Messenger (Instant messaging) password recovery:

An application that allows real-time conversations over the Internet between two users.

All Internet instant messaging applications have the password remember functions.

These passwords are stored localy as registry values or on local files.

 

AOL was the first instant messenger combining presence or list of contacts with the ability to send messages within the AOL network. AOL network had 6M subscribers using instant messaging when another company named Mirabilis introduced ICQ in November 1996 and was the first one to introduce this concept freely on the Internet, outside of the AOL network. When the number of users of ICQ became a threat to AOL instant messaging service, AOL acquired Mirabilis/ICQ. Few years later AOL/ICQ was awarded two patents from the U.S. patent office. After its introduction, a number of variations of instant messaging have arisen in parallel in many places such as (Yahoo, MSN, Excite, Ubique), each with its own protocol. More secured, corporate and commercial oriented solutions for instant messaging introduced by IBM/(Lotus Sametime) and by others. This has led to users running many instant messaging applications simultaneously to be available on several networks. Alternatively they could use a client which supports many protocols, such as Gaim, Trillian or Miranda clients.