Save and find your Lync instant messages

Have you ever wanted to go back and find a previous IM conversation that contains a URL you're looking for? Or see the history of your IMs and calls? Or delete an old message? If you use Microsoft Outlook for email, you might have the option to save your IMs in your Outlook conversation history folder. The option can be turned on or off by organizations that use Outlook for email.

Verify that your conversation history is being saved

Let's start by seeing whether conversation history is available in your organization. If it is, we'll explain how to get to it and find specific IMs.

1. On the Lync main window, click the Options button, and then click Personal.

2. In the Personal information manager section, look for a check box labeled Save IM conversations in my email Conversation History folder.

3. If you don't see this check box, or if it's in the window but dimmed (not operable), this means either you're not using Outlook for email, or you are using Outlook but your organization has set up your Lync account such that IM conversations are not being saved in Outlook.

4. If the check box is there and operable but it's clear, select it if you want your conversation history saved, and then click OK.

5. If the check box is there and selected, your conversation history is already being saved.

Important:  If you don't want to save your conversation history, clear the Save IM conversations in my email Conversation History folder check box, and then click OK. Also, be aware that this functionality is either on or off. If it's off, all your conversations are discarded and you won't be able to select specific messages to keep. Likewise, if it's on, all your conversations are saved, in which case you can go into Outlook to delete messages you don't want to keep.

Look at your conversation history

So, assuming your conversation history is available, on the Lync main window, click the Conversations tab.

Your conversations are shown with the most recent at the top. Phone calls you've had are also shown in the Conversations list. However, missed calls that were sent to voice mail are displayed on the Phone view that you get by clicking the Phone icon.

In addition to the ALL selection, you can click one of the other two tabs on the Conversations window:

• MISSED Lists only your missed conversations and calls

• CALLS Lists only your phone calls (completed and missed)

There's a selection at the bottom of the window called View More in Outlook. Choosing it gives you a complete history. You can delete any conversation by right-clicking it, and selecting Delete.

Find a past conversation with a contact

1. Open Lync, and in your Contacts list, right-click the contact whose previous conversation you want to view. Or, you can enter the name in the search box.

2. Choose Find Previous Conversations.

You'll now see a listing of the contact's conversations with you in the Outlook Conversation History folder. To track down a specific conversation, browse to the approximate date of the conversation. Or, enter a term that might have come up in the conversation in the search box at top of the Outlook window.