This is a base How-To that every one should read and follow to abilitate, increase and improve all the features of ICQ Pro for Windows to let it be more secure and powerful then before. At the moment this guide works only with the Full Featured Version if ICQ (Pro version). The New Compact Version of ICQ (Lite version) is still unsupported. |
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First of all download the latest version of ICQ Pro for Windows.
If you whant to know whats new in the last version of ICQ Pro, jsut check the What's New in ICQ Pro page. If you are updating from an older version of ICQ, be shure that your contact list has been uploaded on to the ICQ servers, then uninstall your current version of ICQ. If you are installing ICQ for the firs time, there are no problems to be aware of. |
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Now follow all the steps below and don't forget to do that in the same order as they are listed.
1° Install ICQ in your favourite destination folde (ex.: C:\Program Files\ICQ). Refere to that folder for all the following steps. 2° Before the first start of ICQ, when you are asked to make a research for friends in the ICQ channels and network, shutdown ICQ by pressing the "X" in the top-right corner of the setup window. Don't worry: you will be able to finish later the setup installation of ICQ. 3° Now you are ready to make the major changes to your ICQ. Follow the 3 sub-steps below (A,B & C), then continue with the main-steps (4,5,6,...). A. Most Important System Changes For ICQ 200x !!! - Browse to the destination folder of ICQ that you have entered before (ex.: C:\Program Files\ICQ). - Delete the 'AteBrowser' folder annd create a "read-only" text file named 'AteBrowser' with "NO" extension (ex: ..\AteBrowser.txt => ..\Atebrowser). - Now open the the 'DataFiles' foldder. - Edit the file 'climage.htm' and ddelete the '< a href="http://... " >' link and the '< /a >' at the end of the row, but pay attention leaving the '< img src="... " >' link like it is. B. Most Important Registry Changes For ICQ 200x !!! These registry changes will be applied in the following system registry folder: "HK**\Soware\Mirabilis\ICQ\DefaultPrefs" - If this folder is located in the "HKEEY_CURRENT_USER" tree, use 'changesHKCU.reg'. - If this folder is located in the "HKEEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" tree, use 'changesHKLM.reg'. This registry file will make the following changes: - Sets the "OwnersNoLimit" to "YYes" to add so many Registered Users as you like. - Sets the "MultiInstance" to "YYes" to open in the same time so many ICQs as you like. - Sets the "Auto Update" to "No<" to eliminate the autoupdate function. - Sets the "NoFirstScreen" to "YYes" to eliminate the nag screen at ICQ startup. NOTE: In some erlier version of ICQ some fo these registery setting can be allready set like above. C. Most Important Modding Changes For ICQ 200x !!! Be shoure to use the exact patch for the exact version of your ICQ. To know the exact version of your ICQ just click on the 'Main' menu, then select 'Help' and last 'About ICQ'. Download the right file for your version and then extract it to your ICQ destination folder (the same that you have entered before) Finaly go there and execute the files. After this you can delete the extracted files if you want because they are not neadet any more. - Exec the ICQ Banner Remover patchh from CrackCraft (All Rights Reserved) for your ICQ version to eliminate those annoing banners from ICQ's windows. LAST: ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2003a Beta Build #3777 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3729 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3728 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3727 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3722 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3706 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.18 Build #3659 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.17 Build #3642 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.16 Build #3640 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.15 Build #3638 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.15 Build #3637 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2000b Beta v4.70 Build #3286 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2000b Beta v4.65 Build #3281 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2000b Beta v4.63 Build #3279 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2000b Beta v4.60 Build #3278 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2000b Beta v4.55 Build #3264 ICQ Banner Remover for ICQ 2000a Beta v4.31 Build #3143 - Exec the Reveal_IP patch from Boa Byte for your ICQ version to see the IP of your friends of your contact list. LAST: Reveal_IP for ICQ 2003a Beta Build #3777 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3728 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3727 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3722 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2002a Beta Build #3706 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.18 