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Yahoo Messenger (YIM) transfers: where are they saved?

Dave, someone sent me pics while we were in yim, uh, yahoo messenger. I viewed the pics while I was talking to her. Today I tried to find them and I couldn't. I assume they are in my C drive somewhere. Can u help me find them?

Dave's Answer:

This is a bit of a puzzling question, because according to the Yahoo! Messenger help documentation, you can't receive a file - or picture - without authorizing the download, and to do that you need to specify a location where the image should be saved.

Here are the steps required to send a file:

Click the Send File icon located on the IM window toolbar or right-click the contact in your Messenger List and select Send a File.
A new window called Send a File... will open.
Click the Browse button.
Locate and select the file that you wish to send.
Click the Send button.

Here are the steps that you should have gone through to receive the picture file or files:

A window called Receive File From will pop up.
Click the Download button.
Select where you want to download the file.
Click the Save button.

If you've done those steps, then you should be able to find the file on your computer based on where you saved it. If you don't remember, but recall the name of the file (or a fragment of the name) then use Start -> Find -> Files or Programs and enter that fragment. Then sort the results by most-recent to least-recent and your new pictures should be on top.

If the images you received were integrated into the actual chat session -- and I don't know if you can do that because I don't use Yahoo's YIM client -- then they'd be saved in one of the many cache files on your computer and I don't have any great suggestions on how to find them. Sorry.

Of course, "plan b" is just to ask your friend to send you the pictures again!

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Comments

Actually.....the default for Yahoo Instant Messenger saving RECEIVED FILES is in the Application Data folder in your personal profile listed under DOCUMENTS and SETTINGS. If you have WIN XP you won't see this if you don't have "Show Hidden Files and Folders" enabled on the VIEW TAB in the FOLDER OPTIONS window accessesd by clicking on TOOLS in a Windows Explorer window.

Just do this:

In Windows Explorer click TOOLS and then select FOLDER OPTIONS -> Go to the VIEW TAB and in the ADVANCE SETTINGS area under FILES and FOLDERS locate the HIDDEN FILES and FOLDERS section and select SHOW Hidden Files and Folders. Now the APPLICATIONS DATA folder will appear in the TREE VIEW of your XP Profile's list of folders. Open it and access the YIM Folder and therein locate the folder for the Yahoo profile in question. You'll see the RECEIVE and SHARE folders there. Any files you receive will be saved in the RECEIVED FOLDER. Yeah....it's NOT the easiest place to find if you DON'T know where to look!!!

Happy YIM'ing!!!!

jayro

Posted by: jayro at April 2, 2005 10:41 PM

What if I am using Vista? Where is the default save directory then? and how do I access it?

Posted by: Ryan at July 30, 2007 1:31 PM

help me where are my pictures save to yahoo pictures

Posted by: greg at August 31, 2007 10:21 PM

i had the same problem, then i requested one of my fren to send file then i found the location where the files are saved.

Posted by: binay at May 22, 2009 5:45 AM

Thanks, you helped me out!!!

Posted by: atabarb at June 21, 2009 10:08 AM

I was wondering if there was anyway to get some messages off my computer from yahoo messenger that have already been erased do to having it programed to erase all messages after logging out. Could they be on my hard drive?

Posted by: Ashley at August 29, 2009 12:21 AM

1. Show hidden files and folders
2. Search for ymsgr_inst_us.exe(For yahoo msngr 10)
3. You could find under C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.SUHAIL\Local Settings\temp\

eg: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.SUHAIL\Local Settings\temp\4462372

Posted by: Suhailst at September 14, 2009 3:30 PM

if you lost the files which you recieved by yahoo messenger, here is the solution to find it in Windows 7.

C:\Users\oen\AppData\Local\VirtualStore

This location is according to my computer so
C: it the partition
where you installed operationg system.
and there oen is my user name. the rest is understandable. you would find your files in virtualstore folder.

Thanks.

Posted by: Dosjan at November 19, 2009 2:50 AM

Where or what file are detail (other) contact stored for yahoo messenger. When I login on 1 computer (yahoo ver 8) I see aliase or modified info for that contact and if I log in on another computer with same version and ID, I do not see the modified contact info. I tried to upgrade to version 9, still have same prob. I tried to uninstall and reinstall both version, still have same prob. Is there other software or setting I need to set to see FULL contact info for other user in my address list?

Posted by: Keith at March 16, 2010 6:59 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!