how do I export my chat history?

Hi,

Welcome to the Skype Community!

This feature can only be accessed using Skype for Windows Desktop. Skype Preview for Windows 10 does not have the ability yet to export chat history to CSV file.

Regards,

Rhiza_E

Hi

I think I have the correct software as my surface pro 4 says

Skype for Windows 10 is already in your computer but if you’d like to use the classic version of Skype click here.​

But I am still lost as to capture the chat history

Thanks

Bill

Are you using now the classic Skype for Windows Desktop,

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA11099/how-do-i-find-my-way-around-skype-for-windows-desktop

or the new Microsoft Skype for Windows 10 (Skype UWP) application?

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34664/finding-your-way-around-skype-for-windows-10?platform=uwp

the latter

Microsoft Skype for Windows 10

noting my previous comment that the download response is "Skype for Windows 10 is already in your computer"

Skype only has ~30 days of chat history in the cloud.  Any local history beyond 30 days would come from your local history file.  If that local history is no longer present or damaged only cloud history would be available.  If you have less than 30 days worth of history, simply install the Skype for Windows Desktop application.  Once you sign in it will download what is in the cloud and you can export it.  If you have more than 30 days of chat history, then you should copy your history file (main.db) from your Skype for Windows 10, to Skype for Windows Desktop. You can then use that export function.

Skype for Windows 10 App history is located in a subfolder of your Skype name in: %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.SkypeApp_kzf8qxf38zg5c\LocalState

Skype for Windows Desktop (Classic) history is located in a subfolder of your Skype name in: 
%appdata%\Skype

You can perform this manually or use the following program I created to do it for you.  It default to copying history form the App to the Desktop version.  You would have to select the second option.

CopyDB (.NET 4.0 version) [pcdust.com]

Whether you perform this manually or using my program, you have to had logged onto both versions with your account at least once.  You should not be signed in or running either version of Skype when performing the copy.

I need to export Skype conversations and archive them is a readable format.

The current version 12.10.572.0 would not appear to have a "tools" option.

I can find the main.db, but how can I read it?

Thank you for your support.

The way how chat messages are saved locally has changed with the 12.X update of Microsoft Skype for Windows 10 (Skype UWP) application.

Chat messages are no longer stored in the main.db database file, but the new skype.db database file.

The skype.db file is a standard SQLite database file, and can be opened using a SQLite browser/editor application.

You can search on the Web for such a SQLite browser, but the one which I'm using is the DB Browser for SQLite, which you can download from this site:

http://sqlitebrowser.org/

Thank you very much.  SQLite I can deal with.

Any idea, however, why MS makes this so painful?  It would seem a normal requirement.  I can remember exporting conversations for AOL's AIM 20 years ago!

Thank you again!

brian

Please, don't ask why Microsoft is doing this or that. This belongs to Science Fiction World.

RRR! thanks again!

Brian