Microsoft Messenger for Macintosh

Introduction

Microsoft Messenger for Mac allows Sac State students, faculty and staff to communicate with each other in a variety of ways. Office Communicator 2005 supports instant messaging, voice chats, video conversations and email. In this handout you will find information on installing and using the various features of Microsoft Messenger for Mac.

Note: Do not use Office Communicator to send private or confidential information such as passwords or social security numbers.

Install Microsoft Messenger (Mac OS X)

1. Open a browser session and go to the software download page at http://software.csus.edu/.
2. Click Obtain Software, click I Agree on the Welcome page and then sign in with your SacLink username and password.
3. Click on the link to download Microsoft Messenger. Click the Download button.
4. Drag the Microsoft Messenger icon into the Applications folder.

Launch Microsoft Messenger

1. Go to the Applications folder.
2. Double-click on Microsoft Messenger.
3. This will launch the Setup Assistant. Click on Next to advance to the Terms of Use page.
4. After reading the Terms of use, click Next. You will be asked if you agree to the terms of use. Click Accept.
5. Microsoft Messenger will check to see if you have previous versions of Messenger installed on your computer. Skip this step and click Next.
6. You will be asked which type of account you would like to set up. Select Corporate account. Click Next.
7. For e-mail address, enter your default SacLink email address (see below to determine what your default SacLink email address is). For user ID enter csus\username (where username is your SacLink ID) . For password, enter your SacLink password. Click the option to have Messenger remember your password.
8. If you do not want Microsoft Messenger in your Dock, uncheck the Place Messenger for Mac in the Dock option. If you do not want to have Microsoft Messenger start up when you boot your computer, uncheck that option as well. Click Next and you will be logged in to Messenger.

Determine Your Default SacLink Email Address

You will need to use your default SacLink email address to sign in to Microsoft Messenger for Mac. Follow the steps below to find out what your default email address is:

1. Open a Web browser and go to https://www.saclink.csus.edu.
2. Click the Email button in the top left hand corner.
3. Sign in with your SacLink username and password.
4. Click the New button to compose a new email.
5. In the To: field, enter your SacLink email address.
6. Enter a subject and click Send.
7. Check your email inbox by clicking the Inbox icon on the left.
8. You will see a new email with your name in the From: field.
9. Open this message and hover your mouse over the sender’s name (this should be your name). The little box that appears after a few seconds of hovering will contain your default email address.
   

Signing In to Microsoft Messenger

1. Open Microsoft Messenger.
2. If you do not have Messenger set to automatically remember your password, click the Sign In button. You will be prompted to enter your password.

Setup your Contact List

Add a New Contact

1. In the main Microsoft Messenger window, click Add in the upper left hand corner.
2. Enter the email address of the person you wish to add, then click Next.
3. If you wish to add another contact, click Next. If you are done adding contacts, click Finish.

Change your Status

Microsoft Messenger for Mac advertises your current status to all your online contacts. Follow the instructions below to change your status:

1. Click the Network menu.
2. Scroll Down to My Status and select the status message of your choice.
   Note: Alternatively, you may click on the blue messenger icon and choose your status message from the drop down menu.

Communicating with Microsoft Messenger for Mac

Start a chat

1. To initiate a chat with a contact, double click the contact’s name or hold down the control key and click the contact’s name and select Send an Instant Message.
   

Invite other contacts to a Conversation

1. In the conversation window, click the Actions menu and select Invite Someone to Join this Conversation.
2. A window will appear with a list of your contacts. Select the contacts you wish to add from the list and click OK.
   

Send an Email to a Contact

1. Hold the control key and click on a contact. From the drop-down menu, click on the Send Mail option.
2. A new email message will be created in the Mail application.

Sending and Receiving Files

Sending a File

1. In the Messenger main menu, click on the Send File icon.
2. A window will appear with a list of your online contacts. Select the contact you would like to send the file to.
   Note: If the contact’s Instant Message window is already open, you may click the send file icon.
3. Another window will appear with a list of files. Browse to the file you would like to send and click Open.
4. Your contact will receive a message prompting him/her to Accept or Deny the file transfer.
5. To stop the file transfer, click Cancel.

Receiving a File

1. When a contact sends a file, you will receive the following message: Accept (control+T) Decline (control+D). If you select Accept, you will receive a warning that some files may contain harmful computer worms or viruses. If you trust the source of the file click OK, otherwise click Cancel.
   Note: Some file transfers between Macintosh and Windows machines will not work.
   

 

Last Updated: May 2, 2007