How to find stored login name of MSN messenger with C# or VB.NET?

Question

I have multiple chat programs (e.g. MSN, Yahoo *Messenger*, ICQ etc.) where the login name is stored, and I only need to type in the password to log on to in. But it's a hassle to open each and every chat program then login.

So, I attempt to write an application where it fetches all these stored chat program's user name into one application under a single window/form (similar to meebo.com, but I'm doing a desktop app version). User can then login in to any chat program in one application.

The first step is: how can I get or where do I look for the stored user name of a chat program? I looked into Credential Manager, but it isn't helpful.

[EDIT] Please don't tell me to use existing software, I would like to write my own :)

Answer 1

MSN Messenger stores the username and password in the Credentials Manager. To access this, you can use the following API by Microsoft.

• Credential Management with the .NET Framework 2.0

Answer 2

Spend hours reading Credential Management and find no solution - of may be I do not understand it. Found an easier way out just by reading the registry. It happens that login name of chatting program have their login name saved in the registry as a subkey folder.