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FAQ - Instant Messaging: Adding Contacts

Instant Messaging isn't very useful until you start adding people to your list of contacts. Follow the instructions below to add people either from Exchange or .NET Passport. Messenger will show the status of any users you've added to your list, indicating whether they are online or not.

Steps to add Exchange Contacts

1. In the main window, click Add a Contact under I want to.
2. You must know the email address of the person you want to add as a contact; if you don't know it, you can search for it. Choose your next step accordingly:

a) Click By email address or sign-in name, and click Next. Click Microsoft Exchange Instant Messaging, type the person's email address, and then click Next.

b) Click Search for a contact to search the corporate directory for the person's email name. Click Next, and then type the person's first and last name. In the Search for this person at list, click Microsoft Exchange Instant Messaging, and then click Next. If the person is not found, you can click Back to search for another name.

If the person has a corporate email address, he or she will be added to your list of contacts.

Notes

• If I want to is not visible, click Show Actions Pane on the Tools menu.
• If you have Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0 and are unable to search for email names, please contact your system administrator to get the Directory Service Client installed on your computer. (This is not necessary if you have Windows 2000 or Windows XP.)
• If the contact you are adding uses the same service that you do (that is, your addresses are the same after the @ sign), you only need to enter the person's email name (the portion before the @ sign) in the Add a Contact Wizard.

Steps to add other Contacts

1. In the main window, click Add a Contact under I want to.
2. Follow the instructions in the Add a Contact wizard.

If you click By email address or sign-in name, click Next and, if necessary, click the service your proposed contact uses. (Multiple services are listed only if you have contacts from more than one service.) Then enter the person's email address. The wizard checks to see if this person has a Passport.

If the person has a Passport, their name will be added to your list of contacts.

If you click Search for a contact, click Next, type the person's first and last name, and on the Search for this person at list, click the directory you want to search, and click Next.

If you find the person you are looking for, click their name and click Next to see if they have a Passport.

If the person has a Passport, we cannot reveal their email address, but we can send an email that explains how they can install and add you as a contact.

If the person doesn't have a Passport, you are given the opportunity to send email inviting this person to get a Passport and download .

Notes

• If I want to is not visible, click Show Actions Pane on the Tools menu.
• When you click Search for a contact, you cannot use asterisks as wildcards when you enter the name.
• You can add up to 150 contacts to your list. Remember, however, that you can send an instant message to anyone who uses Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger.

Related Links
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