ICQ is a very popular IM (Instant messaging) messenger used by millions of people around the world. He gained his popularity in the CIS countries back in the two thousandth years. Its feature that sets it apart from other messengers is that it stores the history of correspondence only on the local computer, and it is the history of correspondence that is the topic of today's article.
So let's get started. In this article I will tell you everything about the history of ICQ correspondence, and also show you the place where it is stored. After all, there are times when you need to reinstall Windows, or there may simply be problems with the hard drive and you will no longer be able to get back your correspondence. To prevent this from happening, it will be very useful for you to know where the correspondence history is stored and to make temporary backups for further data recovery with the help of them.
The first thing you should know about the history of ICQ correspondence is that history is not stored on ICQ servers. Yes, all messages that you write go through the ICQ web server, but they do not stay there for a long time. The message is there until the moment it gets to the device to the addressee. This means that if your hard drive is formatted, then all messages and files will be deleted.
Storing correspondence on a local computer
Let's get down to business right away and consider the place where the entire history of ICQ correspondence is saved. It will be very easy for you to find your correspondence history, because for each computer user it is stored in a folder that has the same name as your ICQ account and is located at: C: / Users // AppData / Roaming / ICQ // archive /:
It is in the folder called Archive that all your correspondence is located. They are sorted into folders, the names of which converge UIN (universal identification number) of the people with whom you corresponded from this ICQ account. If you go to any of these folders with user numbers, you will see several files with incomprehensible names. These are the files of the database in which your correspondence is encrypted. Encryption is performed for security purposes:
All examples and settings were made and shown on the ICQ version 10. Also in the tenth version, if you go to the application settings, you will not see there settings for the possibility of creating any backups or backups. Therefore, you will have to do the backup manually.
Making a backup
To perform this operation, all you need is the "copy-paste" skill. That is, you will need to copy your folder (the folder of your ICQ user), this is the one we talked about in the example above, it is located along the path: C: / Users // AppData / Roaming / ICQ /... Copy the folder with your profile name somewhere else. A flash drive or any other reliable storage device is ideal for these purposes.
Now, even if your hard drive fails, or Windows no longer wants to start and you have to reinstall it, you don't have to worry about your ICQ correspondence. After installing Windows, install the ICQ messenger again, and copy the folder that you copied to the USB flash drive back to the folder with the program:
After completing these steps, your chat history will return to its place, as well as all your received files, audio recordings and everything else. In the image above, I have changed my 0001 user folder back. After that, my correspondence returned to its place:
Read what files ICQ stores data in and how to back it up. How to recover chats and ICQ files after reinstalling Windows... ICQ is a very popular instant messenger for exchanging messages and files, and in the latest versions with the function of making audio and video calls.
Recently, the position of ICQ has somewhat shaken, due to the rise in popularity of such messengers as Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp, as well as Skype and applications of the social network Vkontakte. Nevertheless, ICQ has a huge army of users who will be interested in this material.
Content:ICQ files and data
Over the years of its existence, the program has undergone many changes and improvements, as a result of which a version of ICQ 10 is available today, which is compatible with Windows 10 and has an interface similar to the operating system.
Along with the version of the messenger, the location of the message history and files of the ICQ user account itself also changed. So, in the latest version of the application, this is the default folder:
C: \ Users \ Username\ AppData \ Roaming \ ICQ
Please note that the \ AppData folder is hidden by default in Windows 8 / 8.1 / 10. To be able to go to it, you must enable the display of hidden files and folders by the system.
Having examined the contents of this folder (see the screenshot above), you can see its structure, which is similar to the structures of the data folders of other instant messengers. Here are folders with themes, settings and ICQ logs, as well as folders in which the data of specific user accounts are located.
In our case, the user's account folder is named "0001". Even from the names of the folders themselves, it is not difficult to determine their purpose and contents. These are folders with files of stickers, keys, dialogs, contacts and avatars, as well as an archive.
