How does one delete the file that contains all of the ICQ users one
has placed on "Ignore"? What's the file name?

Hi nautico-ga:

The local copy of your ICQ "ignore" list is actually integrated into
your contact list file, which can be found in at:

   <System Drive>:\Program Files\ICQ\2003b\<ICQ#>\Users<ICQ#>.cdx

Since it is integrated with the rest of your contact list, it would
not be a good idea to delete this file as a quick approach to deleting
your Ignore list. As well, by default ICQ stores a copy of your
contact list on the ICQ servers in order to make it available to you
when you use ICQ Lite, or the mobile versions of ICQ. So, deleting the
local version would not necessarily result in deleting your Ignore
list as it will still be on the server.

To remove users from your Ignore list (ie. to unignore them), it is
best to edit your Ignore list by following the directions on the
following ICQ webpage:

http://www.icq.com/support/security/icqlite/ignore.html

To summarize the instructions, simply click on the 'Main' button, and
select the 'Security and Privacy Permissions' option; on the
subsequent dialog window, locate 'Ignore List' in the left hand pane
(it may not be exactly where the graphic on the web page shows, in
mine it is in the upper section). Then, you can highlight the ignored
users that you no longer wish to ignore, and use the "Remove from
Ignore List" button to unignore them. If you have many people on your
Ignore List, this cleanup may take a few minutes; however, once you
are done, you can be assured that your changes will be synchronized
with the online copy of your contact list, as well as your local copy.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you would like any part of
this Answer clarified.

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Answer Clarification by nautico-ga on 03 Apr 2004 14:58 PST

I was aware of the procedure you mention, but with more than 300 names
on my Ignore list, there seems no way to delete the entire list in one
fell swoop. I would have thought that one could highlight each name
(by holding down the Ctrl key), THEN remove the whole bunch with a
single delete, but such seems impossible. Instead, it seems that one
can only delete them one at a time, a very tedious process. Do you
concur that's the only way to accomplish a deletion of all?

---

Clarification of Answer by aht-ga on 03 Apr 2004 15:58 PST

The challenge is that, now that the lists are server based, the client
can only add/remove one entry at a time. This affects all lists, both
Contact and Ignore.

However, I most definitely am not going to say "that's just the way it
is, so there!" What sort of customer service would that be? So here's
how I would delete a list of 300 Ignore entries, without spending
another dime:

a) Download and install Skynergy Hotkeyz, a freeware keyboard macro
application, from: http://www.skynergy.com/hotkeyz.html
   (direct link to download: http://www.skynergy.com/hotkeyz/htkz.exe )

b) After installing Hotkeyz, start it up

c) You can choose to familiarize yourself with this very useful app by
reading the Help file, or simply follow along with the rest of these
instructions

d) In the Hotkeyz window, you will see two panes; above the right pane
is a "New" button with two keys as the symbol, click it to create a
New hotkey definition

e) In the window that appears, type "Record New ICQ Macro" as the Description

f) In the Command pulldown, select Macros>Macro Recording

g) In the 'Parameter' field, replace the automatic 'Macro Filename'
with 'ICQ Ignore Delete'

h) In the Hot Key "click here and..." box, click there and press/hold
Ctrl-Shift-R, then click OK

i) Click the "New" button again to create a second definition, call it
'ICQ Ignore Delete Command'

j) For the Command pulldown, select Macros>Macro Playback Loop

k) For the Parameter, enter the same as before, 'ICQ Ignore Delete'

l) For the hotkey, select something different, such as Ctrl-Shift-S, then click OK

m) Open ICQ, go to Main>Security and Privacy Permissions, and go to
the Ignore list screen

n) With Hotkeyz still running, and the Ignore list in the foreground,
press Ctrl-Shift-R to start recording a macro (note: do not do any
unnecessary mouse moves or key presses while recording, it all gets
recorded!)

o) Click on the first name in the Ignore list

p) Press Alt-V (to 'Remove from Ignore List')

q) Press 'N' to prevent from adding to Contact List

r) Press Ctrl-Shift-R to stop recording the macro

s) Now... press Ctrl-Shift-S to start playing the macro back in a loop

t) When all of the names have been removed, press Ctrl-Shift-S again
to stop the loop


That should do it for you!

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

Many thanks. Worked like a charm!

nautico:

Thanks for the tip! I'm glad it worked well for you. That Hotkeyz
program is quite useful, handy to have around for the next time
something comes up that requires tedious, repetitive mouse or key
clicks.

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

Yes, and it was fun watching it work, my pointer jumping all over the
place. I could almost hear the CPU panting from the exertion!