Tips for saving time and space

Use the icon in the system tray. If you don't want to give Windows Messenger too much of your desktop real estate, work with the icons in the system tray (the area to the right of the taskbar, where the clock appears). Right-click the Windows Messenger icon, and click Send an Instant Message to see a list of your contacts.

Shrink the Conversation window. If you're not having a video conversation, you can reduce the size of the Conversation window by hiding the sidebar. On the View menu, click Show Sidebar to clear the check mark.

Send URLs to get to Web pages fast. If you want to have a conversation with someone about something that's on the Web, you can send the URL in Windows Messenger before your conversation. Your recipient can click the link right in the Conversation window, move directly to the Web page, and review the page before you begin your chat.

Simplify e-mail. Send e-mail from within Windows Messenger and save yourself the trouble of opening your e-mail program. On the Actions menu, click Send E-mail, and then click the name of the contact you want to send an e-mail message to. Click OK to open an e-mail window.

Change the look of text. To make your part of a conversation stand out so you can easily recognize what you said, change the font, color, or size of your text. On the Tools menu, click Options. On the Personal tab, click Change Font. Select the font, color, and size you want to use, and then click OK.