In the folder / archive there are folders named UIN (Universal Identification Number) users with whom correspondence was carried out from this account. The files of each chat are encrypted and are located in the files: _db2, _idx2, _img2, _ste2.
Data backup
The entire history of ICQ correspondence is saved on the user's computer, and is not stored on the messenger's servers (as is the case with Skype, for example). That is, in case of formatting the hard drive on which ICQ is installed, and reinstalling the application, the entire history of the correspondence will be lost.
There is also no function of creating a backup copy of a user account or specific correspondence in ICQ 10.
Therefore, there is only one way to back up and restore ICQ data: manually create a copy of the user's account folder (in our case /0001 ) and save it in a convenient place (preferably on another data carrier).
To restore your ICQ account data after reinstalling Windows or formatting the hard drive, just copy the previously created backup copy of your account folder to the folder with messenger data:
C: \ Users \ Username\ AppData \ Roaming \ ICQ
Recovering ICQ data after reinstalling Windows
If the user has not created a backup copy of the ICQ account, and after reinstalling Windows or formatting the hard disk, there is a need to restore the previously performed chats, then they can be restored using data recovery software.
To do this, run Hetman Partition Recovery and use the program to scan the disk on which the user's account data was saved (by default: C: \ Users \ Username\ AppData \ Roaming \ ICQ).
Use the program to find the account folder that you want to restore (by going to it in the directory tree or using the search function) and restore it.
To restore account data in ICQ after reinstalling Windows or formatting the hard drive, just copy the restored folder of your account to the folder with messenger data using the method described in the previous section.
Note... To avoid overwriting the files of the C drive that need to be restored, it is advisable to download and install a program for recovering hard drive data, as well as save the recovered data to another drive (for example, drive D).
Today there are a huge number of messengers for computer users, for example, Skype, Viber, but, no doubt, ICQ is still an old-timer. This program is already several decades old, but, as before, it continues to function successfully on many PCs. Of course, it is quite possible that this is just a matter of habit, but at the same time, one cannot ignore the convenience of working with this client.
Any application, even the most simple and understandable one, invariably raises certain questions from many users. Most of them are easy to solve, over others you sometimes have to smash your head. Often, users cannot find the history of their correspondence, but it can contain a lot of important information! Well, if you are wondering where the icq history is stored, I suggest you find it out with me.
General information
If you dig a little deeper, it turns out that the history of correspondence is not stored on the ICQ servers, only a specific user on his computer has access to it. That is, having deleted it once or, you can no longer restore it. There are, of course, craftsmen who argue that this fact is controversial and can be circumvented, but this is not the point in this article.
I would also like to note that if you regularly communicate through this messenger, and the history of the correspondence is very important to you, do not forget to save it from time to time. The fact is that if the operating system suddenly "flies" on the computer, of course, the file with the history will also be deleted, because it is located on disk C. That is why do not be lazy, re-save your correspondence to another disk, because no one is immune from problems with the OS and with all the information you will lose.
How to find your chat history
First of all, make sure that the history of ICQ messages in your case is saved at all. To do this, go to the program settings, select the "History" item there, there should be a checkmark in front of the item on saving history. By the way, at any time you can remove it, if you know beforehand that the correspondence will not be of any value to you, it will only clog the computer memory.
The path to the history of correspondence is as follows: drive C - Documents and Settings - username - Application Date - ICQLite - HistoryDB. Accordingly, in the last folder you can find the story itself. I think you can't go wrong with the file, its format is xml.
In general, as you can see, there is nothing complicated, the history of user correspondence in ICQ can be found literally in a matter of minutes. Of course, if you know where to look. But for you this is no longer a problem, is it?
Modern social networks and instant messengers have long kept all user correspondence on their servers. can not boast of this. So in order to find the history of correspondence with someone, you need to dig into the computer's memory.
