In order to use Windows Live Messenger to send and receive IMs, you must first add your contacts to the program.
You can enter extensive information about a contact, including his or her home address, home phone, home e-mail address, work address, work phone, work e-mail address, and mobile phone numbers. You can also enter any applicable Web sites, as well as personal information such as the contact’s birth date, the name of his or her spouse or partner, and so on. Finally, you can enter notes about the contact.
That said, all that is required to enter a contact into your Windows Live Message contacts list is the contact’s name and e-mail address or mobile phone number.
1 In the Windows Live Messenger window, click the Add a Contact button.
2 In the Add a Contact window, click General.
3 Type the contact’s IM address.
4 Optionally, click the Type a Personal Invitation checkbox and invite the contact to install Windows Live Messenger.
5 To IM with this contact on his or her mobile, choose the contact’s region and type the phone number.
6 Type the contact’s nickname.
7 Click to place the contact in a group.
8 Click Contact.
9 Type the contact’s name.
10 Type the contact’s phone numbers.
11 Type the contact’s e-mail addresses.
12 Specify the primary e-mail address.
13 If the contact uses any other instant-messaging addresses, type one here.
14 Click Personal.
15 Type the contact’s home address and home phone numbers.
16 Type the contact’s personal e-mail address.
17 If the contact maintains a Web site, type its URL here.
18 Enter the contact’s birth date.
19 Type the name of the contact’s spouse or partner and enter the contact’s anniversary, if applicable.
20 Click Work.
21 Type the contact’s company, job title, work address, and work phone numbers.
22 Type the contact’s work e-mail address.
23 Type the contact’s work mobile device number.
24 Type the URL of the company’s Web site.
25 Click Save.
Tips
Remove It!
To remove a contact from your list, right-click it and click Delete Contact. In the dialog box that opens, block the contact by clicking the Also Block This Contact checkbox to mark it. (Blocking a contact prevents that contact from seeing whether you are online and from contacting you.) Optionally, click Also Remove from My Hotmail Contacts checkbox. When you are finished, click Delete Contact.
Did You Know?
You can configure Windows Live Messenger to automatically update a contact’s information in your contact list if he or she updates it in Windows Live Contacts. To do so, click the Subscribe to Updates for This Contact checkbox to select it.
More Options!
To add notes about the contact, click Notes and type the necessary information.