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A. Introduction:
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Many people regularly do a format of their hard disk. Yeah yeah,
they’ve backuped most of their data but many people seem to
forget to
backup their ICQ contact list and ICQ settings. Or some people backup
their DB but don’t know how to import it to the new installed
version.
It’s rather simple actually.
B. Why backup?
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There are several reasons:
- Most of your contacts will find it annoying that you request
for authorization every month.
- You don’t know everyone who’s in your contact list his
number,
unless you’ve written them down somewhere, but that takes us
back to the first reason.
- Your message history is lost.
- Your setting will be lost (like, I’m in advanced mode, my
background color of my messages are black, etc.)
C. Exporting your settings.
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There are two steps you must do to successfully backup your ICQ
Contact
list and settings.
STEP 1 : Backing up your DB
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- Go (using the windows explorer) to your ICQ Directory.
- Go to the Database Directory (see NOTE 1)
- Copy your DB (see NOTE 2) to a safe place (see NOTE3).
STEP 2 : Backing up your ICQ Settings
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- Open regedit (Start > Run > Regedit)
- Go to the key “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ”
- Select Registry > Export Registry File from the menu
- Type in the filename (example: icq.reg) and press OK.
That’s it! Your ICQ Contact List and ICQ Settings are backuped!
NOTE 1: Finding your DB Directory
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Example: ICQ is installed in “C:\Program Files\ICQ”
and
your ICQ version is “2001b”
--> The DB can be found in “C:\Program files\ICQ\2001b”.
Other versions are 98a, 99a, 99b, 2000a, 2000b
Very old versions ICQ store the DB into “Directory where
you put ICQ\DB” (ex. C:\Program Files\DB).
NOTE 2 : Copying your DB
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Your DB consists of two parts: the .IDX file and the .DAT
file. Don’t forget to copy them both!
TIP: Use a compression tool to compress your DB to save
some disk space.
NOTE 3 : What is a safe place?
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A safe place ISN’T the internet! Don’t upload your DB
to an
FTP or something like that because other users can find it
by doing a simple search. And no, it doesn’t help when you
change the UIN before the .DAT and .IDX file cos’ your UIN
is also stored inside them.
A safe place might be on a CD (which you don’t lend to
friends!) or a floppy (if it fits on it).
D. Importing a backup.
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Again, two steps.
STEP 1 : Importing the DB
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- Reinstall ICQ and choose for “Existing User” when
ICQ
asks you to choose between it and “New User”.
- Let ICQ run with your UIN and then shut it down.
- Copy your DB into the DB Directory of the version that is
installed (if your backup was from version 2000a and you
now use 2001a then copy it to 2001a)
- Go to the ICQ directory.
- Open the file DBConvert.exe
- Select your UIN from the upper list box and press next.
- After the DB is imported, “Reindex Done” will appear
in
the textbox.
- Press next and then press done
STEP 2 : Importing your settings
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- Double-click the .reg file you made
- Select “Yes” when it asks you if you want to import
it.
- When importing is done, you will get a message box and
press “OK”
That’s it! You’ve successfully imported your ICQ Contact
List and
Settings.
E. Final thoughts
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As you can see, it isn’t that hard to backup your ICQ Contact
List and
Settings. It only takes you about 5 minutes to do and will save
you a
lot of time after a fatal crash of your system.
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