Shoutbox

Hi Guys!

I have installed Messenger Plus regulary on my system. And ofcourse I encryptet all my conversations with the built in encryption-solution of Messenger Plus. Today i was wondering where the encryptet files are stored and if they could be broken.
After a bit of searching in the folders i noticed that in the folder (Meine Empfangene Dateien (I ve got a German OS) My recieved Data) all my msn conversations where unencrypted stored, maybe for temporally use? Well I don't know.
So question: Can somebody confirm this observatrion?

Those files were Windows Live Messenger's own logs, you'll want to disable those from Messenger's own preferences.

You should find the logs just in "(My) Documents" in a "My Chat Logs" folder, that's the default setting anyway.

The encryption on the logs cannot be broken

Thank you djdannyp.
Is it possible to build something like an automatic turn of, of Windows Live Messenger's own logs because i think it's quite useless if you encrypt your conversations and Windows Live Messenger stores an unencryptet copy... anyway.
Btw what sort of encryption is used to encrypt the files? There is something wirtten about 2048 bit so its an asymmetric encryption?

regrads

Yes, Windows Live Messegner's own logs can be turned off by going to "Tools>Options" then going to the "Messages" tab and unticking "Automatically keep a history of my conversations"

quote:

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Originally posted by LoC
Btw what sort of encryption is used to encrypt the files? There is something wirtten about 2048 bit so its an asymmetric encryption?

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Plus! uses the Windows Cryptographic APIs to encrypt the logs using a salt key and a user provided password. This can be done in various bit strengths (2048 is the highest being used at the moment if I'm not mistaken; but even the lowest one gives more than enough protection).

PS:
If you mean with "can they be broken" if there is a way to decrypt them without knowing the password, then no (thus what djdannyp said).

If you mean  if they can become corrupted, then yes. As with all files they can become corrupted due to various reasons (eg: hard disk failure/bad sector, etc). When they become corrupted your chances to decrypt them (with the proper password) becomes very slim, although not impossible in some cases. See Encrypting, decrypting etc. of Plus! chatlogs.