These are not normaly stored on your local disk drive, unless they are
in a cache file. They are downloaded from MS, as requested.

If you do a search for where the internet temporary file cache is
located, you may be able to find them.

The extension of the file name would most likely end with the "tmp"
type.

In respond to big number of search queries that come to my site finding a solution to backup their emoticons in Windows Live Messenger. Perhaps it good if I write what I did when I need to backup emoticons. There are a lot of guide if you use right keyword.

For Windows XP with MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger I usually did it in manual way. Go to “C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Microsoft\MSN Messenger“. Be sure that Windows Explorer is set to show hidden content. If you have several Messenger accounts you may get confuse because it use id instead of email account. With this you need to find out by yourself which one is an account you want to backup and then emos is deposited in “ObjectStore\CustomEmoticons“. Otherwise take them all.



There is a number of useful tools available on Internet. You may use some search engine to find them. Among these there are two small applications that good and easy too use: MSN Backup 2.0 and MSN Backup V1.3.1. I suggest for the second, it just update on Jan 1st with WLM 8.1 support. The guide are also available on both sites.

If you live on Windows Vista, those applications may not work. So what I did with Windows Vista and Windows Live Messenger 8.1 is:

1. Backup Emoticons
* Go to “C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft“.
* copy folder “Messenger” and past it where you want (may be in temporarily folder in other drive or Flash drive)
2. Transfer Windows Live Messenger setting
* Click Start and type “Windows Easy Transfer” in Search and enter.
* After you click Next, Click on Start a new transfer –> My Old Computer –> Select a method you want to transfer (I prefer CD/DVD and then later you may select Flash Drive) –> Click on Advanced Option –> under your account select Application setting and the Windows Live Messenger.