How to Save/Backup MySpace Messages onto your Computer

Do you have thousands of MySpace messages, sentimental, maybe even important messages? Especially considering that MySpace can be used for business communication now-a-days, maybe you'd like to save some of those messages. Now you can with a few little tricks...

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Internet
• MySpace Account
• Google Gears

1. Download and Install Google Gears: http://gears.google.com/

2. Log into your MySpace account and go to your Inbox. You should be prompted with a message that asks permission to sync with Google Gears and it will also give you warnings that by making your Inbox searchable, it will save messages to your computer.
   
   Bingo! That is of course what we want ;). Depending on how many messages to have, it can take a while to scan all of them.

3. To discover where your messages are being stored, you'll need to visit this page:
   
   http://www.google.com/support/gears/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=79850
   
   The following steps are for the XP/Firefox setup, but most of the steps should be helpful regardless of what Operating System and Browser you're using...

4. Go to: Start > My Computer > Local Disk (C:) > Documents and Settings > Select the folder for the current profile that your logged into > Application Data (you won't see this folder by default, you'll need to go to: Tools > Folder Options > Click on the View tab > Go down and select Show hidden files and folders then click OK > Mozilla > Firefox > Profiles > then the folder that will look something like 00lorg10l.default > Google Gears for Firefox > messaging.myspace.com > http_80 > And then you'll find the file containing all the messages called messaging.myspace
   
   Alternatively, you could simply try doing a search on your computer for: messaging.myspace - Just make sure to check the box to search Hidden files and folders under the advanced settings.

5. Now, once you find the messaging.myspace file, do not disturb it or move it. Just right-click on it, copy it, then save it to a separate folder of your choice. Currently, the best option that I'm aware of to view the messages is to right-click on it, then click Open with... and choose Notepad or something similar. Although all the messages are there, they're in between jumbled messes of code.
   
   Unfortunately, unless you have Dreamweaver or another program to attempt to remove the code, you'll have to deal with it. At least you have your messages backed up and hopefully someone will create a program once this becomes more popular to filter and remove the code so that your left with clean, organized messages and then you could open them with Word among other programs.
   
   Good Luck!
   
   Leave me Feedback and help me improve this How-to
   
   Thanks, GladToHelp

Tips & Warnings

• Once you've accumulated more messages over time, just repeat the process and overwrite the previously backed up file
• If at all you have any trouble or questions about this how-to or find any errors, please comment and I'll work to update and resolve the article so it's more thorough and understandable
• Be very careful, Hidden files and folders are hidden for a reason, so that you don't mess them up

[NightowlMama]

on 1/14/2009 awesome thanks bunches

[00Analana]

on 1/14/2009 This is a great tip, thanks!