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Google Talk Contact Shortcuts

google talkGoogle Talk is an instant messaging software program for Windows that can be used to chat with friends and colleagues, initiate file transfers, do voice over IP and to send and receive voicemails. It’s basically an instant messaging client for the desktop that automatically includes Google Mail contacts.

Here is a great tip on how to add Google Talk contacts as shortcuts to the Windows desktop. This makes it possible to quickly reach a bunch of important Google Talk contacts faster and more comfortably. It should also work to integrate those contacts with application launchers like Launchy to make it even more comfortable.

To add a contact in Google Talk as a shortcut do the following. Right-click the computer desktop and select New > Shortcut. Enter the following string as the location of the item: gtalk:chat?jid=<name>@email.com.

google talk shortcut

Change username@email.com to the email address of the contact in Google Talk. Click on the Next button and add a descriptive name for the shortcut. If everything worked out well clicking on the shortcut will open the chat window with that contact in Google Talk immediately even if Google Talk is not running at that time. It will launch Google Talk and display the chat window after the login procedure in this case.

Update: You can also replace chat with call to be able to instantly call someone in Google Talk.

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About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.

Author: , Friday April 17, 2009 -
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Responses so far:

  1. Radu says:

    Not working on Vista (as is known). Any solution for Vista?

  2. Radu says:

    It’s not a problem of admin rights. Vista do not allow to create such a shortcut, which is not pointing to a program.
    (The error: The file gtalk………. cannot be found do not allow you to go Next.)

  3. Addy says:

    Try extracting the shortcut from this zip file and changing the GMail username as desired in the properties…
    http://www.sendspace.com/file/rk8al9
    Lemme know if it works!

  4. Nice and neat trick ! This will save me a few clicks.

  5. Radu says:

    @Martin: of course :)
    “C:UsersRaduAppDataRoamingGoogleGoogle Talkgoogletalk.exe” /chat?jid=someone@gmail.com
    this just launch (activate) GTalk, nothing more

    “C:UsersRaduAppDataRoamingGoogleGoogle Talkgoogletalk.exe:chat?jid=someone@gmail.com” gives “The name …. specified in the Target box is not valid.”

    @Addy: downloaded, modified and I have “Unable to open this Internet Shortcut. The protocol gtalk does not have a registered program.”

    I repeat: Google Talk is installed. I use it daily.

    Check this link:
    http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2009/04/google-talk-tricks/

    I quote: This method doesn’t work on Windows Vista, but only on XP.

    I wish there is a solution for Vista!

    Thanks.

  6. thomas says:

    pls make easy shortcut for google talk

  7. burt says:

    say can you take that google map and make it not go on a angle when you get to where your going? remove that angle all together. that would be way cool, like it was before. when it was way cool not this new shit. thanks burt.

  8. dick willhardt says:

    Sorry. All I want is for you to fix my vidio site. Sane recommended vidios for over a week.
    TU
    dick

  9. rajusiddiqi says:

    an account

  10. aj says:

    here is the solution for the vista

    create the new shortcut with the name as such
    “C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Google\Google Talk\googletalk.exe” /gtalk:chat?jid=[abc]@gmail.com

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