Starting a Windows Live Messenger Conversation


To exchange typed messages with a contact who is online, double-click his or her name in the Windows Live Messenger window. A Conversation window appears like the one shown in Figure 27-8.

image from book
Figure 27-8: The Instant Message window.
Note  

To kelp clean up the screen a little, I shut the second Windows Live Messenger window. You can do this, too, by clicking its Close button in the upper-right corner of the window. You also can minimize that window as an alternative to closing it.

To converse , type in the box at the bottom of the window and click Send or press ENTER. When another person is typing a response, you see a message to that effect on the status line (the bottom line) of the Conversation window. If you have a sound card, microphone, and speakers , and the person you're chatting with does also, click Call Computer to speak with them.

When someone starts a conversation with you, a little box pops up from the notification area (right end) of the Windows taskbar, like this:

image from book

Click the box to switch to a Conversation window with the person. After a few seconds, this box disappears.

You can invite other contacts to join in the chat by clicking the Invite Someone To Join This Conversation button in the top-left corner of the Conversation window. You can block the person you are talking to from contacting you by clicking Block This Contact From Seeing Or Contacting You. (If you want to unblock someone, right-click the person's name in your contact list and select Unblock.)

Holding Voice Conversations

Once you have opened a Conversation window with someone, you can switch to a voice chat, assuming that you and the other person have microphones and speakers attached to your computers. The first time you click Call Computer in the Conversation window, Windows runs the Audio And Video Setup Wizard to check your microphone and speakers. Follow its instructions.

When you click Start Talking in the Conversation window (or click a contact name in the Windows Live Messenger window and click Call), Windows Live Messenger sends an invitation to the other person to have a voice conversation. They must click the Answer link to answer the phone. When they do, you can start conversing . Windows Live Messenger displays the tools shown here on the Conversation window to let you adjust volume and other features:

image from book

When you are finished with the phone call, click the Hang Up link in the Conversation window. As you talk, you also can send text messages back and forth to each other.

Video Conferencing

If your computer has a video camera, you can use it to transmit a picture to the person with whom you are having a conversation. Click the Start Or Stop A Video Call button in the Conversation window to start receiving video images from the other person. The video image appears in the upper-right part of the Conversation window. Click Start Or Stop A Video Call to stop receiving video data.

Sharing Files with Others in a Conversation

To share a file with someone with whom you are having a conversation, click Share Files in the Conversation window. Click Create A Sharing Folder to set up a folder in which to share multiple files, or click Send A Singe File to send just one file at a time. Otherwise, right-click the name of the contact in the Windows Live Messenger window and choose Send Other Send A Single File, or click Create A Sharing Folder. If you send a file, select a file in the Send A File To contact dialog box, and then click Open . The contact has to accept the file for the transfer to occur.

When you receive a file, Windows stores it in the Received Files subfolder of your Documents folder.

Other Things You Can Do with Windows Live Messenger

You can use Windows Live Messenger in a few other ways, too:

  • Blocking someone from calling you Right-click a contact and choose Block.

  • Changing the way your name appears to others Click the drop-down arrow next to your name at the top of the Windows Live Messenger window and click Personal Settings. In the My Display Name area, change your name.

  • Adding a personal message Right below your name on the Windows Live Messenger window, type a short personal message.

  • Changing other configuration settings Click the drop-down arrow next to your name at the top of the Windows Live Messenger window and click Personal Settings. The Options dialog box that appears contains settings that control what information other people can see about you and how the program runs.

  • Preventing Windows Live Messenger from running when Windows starts up Click the drop-down arrow next to your name at the top of the Windows Live Messenger window and click Personal Settings, click General, and deselect the Automatically Run Windows Live Messenger When I Log On To Windows check box.

  • Playing games Some new Internet-based games are designed to work with Windows Live Messenger, and can send invitations to other Windows Live Messenger users to join a game. Click the Play Games With A Friend icon on the Windows Live Messenger window and then select from the list of games from the MSN Games site that appears in the Windows Live Messenger window. You may need to download and install new software, such as an ActiveX control, to run the games.

  • Getting help with your computer If you choose See A List Of Activities in the Conversation window and click Request Remote Assistance, Windows runs the Remote Assistance program, described in Chapter 4.

  • Adding emoticons to messages These are the small smiley face characters you see on many messages your teenager writes to emote feelings. Click the Select An Emoticon button in the Conversation window to add one of several emoticons (see Figure 27-9) that Windows Live Messenger provides.

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Figure 27-9: Use emoticons (but sparingly please ) in your messages.
Note  

You can uninstall Windows Live Messenger by choosing Start Control Panel Uninstall A Program. Choose the Windows Live Messenger item in the Uninstall Or Change A Program window and click Uninstall. Follow the steps to remove the program. If you do this, however, all your contacts and any saved conversations are lost.

  • Changing background Click the Select A Background For Your Conversation Window button in the Conversation window to select from a number of different images you can place in your background. What you pick for your background can also be shared by your contact. If he or she clicks Accept, then your background becomes their background. If he or she clicks Deny, then your background stays as the new background, while their background remains what they have selected.




Windows Vista. The Complete Reference
Windows Vista: The Complete Reference (Complete Reference Series)
ISBN: 0072263768
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 296

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