Instant Messaging Handbook

To send an IM

  1. From the Main Window select a contact or contact group from the Public List.
  2. Double-click the contact or group.
  3. The Conversation Window displays. From there, you can write and send your message.
  4. In the Conversation Window, type your message in the Lower Window and click Send or hit the “enter” key.
  5. When your message is sent, a copy of it displays in the Conversation Window's upper window.


Receiving Messages

If you are not online when the message is received, Ipswitch Instant Messaging will notify you the next time you log on.

Notification While Logged On

If a message is received while you're online, Ipswitch Instant Messaging will notify you immediately using the options you specify in the General Options. (choose one of the following):

·  Flashing. The conversation tile on the task bar (bottom of screen) will flash when a message is received. To view the message, restore the Conversation Window by clicking on the tile.

·  Bring window to front on new message. When a new message is received, the Conversation Window appears in front of all running applications on your desktop

If you really want to be clearly alerted that a new message is received, then you want to select the ‘window to front” option in the General Options. The “Flashing” option is less intrusive, but also harder to notice.

Notification While Not Logged On

If you are not logged on to the Ipswitch Instant Messaging network when another user initiates an conversation, you will receive a message the next time you log on notifying you that you received an Offline conversation. To read the message, select it, then click View.

Closing the Conversation Window

Closing the Window does not end the conversation. Each time a participant sends a new message to the conversation, the conversation will reactivate and continue.

To Close the Conversation Window click the X in the upper right corner of the window.


Sending a Message to More Than One Person

Ipswitch Instant Messaging makes it easy to send a message to more than one person:

  1. From the Main Window, select a Contact or Contact Group from the Public Contacts list.

Note: You can select ranges of contacts by holding shift as you click the first and last contact in the range. You can also select multiple contacts by holding control as you click each one.

  1. Right click on any of the selected contacts or groups and select Send Instant Message.
  2. The Conversation Window appears. Now you're ready to write and send your message.

Attaching a File

To attach a file to the conversation:

  1. From the Conversation Tools, click the paper clip. The Open dialog appears.
  2. Enter the path and filename or browse to find the file you wish to attach.
  3. Once you've located the file, select it and then click Open, or you can double-click the file.
  4. Once the file has been selected, it's attached to your unsent instant message. Click Send to send the attached file to the conversation.

Opening an Attached File

Attached files display in the Conversation Window's Upper Pane.

Double click the attached file.

§  The attachment downloads to the Windows temp folder and is automatically opened.

Printing Conversations

You can print any conversation from the Conversation Window .

To print a conversation:

  1. From the Conversation Window, select File > Print. The Print dialog appears.
  2. Make any changes you desire to the print settings, then click Print.

The printed conversation will include a complete list of the conversation participants, the date and time that the conversation was printed, and the complete text of the conversation.

To Change your Status While Logged on

From the Main Window, under the Public and Personal Contacts lists on the lower left of the screen, click the Online option list.

  1. The Status option list displays.
  2. Scroll down the list and select one of the options from the listing.
  3. The new Status displays on the Main Window.

Offline Status

When you log off, a message is displayed to other Ipswitch Instant Messaging users. The Offline Status feature is useful when you want to provide a short explanation about why you are not logged on.

Examples of Offline Status message include the following:

·  On vacation until July 25

·  Traveling to the Winnipeg office

·  At customer location until Friday

Note: The Ipswitch Instant Messaging Server remembers your last entered message.

To Change your Offline Status:

  1. From your computer's task tray, right click on the Ipswitch Messaging icon.
  2. A list displays. Scroll up the list and select Log Off with Status. The Offline Status dialog displays.
  3. Enter your status in Offline Status Message, then click OK.

Remember: You will not see your status change; your offline status is visible to other Ipswitch Instant Messaging users only after you've logged off.