Does WLM cache display names and display pics?

Ive noticed that sometimes the display names will randomly change back and forth even though the contact isnt changing it.

i have verified a contact as showing one display name in WLM while the same contact has a different display name in MSN 7.5, verified on another computer on someone elses MSN Messenger.

The display name shown in WLM is usually an old display name, while in Messenger 7.5 shows a newer one. I know its new cause i asked the contact.

Well it obviously caches names in memory, but i'm not sure if it does otherwise. I know display pictures are cached in the IE temp folder.

The difference of display names could be caused by servers' lags.

It makes sense if the old display names are on WLM since WLM 8.0.03xx uses newer machines, and many people believe that the WLM developer team decided to use older machines for the newest WLM build because of the reliability of the newer ones.

there should be a folder called messengercache in your %Application Data folder. This is all of messenger's cache. I belive it includes nicknames and contact info too.

correct, since WLM the contactlist is also cached (this wasn't the case in previous versions) so that in case the servers couldn't be contacted for some reason, you still have access to your contactlist.

Only when the servers are contacted successfully the contactlist is updated (this normally happens in an instant, but as you might have experienced, in some cases it might take longer and you will get such "effects")


PS: display pics and custom emoticons have always been cached

i have looked everywhere for the WLM cache of DP's and emos but i have not been able to find out where it is, it doesnt appear to be in IE temp files anymore like with previous versions. anyone have any ideas??

thanks tom

quote:

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Originally posted by tjh2k6
i have looked everywhere for the WLM cache of DP's and emos but i have not been able to find out where it is, it doesnt appear to be in IE temp files anymore like with previous versions. anyone have any ideas??

thanks tom

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quote:

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Originally posted by LipoToid

quote:

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Originally posted by tjh2k6
i have looked everywhere for the WLM cache of DP's and emos but i have not been able to find out where it is, it doesnt appear to be in IE temp files anymore like with previous versions. anyone have any ideas??

thanks tom

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Try looking in a DWORD in a registry setting. More than likely, encrypted at that.

Edit: There is also another data type in the registry named QWORD though it is not at all common. This is similar to DWORD except it can hold 64 bits (double the size of a DWORD value).

Most don't understand that it is very common to stuff array structs into a DWORD or QWORD for later retrieval.

And if that's not enough there is a possibility that this action is dynamically allocated at various checksum balancing define by the Digital Signature. PPL, Microsoft is going to lock down on the resource dll support for WLM futures along with virutal memory constraints with the support for that extended checksum balancing. This seems as a Vista requirement which obviously is the Target for the main stay of WLM. Microsoft's has with the WLM an architecture that will offer defensives at any instance to depreciate the WLM of said user making it almost impossible for a developer to dance with the concurrency issues. IMO

Happy Hunting

Respectfully,
LipoToid

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quote:

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Originally posted by LipoToid
Try looking in a DWORD in a registry setting. More than likely, encrypted at that.

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quote:

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Originally posted by LipoToid
Most don't understand that it is very common to stuff array structs into a DWORD or QWORD for later retrieval.

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quote:

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Originally posted by LipoToid
PPL, Microsoft is going to lock down on the resource dll support for WLM futures along with virutal memory constraints with the support for that extended checksum balancing.

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quote:

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Originally posted by tjh2k6
Can anyone explain this in simple terms to me im a newbie and do not understand, i know how to access registry and make a few changes to things, but what am i looking for specifically?

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CookieRevised,

quote:

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You can't store DP's in a DWORD or even a QWORD.

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i have finally found them by going to c:\doc. and set.\user\local set.\temp\messengercache, then to open them use windows fax and picture viewer. does anyone know how i make that the default program to open that file type? i would normally just click the tick box but it is grayed out. any ideas?

thanks tom

quote:

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Originally posted by SonicSam
a dword that fell asleep and fell down...making it look like a qword

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I don't think with a response like the above I'll be leaving any further comments on this site again. The immaturity is clearly shown just by the wording alone.

e.g. to help in your misunderstanding of your comments.

code:

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// Partial e.g. Struct Store
   // The structure below contains all of the AppBar settings that
   // can be saved/loaded in/from the Registry.
   typedef struct {
      DWORD m_cbSize;                    // Size of this structure
      BOOL  m_Scroll_Text_COLOR;        // Default Scroll Text Color Set
      BOOL  m_Scroll_Background_COLOR;    // Default Scroll Background Color Set
      COLORREF  m_TXT_COLOR;                // Scroll Actual Text Color   
      COLORREF  m_BKG_COLOR;                // Scroll Actual Background Color
      TCHAR m_FONT_NAME[25];
      INT    m_FONT_SIZE;                // Scroll Font Size
      INT   m_SPEED;                    // Scroll Speed Viewing
      LONG  m_FREQUENCY;                // Frequency of viewing each line
      TCHAR m_UserNameGmail[26];
      TCHAR m_PasswordGmail[26];
     
