How to Delete Instant Messages From a Hard Drive
Most instant messaging programs have the option to save your chat history, and many have this option set by default. While this is helpful if you need to recall an important piece of information, such as a phone number or address, it can pose a security risk if you share a computer with others. Anyone who has access to your computer can view the chat logs. You can delete chat history from a hard drive and keep your instant messages private.
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Instructions
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Windows Live Messenger
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Click on the "Start" menu button in the lower left corner of the screen.
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Click on "My Documents" if you have Windows XP, or "Documents" if you use Vista or Windows 7.
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Double-click on "My Received Files," then double-click on the folder that has your Windows Live username.
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Double-click on the folder labeled "History."
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Locate the chat log folder you want to delete. These folders are labeled with the names of people you were chatting with. If you want to delete them all, click on one folder and hold down the "Ctrl" key while you select the rest of them.
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Right-click on one of the highlighted chat logs and select "Delete" from the drop-down menu. Select "Yes" to confirm that you want to delete the messages.
Yahoo! Messenger
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Log in to Yahoo! Messenger with your username and password.
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Click on "Messenger" on the top left side of the messenger window.
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Select "Preferences," then click on "Archive."
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Choose "Clear Archive Now" to clear your chat history.
AOL Messenger
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Log in to AOL Messenger with your username and password.
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Click on "Edit," and then choose "Settings."
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Click on the "IM Logging" tab, then select "Delete log files."
Google Talk
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Log in to your Gmail account.
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Click on the chat you want to delete from the Google Talk application on the left side of the screen.
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Select "More Actions," then click on "Delete."
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References
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