What is a .ID2 file?
The .ID2 file extension is associated with Windows Live Messenger, which was an online messaging program. These files are specifically used to store information about emoticons, which are small digital images or icons used to express emotions in messages. The .ID2 file contains details like the name of the emoticon and the keyboard shortcut used to insert the emoticon into messages. This file works together with a .DT2 file, which actually contains the image of the emoticon.
To use these emoticons, you would typically create or download custom emoticons, which involve both .ID2 and .DT2 files. The .ID2 file holds the metadata, while the .DT2 file has the visual representation.
If you have .ID2 files, they are usually found in specific folders on your computer. For users with Windows XP, these files are often located in "\Application Data\Microsoft\Messenger\[YourLiveID]\ObjectStore\CustomEmoticons". In Windows Vista, the location is slightly different: "\AppData\Microsoft\Messenger\[YourLiveID]\ObjectStore\CustomEmoticons".
The names of .ID2 files can appear strange or cryptic because they are automatically generated using a hash (a type of digital fingerprint) of the associated .DT2 file. This means the names are not straightforward and are unique to each emoticon.
To open an .ID2 file, you would have used Microsoft Windows Live Messenger. However, it's important to note that Windows Live Messenger was discontinued in 2013, and its services were merged with Skype. Therefore, opening these files in their original program is no longer possible unless you are using an old version of the software that still operates on your system.
For additional security, .ID2 files are encrypted and decrypted using the Windows Live Messenger user's Passport User ID (PUID), which helps protect the information in the file.
Since Windows Live Messenger has been discontinued, handling these files might require specific legacy software or converting them for use in other platforms like Skype, which might not directly support the .ID2 format.
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