Build #3659 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.17 Build #3642 Reveal_IP for ICQ 2001b Beta v5.15 Build #3638 To see the IP address of the users on your contact list just select the interested user and open his 'User Details / Address Book' and go in the 'ICQ Details / Email' tab. You will be able to notice the 'Current / Last IP:' box. 4° Now you can finalize the setup installation of ICQ by simply loading it. To do this just run ICQ using the icon on your desktop or with the one in your Winodws Start Menu. Wile loading, the software will understand that the setup installation is not finisched yet and it will prompt you to finalize it. 5° Wait until ICQ has finished downloading your contact list from the ICQ server (it works only if you are allready an ICQ user). 6° If you care about don't letting other users (that have installed Reveal_IP) to see your IP, just follow the sub-step below (D) or skip directly at step 8°. D. Important Security Changes For ICQ 200x !!! NOTE: Be sure you are in Advanced Mode. If you han't done that before, from the 'Main' menu select 'To Andvanced Mode'. - From the 'Main' menu select 'SSecurity & Privacy Permissions'. - On the left column under 'Permissionss' select 'Peer to Peer Connection'. - Now on the right window in the 'Peer to Peer' area, select the dot in the last position that says 'Allow Peer to Peer Connection with any user upon your authorization'. - Finaly press the 'Apply' button tto save the new settings. - Shutdown and restart ICQ again for the cchanges to take effect. If you want to make a try, tell an user on your contact list that have installed Reveal_IP to check for you which is your IP address. If you have done everything right, he will see your IP address always like '0.0.0.0'. 7° Now you have finaly finished with all of these 'Changes'. Configure the rest of the ICQ preferences as you like. To do this go in the 'Main' menu and then select 'Preferences'. 8° If you have a DSL connection or if you use a Router to connect to the internet, check if you are capable to 'send at' and 'recieve from' the users on your contact list. If you find some difficults, just follow the sub-step below (E) or skip directly at step 9°. E. Most Important Transfer Changes For ICQ 200x !!! NOTE: Be sure you are in Advanced Mode. If you han't done that before, from the 'Main' menu select 'To Andvanced Mode'. - From the 'Main' menu select 'PPreferences' and then 'Connections'. You will notice four tabs. - Under the 'General' tab, in the ''Firewall IP Settings' area, select the dot in the second position that says 'ICQ will determine IP automatically'. - Now select the 'Server' tab and iin the 'Proxy Settings' area select the dot in the second position that says 'Using Firewall' and then the one in the first position that says 'Not using proxy'. - Still in the 'Server' tab tick thhe 'Keep connection alive' box at the bottom of the window. - Leave the 'Firwalll' tab like it is and jump directly to the text tab. - Under the last tab 'User', in thee 'Advanced Users' area, select 'Not using Proxy'. - Now select 'Use the following TCP lissten port for incoming event' and set the TCP port range as follows: . set 'From: 20000 To: 20019' for the first ICQ running . set 'From: 20020 To: 20039' for the second ICQ running . set 'From: 20040 To: 20059' for the third ICQ running . . set 'From: xxxxx To: xxxxx' for the xxxxx ICQ running NOTE: Follow this method to add other TCP port ranges for other ICQs running. Of course if you are running only one ICQ or if you run different ICQs but not at the same time, you can use only one TCP port range for every ICQ. You can select then the port range that you want, but its recommanded that you use one of the port range above. - Finaly press the 'Apply' button tto save the new settings. - Shutdown and restart ICQ again for the cchanges to take effect. Now you have to open the same TCP ports even in your Router to obtain the transfere capability. You have to do this because ICQ will allways try to send/recieve through the TCP ports setted in the ICQ preferences. Open the TCP ports as follows: . set the 'OUT' port as 'UDP : 4000' for every TCP port range . set the 'IN' port as : 'TCP : 20000 to 20019' for one ICQ running . set the 'IN' port as : 'TCP : 20000 to 20039' for two ICQ running . set the 'IN' port as : 'TCP : 20000 to 20059' for three ICQ running . . set the 'IN' port as : 'TCP : 20000 to xxxxx' for xxxxxx ICQ running NOTE: Follow this method to add other TCP port ranges for other ICQs running. Of course if you are running only one ICQ or if you run different ICQs but not at the same time, you can use only one TCP port range for every ICQ. You can select then the port range that you want, but its recommanded that you use one of the port range above. Remember to match the TCP port range setted in the ICQ preferences with the TCP port range setted in the Router. P.S.: For a compleat list of TCP port settings for ICQ and alot other other known softwares, please visit the Network Port List page. 9° I havn't thinked yet about a 10th step. Maybe in the future... EnJoy! :-)
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