Saddened that Microsoft is phasing out this IM for Skype?
Well, this way you can save your custom emoticons and personal (meaning only yours) display pictures!
Now,
this is important: Skype can't use custom emoticons, animated or otherwise (yet...) HOWEVER, you should be able to use your display pics.
Open C:\Documents and Settings\YourUsernameHere\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Messenger\your e-mail address\ObjectStore
CustomEmoticons contains your emotes, and UserTile contains your DPs. Copy (not cut) them somewhere. Open the copied folders.
Hit "View" either at the top folder options or right clicking, and select List. You must select all the .DT2 files, and ONLY them.
Copy the .DT2 files somewhere, it doesn't really matter where. Now, follow the two guides below.
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/batch-change-rename-file-extensions-in-windows/http://www.ehow.com/how_5170502_change-file-extensions-command-prompt.htmlUsing the information from the pages above, you must navigate to your folder using the prompt and mass batch convert them all to .gif.
Doing so, you will have viable, viewable backup files for all your emotes and DPs.
Credit goes to the above two sites for their tutorials.
I've written the rest of this post here and figured it all out through numerous google searches.
Small note from myself: Using a drive letter like D: or C: in command prompt I find in XP sends you to that drive. Use cd to navigate directories.
D:
cd program files (This would send you to program files on the D drive, when put in correctly.)
Unfortunately, the file names on your display pics and emotes will be all garbled stuff, but that doesn't really matter (to me anyway
)
Good luck, ask if you need help