ICQ and related messengers still store the history of correspondence on the user's computer. At the moment, a similar approach is already considered outdated due to the fact that the user will not be able to access the correspondence with the interlocutors using a different device on which this conversation was originally conducted.
At the same time, it is believed that such a system has its advantages. For example, in this way, information is more protected from outside access, which makes the messenger more closed from outside penetration to the secrecy of correspondence. Moreover, now the developers of all clients are working not only to hide the history of correspondence deeper in the bowels of the computer, but also to encrypt the files so that it is difficult not only to read, but generally to find them among other technical files.
As a result, the history is stored on the computer. Depending on the program that works with the ICQ service, the location of the required folder may be different.
History in ICQ
The situation with the official ICQ client is very difficult, because here the developers have tried their best to keep the personal correspondence files safe.
It is impossible to find out the location of the history file in the program itself. Here you can only set the folder for storing the downloaded files.
But the carriers of the history of correspondence are pushed much deeper and more complicated. Typically, the location of these files changes with each version.
The latest version of the messenger, in which the message history can be retrieved without any problems, is 7.2. The required folder is located at:
C: \ Users \ [Username] \ AppData \ Roaming \ ICQ \\ Messages.qdb
In the newest version, ICQ 8, the location has changed again. According to the developers' comments, this is done to protect information and user correspondence. The correspondence is now stored here:
C: \ Users \ [Username] \ AppData \ Roaming \ ICQ \ [User ID] \ archive \
Here you can see a huge number of folders, the names of which are the UIN numbers of the interlocutors in the ICQ client. Of course, each user has their own folder. Each contains 4 files. File "_Db2" and contains the history of correspondence. It all opens with the help of any text editor.
Any communication is encrypted here. It is possible to pull out individual phrases from here, but it will not be easy.
It is best to use this file in order to paste along the same path to another device, or use it as a backup in case you uninstall your program.
Conclusion
It is highly recommended to have backup copies of dialogs from the program if it contains important information. In case of loss, you just need to insert the file with the correspondence where it should be, and all messages will be back in the program. It's not as convenient as reading dialogs from the server, as it is done on social networks, but at least something.
Internet communication is an integral part of human life in modern society. Users of the global network communicate using specially developed programs. They allow you to send text or messages by voice, as well as conduct video conferences. This ensures that there is a constant connection with close relatives or friends, regardless of their location. Sometimes messages disappear, and the data placed in them was of great importance, therefore, the Internet client often faces a problem related to the requirement to restore the history of correspondence.Instructions for restoring correspondence in "ICQ"
To do this, it is recommended to use applications that have been specially developed for this purpose. It should be noted that SMS history is a system of separate text files. Their name indicates the name of the contact with whom part of the correspondence was carried out.
To carry out the information recovery procedure, you should scan the disk using the EasyRecovery application. It can be downloaded from the official resource, then unzipped and installed. You need to scan the disk where the application is installed.
There are other options for achieving results. Very often, the loss occurs due to a change in the name under which the user enters the application. "ICQ" saves all messages on the hard drive, so you can easily go to the folder named "History", where the full version of the correspondence with all contact subscribers is located.
The program "Icq 2html" will help to restore the lost correspondence. She is able to find all SMS, regardless of how they were deleted.
Ways to search history in "ICQ"
It can be viewed using Windows tools. The easiest way is to use standard tools. To do this, you need to find the correspondence with the contact you are interested in, then find and press the "history" button. This will allow you to recall the entire chronological history of the SMS.
The history of correspondence with an individual contact is saved in a file with the extension ".text". Its title indicates the name of the respondent. All data can be found in the catalog, so the required correspondence can be found using a local search.
Currently, a person conducts a large amount of both personal and business correspondence. It often contains valuable data, so the system participant values it very much. Sometimes, due to a computer malfunction, these records may be lost. There is no need to be upset here, today's technologies allow you to quickly find and restore SMS history.