   } APPBARSTATE2, *PAPPBARSTATE2;

   // Setup default state data for the AppBar
    APPBARSTATE2 abs;
    abs.m_cbSize                    = sizeof(abs);
    abs.m_Scroll_Text_COLOR            = TRUE; // Default Scroll Text Color Set
    abs.m_Scroll_Background_COLOR    = TRUE; // Default Scroll Background Color Set
   
    abs.m_TXT_COLOR                    = m_crTextColor;
    abs.m_BKG_COLOR                    = m_crBackColor; // 16767411; // Actual Default Background Color
    abs.m_FONT_SIZE                    = m_size;
    abs.m_SPEED                        = m_speed;
    strcpy(abs.m_FONT_NAME, m_FONT_NAME);
    abs.m_FONT_SIZE                    = m_FONT_SIZE;
    abs.m_FREQUENCY                    = m_FREQUENCY;
    strcpy(abs.m_UserNameGmail,m_UserNameGmail);
    strcpy(abs.m_PasswordGmail, m_PasswordGmail);

    // Create and Write imaietoolbar File Identification Into Registry?
    if(! ( RegSetValueEx( scrollerOptions,    // subkey handle
                          "ANYNAMEVAR",    // value name
                          0,                // must be zero
                          REG_BINARY,
                          (BYTE*)&abs,
                          sizeof(abs) ) == ERROR_SUCCESS ) )
    {
        AfxMessageBox("Unable to set ** Write ** ietbar ANYNAMEVAR ** label !", MB_ICONSTOP);
//        _exit(0);
    }

    //Close Keys
    rctCloseKey(scrollerOptions, _T("ScrollerOptions"));

// Partial e.g Binary Store

    BYTE abSample [256];
    HKEY hKey = NULL;
    REGSAM sam = KEY_READ;
    char* pszKey = "Software\\Blob";

    if ( ERROR_SUCCESS != RegOpenKeyEx ( HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, pszKey, 0, sam, &hKey))\
    {
        // error
    }
    else
    {
       DWORD dwType = REG_BINARY;
       DWORD dwSize = sizeof ( abSample);

       if ( ERROR_SUCCESS != RegQueryValueEx ( hKey, "ValueName", NULL, &dwType, ( LPBYTE) abSample, &dwSize))
       {
            // error
       }
    }

    RegCloseKey ( hKey);

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okay, congradulations, you can read and write code from and to the windows registry?!

The code that was posted stores a structure (about 100 bytes) in the registry using the type REG_BINARY. It is in no way stored as a DWORD (4 bytes) or a QWORD (8 bytes).

It does not do anything to prove his point, other than it is possible to store an image in the registry... just not in 4 or 8 bytes. The only possible way that you'd be able to store an image in 4 bytes, would be to store a pointer or some other access token which would allow access to the data from another source.

In any case, as was stated above, WLM now stores the DPs and custom emoticons in
%temp%\MessengerCache

Where %temp% is the System environment variable for your temporary files.

quote:

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Originally posted by TheSteve
The code that was posted stores a structure (about 100 bytes) in the registry using the type REG_BINARY. It is in no way stored as a DWORD (4 bytes) or a QWORD (8 bytes).

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anyone have any ideas on how to make Windows Picture and Fax Viewer the default program for opening the messengercache documents. When i click i have to choose it from the list where as before i used to be able to click the tick box at the bottom to make it default, but its grayed out for some reason.

right click, open with, choose program... select windows picture and fax viewer and select make this the default before clicking ok

i can do that but the tick box to make it default is grayed out so i am unable to click it.

Because the cached files don't have any extension.

You can't assign a program (winfax or whatever) to a file with no extension (well you actually can, but it is not so easy and not so wise to do)....

ok then i will just have to do it the long way round! on the up side atleast i now know how to do it now.

thanks everyone for your help!

quote:

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Originally posted by teddytim
Does WLM cache display names and display pics?

Ive noticed that sometimes the display names will randomly change back and forth even though the contact isnt changing it.

i have verified a contact as showing one display name in WLM while the same contact has a different display name in MSN 7.5, verified on another computer on someone elses MSN Messenger.

The display name shown in WLM is usually an old display name, while in Messenger 7.5 shows a newer one. I know its new cause i asked the contact.

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It's not a bug, it's the cache kicking in (or not kicking in and/or being updated). Though there might be a bug in there, the thing you notice is the cache and that is not a bug.