Are you crazy about Google Talk. Do you want to be become a master of Google Talk? Then here is a source for you to know each and every secret of Google Talk. I think this is a complete list of tips, tricks, hacks, howto’s, keyboard shortcuts and few miscellaneous facts about Google Talk.
Tips & Tricks
1. Change the font size
While holding the control key, move the scroll wheel on your mouse either up or down. This trick works while being focused in either the read or write area.
2. Insert line breaks
If you want to have a message that spans multiple paragraphs, just hold shift and hit enter. You can add as many new lines as you want to create.
3. Bold Text
To write something bold, you can use an asterisk before and after the word. For Example *Hungry Hacker*
4. Italic Text
To use italics, use an underscore before and after the word. For Example _Hungry Hacker_
5. Switch windows
Hitting tab will cycle through open windows. It will select minimized conversations, to expand them just hit enter. If you just want to cycle through IM’s and don’t care about the buddy list, control-tab will do that and will automatically expand a minimized conversation if you settle on one.
6. Invitation Tips
You don’t need to say Yes or No when someone wants to add you as a friend; you can simply ignore it, the request will go away. (On the other hand, someone with whom you chat often will automatically turn to be your friend, unless you disable this in the options).
7. Show Hyperlinks
You can show your homepage or blog URL simply by entering it in your away message (at the top of the main window). It will automatically turn to a link visible to others.
How To’s
1. Use multiple identities on Google Talk
Want to run Google Talk with multiple Gmail identities? If you have several Google Gmail accounts you also may want to run multiple instances of Google Talk This is especially important for families that share a single PC. Basically, to have “Google Polygamy” you need to run Google Talk with the following switch: /nomutex
- Right-click on the desktop
- Select New -> Shortcut
- Paste the following into the Address box:
“C:\program files\google\google talk\googletalk.exe” /nomutex
- Click Next and choose a shortcut name such as Google Talk1, Google Talk2, or something related to your Gmail account for easy remembering which account is which.
2. Use Google Talk via a Web Browser
You want to use Google Talk anywhere ? Follow these guidelines 
- Opens your favourite web browser.
- Go to following Website
http://www.webjabber.net:8080/jim/
- Follow the instructions of the Page.
- You can talk with your friends
3. Conference Calls
- Open up a copy of Google Talk on all computers with which you wish to conference.
- After one copy is opened make a new shortcut for Google Talk but at the end of it add /nomutex.
- If you installed it to the default folder then your shortcut should read “C:\Program Files\Google\Google Talk\googletalk.exe” /nomutex.
- Open 2nd instances of the software on every user’s computer.
- After this start a chain: User 1 should connect on one instance to user 2. User 2 will connect on his second instance to user 3. User 3 will connect using his second instance back to user 1. With this chain everyone is connected to everyone.
4. Change Nickname
You can’t change your nickname in a way that other people will see it change. Every nickname in the Google Talk Contact List is the part that is before @gmail.com (only the alphabetical characters are used) or the name you chosen for your GMail account. To change the nickname you need to do the following:
- Go to your Gmail account and change the name there.
- Choose Settings, Accounts, and then Edit info. Click on the second radio button, and enter your custom name.
- As a result all of your emails will have that nick as well, there is no way to seperate the two.
- You can add a website in your custom message, it will be clickable when someone opens a conversation window with you.
5. Contacts
You don’t need to say Yes or No when someone wants to add you as a friend; you can simply ignore it, the request will go away. (On the other hand, someone with whom you chat often will automatically turn to be your friend, unless you disable this).
6. Play Music
It’s possible to broadcast music, MP3, etc. through Google Talk. Follow the steps given bellow:
- Unplug your microphone.
- Double click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner. This will open up “Volume Control”.
- Select “Options” and then “Properties”. Then check the button next to “Recording” then click OK.
- You may also have to change your setting under Mixer Device. Now the Recording Control screen should be up.
- On my computer I selected “Wave Out Mix”. Click on the green phone in Google Talk and call your friend.
