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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteYou can transfer an old ICQ contact list and chat history by closing ICQ, copying its complete local data folder to the new computer over a private network, then restoring it with the same or a compatible client version. This is now an archival task: ICQ’s service shut down on June 26, 2024, so a local copy may still be usable, but you should not expect to sign in or download missing conversations from ICQ’s servers. Miranda NG’s shutdown notice explains the change.
Before you copy anything
- Keep the old computer and its ICQ data untouched until you have verified the restored copy.
- Close ICQ completely on both computers before copying or replacing database files. If needed, check Task Manager to confirm no ICQ process remains.
- Use the same UIN (account number) and, if possible, the same ICQ client version on the destination computer.
- Make a local backup of the source data, then transfer a copy. Keep at least two copies before attempting any conversion.
- Use a private, trusted network and restrict access to the share: chat archives can contain personal messages, contact details, and attachments.
Find the ICQ data on the old computer
There is no single folder path that applies to every ICQ release. Older desktop clients used version-specific database directories; historical names include 2001a, 2000b, 2000a, db99, newdb, and db. The historical ICQ FAQ describes these layouts and the need to handle database files according to the client version.
Later ICQ 6/7-era installations have been reported to use message files named Messages.qdb or messages.mdb. Example Windows locations include C:Documents and Settings<username>Application DataICQ<UIN>Messages.qdb and C:Users<username>AppDataRoamingICQ<UIN>Messages.qdb; these are historical examples, not guaranteed paths for every build. See the version-specific discussion of ICQ history files.
Copy the complete ICQ data directory first rather than guessing which single file contains everything. It may include the contact list, message database, profile and configuration files, received files, and any export or conversion utility included with that installation. To locate candidates, search the old drive for Messages.qdb, messages.mdb, 2000b, 2001a, and ICQ. Do not confuse a message database with an exported chat log: the latter may be readable on its own, while the database may require a compatible legacy client.
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Copy the backup over the network
Using File Explorer
- On the old computer, exit ICQ and make a backup copy of its data directory.
- Share that backup folder temporarily with only the intended account on your private network. Sharing controls differ by Windows version, so use the settings available on your system and avoid making the folder accessible to everyone on the network.
- On the new computer, open File Explorer and enter the old computer’s network path, such as
\OLD-COMPUTERICQ-Backup. You can use the old computer’s name or IP address. - Copy the folder to a local destination, for example
D:ICQ-Backup. Do not move the only original copy. - After confirming the transfer, remove the temporary share.
Using Robocopy
If you are comfortable with Command Prompt and have already shared the source folder, this generic Windows copy command transfers the folder and its subdirectories:
robocopy "\OLD-COMPUTERICQ-Backup" "D:ICQ-Backup" /E /COPY:DAT /R:2 /W:2 /XJ
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Replace the computer name and destination with your own. Do not run this while ICQ is using the source database.
Restore the data on the new computer
- Install the same ICQ release if it is available and appropriate for the destination system. Matching versions give the best chance of recognizing an old database, though older software may be difficult to run on newer Windows versions.
- Start ICQ once, then exit it completely. This may create the destination profile and expected folder structure.
- Identify the destination data directory for the same UIN. With ICQ closed, preserve a copy of any newly created destination folder, then replace it with the backed-up folder or restore the required files into the corresponding location.
- Start the client and check that both the contact list and older messages appear. Keep the source computer and backup unchanged until verification is complete.
Historical advice sometimes recommends copying the entire ICQ program folder, and that could work between machines running the same old release. It is not a reliable universal migration method: program files may depend on old paths, registry settings, or libraries. Prefer installing the destination client separately and restoring its data folder. A historical network-transfer discussion describes the older whole-folder approach: AnandTech ICQ transfer thread.
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What changes when the ICQ version changes?
Do not assume that a database from one release will open in another. Older ICQ versions may not read newer database formats; moving to a newer release could require a version-specific converter and may alter the database. The historical FAQ discusses version differences and conversion considerations: ICQ database guidance.
- Preserve an untouched backup before opening the database in a different release.
- Use a converter only on a duplicate, if the relevant client version provides one.
- Do not let a newer client upgrade the only copy of an older database.
- If the database was copied from removable media and will not open, check whether its files are marked Read-only and clear that attribute on a working duplicate if appropriate.
If contacts or messages do not appear
- Check the account: confirm the destination client is using the same UIN and that you restored the folder for that profile.
- Check the location: search for other ICQ data directories on the old drive; storage paths varied by release and Windows version.
- Check that ICQ is closed: replace files only when no client process is using them. A copy made during a database write may be incomplete.
- Check permissions and attributes: ensure your Windows account can read and write the restored directory, and check whether files are Read-only.
- Check the format: confirm the database filename and extension match the client generation. A different release may need a converter.
- Consider damage or missing source data: incomplete transfers, abrupt shutdowns, or database conversion can leave files unusable. Stop working on the original and try recovery only on a duplicate.
- Consider where the history lived: if the conversation was never stored locally and existed only on ICQ’s service, a local folder copy cannot restore it.
Do not use one live database from two computers
A one-time network copy is different from keeping both computers pointed at the same database on a share. Do not do the latter. Concurrent access, dropped connections during writes, or file-locking problems can lose changes or corrupt the database. ICQ’s historical FAQ also describes manual replacement rather than a straightforward way to merge or keep two installations synchronized.
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If you want an archive available on more than one device, keep it as a read-only or versioned backup and open it on one computer at a time. Cloud storage or a NAS can hold backup copies, but should not synchronize a database that an ICQ client is actively using.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Preserve the history in a readable format
If a compatible legacy client or utility can open the database, export important conversations to HTML or plain text for easier long-term access. A historical ICQ FAQ mentions HTML history export in some circumstances. Keep the original database as the preservation copy; an export may omit details or attachments. A PDF can be useful as a presentation copy, but should not replace the original archive.
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Do not assume a file such as Messages.qdb can be opened by SQLite or a generic database viewer. ICQ used different formats across releases, and portability depends on the client and database version.
If the old computer is gone
Look for the ICQ folder in a full-disk image, Windows user-profile backup, old Application Data or AppData directory, copied program folder, NAS or cloud backup, or forensic image of the old drive. Also search for exported HTML or text logs. For a reported older macOS installation, a secondary source lists /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/ICQ/Users/<account-number>/History/, but paths vary; search the user’s Library/Application Support area rather than relying on that example as universal: reported ICQ history locations.
If the only copy was held on ICQ’s servers and was not downloaded before the shutdown, recovery is unlikely. Miranda NG documented a pre-shutdown method for downloading available server history, and later noted that server authorization/access was no longer available after closure: Miranda NG shutdown notice and post-shutdown discussion. Those historical instructions do not mean server history can be downloaded now.
What ICQ’s shutdown means for migration today
ICQ’s service ended on June 26, 2024, so current recovery is mainly about files already on a computer or in a backup. Some older clients synchronized portions of contact lists or history while the service operated, but server synchronization was not a substitute for preserving local message databases and attachments. Miranda NG’s notice described history downloading before shutdown; it is not a current path to recover missing server-side conversations. ICQ shutdown date.
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