Unable to See Messages on the Yahoo Messenger Message Box
The Yahoo! Messenger message box allows you to see sent and received messages while chatting with family and friends in real-time. However, the messages don't show up if one of Yahoo! Messenger's key applications is damaged or missing. The message display problem also occurs if the instant messaging program's cache and history hasn't been cleared in a while. To view messages in the message box and improve Yahoo! Messenger's performance, Yahoo! provides a few solutions to this problem.
Other People Are Reading
-
Java Problems
-
Yahoo! says that if you're unable to see Yahoo! Messenger messages, you're either running an outdated version of Java, or the program is damaged or missing. To resolve Java problems, uninstall the program and reinstall an updated version. To uninstall Java, click the "Start" menu, open the Control Panel, and click "Programs and Features" to open the programs window. Click "Java Runtime" and click the "Uninstall" button. If prompted, enter your administrator password to remove the program. Reinstall an updated version of Java directly from the program's website
Clearing Yahoo! Messenger Cache
-
If you're still unable to see Yahoo! Messenger messages, clear the program's cache. To clear Yahoo! Messenger cache, right-click the Yahoo! Smiley icon in the notifications area on the taskbar and click "Exit." Click "Start," select "Programs," then "Accessories," and finally, right-click "Command Prompt" and click "Run as administrator" to launch the Command Prompt. Enter each of the following commands in the Command Prompt one line at a time and press "Enter."
rd "%AppData%\Yahoo!\" /s /q
rd "%ProgramFiles%\Yahoo!\Messenger\Cache\" /s /q
rd "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Yahoo!\Messenger\Cache\" /s /q
rd "%LocalAppData%\VirtualStore\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Cache" /s /q
rd "%LocalAppData%\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Yahoo!\Messenger\Cache" /s /q.
Closing the Command Prompt completes the process. -
Enabling Conversation History
-
If the conversation history feature is disabled, you won't see previously sent and received messages. This feature allows you to view previous chats at a later date. To enable this feature, click the "Messenger" menu and click "Preferences." From the "Archive" category, select one of the following options: "Yes, save all of my messages," or "Yes, save all of my messages, but clear them each time I sign out (this is the Default Setting)." Clicking "OK" saves the changes. To view the messages, select the "Contacts" menu and click "Message Archive."
Tips and Recommendations
-
If you're still unable to see messages, uninstall Yahoo! Messenger and reinstall a fresh copy. To uninstall Yahoo! Messenger, go back to the Control Panel, and then click "Programs and Features" to launch the programs window. Scroll down, click "Yahoo! Messenger," and then click the "Uninstall" button to remove the instant messaging program from your computer. When the uninstall process completes, visit the Yahoo! Messenger download page and click the "Download Now" button. When prompted, click the "Run" button and follow the guided prompts to reinstall the instant messaging program.
-