Registry Hacks
Before applying any of these Registry Tweaks follow the steps given below:
- Backup your Registry
- Start -> Run -> Regedit
- Now Navigate to the following directory
- Make Changes based on the info given bellow.
- Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Talk.
The “Google/Google Talk” key has several sub-keys that hold different option values:
Accounts: This one has subkeys for each different account that has logged in on the client. These keys have different values that store the username, password and connection options.
Autoupdate: Stores the current version information. When the client checks for updates it compares Google’s response with these values. If an update is needed, it will download and update the new version.
Autoupdate: Stores the current version information. When the client checks for updates it compares Google’s response with these values. If an update is needed, it will download and update the new version.
Options: This is the most interesting part, where most of the current hacks should be used (keep reading).
Process: Stores the process ID. Probably used by Google Talk to detect if it’s already running or not.
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Talk\Options\show_pin
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Talk\Options\view_show_taskbutton
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Talk\Options\away_inactive
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Talk\Options\away_screensaver
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Talk\Options\inactive_minutes
If 1, shows a “pin” next to the minimize button that keeps the windows on top of all the other open windows when clicked.
If 0, hides the taskbar button, and leaves the tray icon only, when the window is shown
If 1, status will be set as Away after the specified number of minutes.
If 1, status will be set as Away after the specified number of minutes.
Number of inactive minutes to become away if auto-away is on.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Use |
| Ctrl + E | It centralizes the selected text, or the current line. |
| Ctrl + R | It justifies to the right the selected text, or the current line. |
| Ctrl + L | It justifies to the left the selected text, or the current line. |
| Ctrl + I | The same thing does that Tab. |
| Tab | It is giving the area to each of the windows opened by Google Talk. |
| Ctrl + Tab | The same thing does that Tab but in reverse. |
| Shift + Tab | The same thing that Ctrl + Tab does. |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Switch between points, numbers, letters, capital letters, roman numbers and capital roman numbers |
| Ctrl + 1 (Key Pad) | It does a simple space between the lines. |
| Ctrl + 2 (Key Pad) | It does a double space between the lines. |
| Ctrl + 5 (Key Pad) | A space does 1.5 between the lines. |
| Ctrl + 1 (Num Pad) | It goes at the end of the last line. |
| Ctrl + 7 (Num Pad) | It goes at the begin of the last line. |
| Ctrl + F4 | It closes the current window. |
| Alt + F4 | It closes the current window. |
| Alt + Esc | It Minimize all the windows. |
| Windows + ESC | Open Google Talk (if it’s minimized, or in the tray) |
| F9 | Open Gmail to send an email to the current contact. |
| F11 | It initiates a telephonic call with your friend. |
| F12 | It cancels a telephonic call. |
| Esc | It closes the current window. |
Google’s Secret Command-Line Parameters
There are a few secret parameters you can add to Google Talk and make it function differently.
You can use these parameters as follows:
“C:\program files\google\google talk\googletalk.exe” [PARAMETER]
| Parameter | Use |
| /nomutex | Allows you to open more than one instance of Google Talk |
| /autostart | It will check the registry settings to see if it needs to be started or not. If the “Start automatically with Windows” option is unchecked, it won’t start. |
| /forcestart | Same as /autostart, but forces it to start no matter what option was set. |
| /S upgrade | Used when upgrading Google Talk |
| /register | Registers Google Talk in the registry, includig the GMail Compose method. |
| /checkupdate | Check for newer versions. |
| /plaintextauth | Uses plain authentication mechanism instead of Google’s GAIA mechanism. Used for testing the plain method on Google’s servers. |
| /nogaiaauth | Disables GAIA authentication method. The same as /plaintextauth . |
| /factoryreset | Set settings back to default. |
| /gaiaserver servername.com | Uses a different GAIA server to connect to Google Talk. Used for debug purposes only, there are no other known GAIA servers. |
| /mailto email@host.com | Send an email with Gmail. |
| /diag | Start Google Talk in diagnostic mode. |
| /log | Probably has something to do with the diagnostic logging |
Miscellaneous G-talk Facts
- A message can be 32767 characters long.
- The Gmail account ‘user@gmail.com’ can’t be invited as your friend
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