access backup chat history

[insider]

Hello,

I have just reinstalled my OS ( I am using Windows 7) and I previously did a backup of my Skype chat history. (I copied everything that there was inside the .../AppData/Roaming/Skype/ ). I then copied those files inside the same location after reinstalling. I should be able to access all my previous conversations theoretically now, but I cannot.

Any help would be much appreciated!

[ruwim]

Theoretically yes, but only if you do this in the right way. Most likely, you have only pasted the backup as an extra copy, so you have now two folders with your Skype name. The one, which has exactly the name of your Skype account, does not contain your old chat history. The other one, which is only a copy of your Skype account folder, keeps still all the older history, but is not accessed by Skype. Actually, you only need to copy and paste one file – the main.db database file.

Stop Skype from running on your computer.

Open the copied folder. Within this folder you will see a file with the name main.db. It may only show as “main” but you will see “Data base file” in the type column. Make a copy of this file.

Open now the new folder with your Skype name. Paste the copy of the main.db file over into this folder. Just make sure that you actually overwrite the existing main.db and not only insert a copy of the old main.db file.

[insider]

Thank you for your reply. I have looked at the files that I have and the only main.db that is missing is the one from my id. How is this possible. when I did the backup of the conversations not to have that one anymore?

I have everything else though...

[ruwim]

I’m not 100% sure, but if Skype was still running (even in the background), then the main.db file was locked, and therefore the copy operation failed.

[insider]

I think you are right. I just tried to copy the main.db file again and it didn't because skype is running. Is there any way of restoring my archive if I don't have that file?

I hope so, because otherwise I have lost 2 years of information, that can never be replaced. 

[ruwim · Accepted solution]

I’m very sorry to disappoint you, but the only place where Skype stories the chat history is the main.db file on your computer. Without this file the history is lost. It’s just too bad, that the fact that it’s necessary to quit Skype before making the backup is not mentioned in Skype FAQ.

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA413/How-do-I-back-up-my-configuration-and-instant-message-history

[insider]

Exactly. I followed the instructions like they say in there, but no word about quitting Skype before.

Thank you for your help!

[sherwin87]

i need to access my old chat history more than 1 year old

[Ramaz]

As an option is to export chat history, there is a number of tools.

G-Recorder (www.g-recorder.com) looks a good tool for this, it extracts old chats and backups new ones to Gmail in runtime, which is perfect for later search.

[marthoulaki]

I would like to ask you a question relative to the deletion of the chat history. There is a possibility, after some conversation, I though I make the Clear History hackers to get into someone and find old conversations. I stress that everything I do before I make clear historical. thank you