command is to go to the folder where the emoticons are stored.
    • <your Windows Live ID> is usually your hotmail or email that you registered for the Windows Live Messenger.
  5. Once you successfully reach the Objectstore folder, type in this command “xcopy/s *.* c:\messengercontent” and press enter.
    • This is to copy everything including folders from ObjectStore to the folder messengercontent that you have created previously.
  6. Exit the Command Prompt by typing “exit” and press enter.
  7. Navigate to the your c: drive on your computer and you should be able to locate messengercontent folder.  Copy this folder into a thumb-drive.
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On the computer that you want to transfer the emoticons

  1. Insert the thumb-drive that you had previously stored “messengercontent” folder.
  2. Check the drive number (might be E:\ or F:\).
  3. Go to Command Prompt
    • Check Step 2 of the above if you are not sure how to go to Command Prompt
  4. At the command prompt, type “cd\c:\users\<your profile name>\local settings\microsoft\messenger\<your Windows Live ID>\objectstore” and press enter.
  5. Type in this command “xcopy/s <Your thumb-drive number>:\messengercontent\*.* ” and press enter
    • Note that <your thumb drive number> might be drive E or F.
    • This step is to copy everything from the folder messengercontent to the current location.
  6. Exit Command Prompt by typing “exit” and press enter
  7. Run Windows Live Messenger

Congrats! You have transferred the emoticons successfully. Hope that this instruction helps.

Disclaimer: I have successfully exported emoticons from a few computers using this method. However, this is just a guide and your computer system might differs from the above. Please use this guide at your own risk.

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