You can select the ringtone that plays when you receive a call through Yahoo! Messenger or create a custom ringtone. You can even assign special ringtones to the contacts on your Messenger List, so that you will know who is calling when you hear the ringtone.

Selecting a ringtone:

1. Open the "Messenger" menu, and click "Preferences."
2. Click "Calling and Audio."
3. The available ringtones are listed here. You can hear each ringtone by double-clicking it or clicking it once and then clicking "Play."
4. To change your default ringtone, click once on the ringtone you wish to use, and then click "Set Default."

You can delete a ringtone by clicking it and then clicking "Remove." Note that each ringtone corresponds to a WAV file stored on your hard drive. If you have installed Yahoo! Messenger in the default location, the WAV files for ringtones are stored in C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\Media\RingTones.

Removing a ringtone from the list, as described above, will not remove the WAV file from your hard drive. This means that you can remove a ringtone and then add it back later by clicking "Import," navigating to the above location, and selecting the ringtone's WAV file by double-clicking it or by clicking it once and then clicking the "Import" button.

Note: To disable ringtones, so that a ringtone will not be played when you receive a call, uncheck the checkbox labeled "Play a ringtone when I receive a call." You will still be notified when a call comes in. A pop-up box will appear showing the name of the caller with buttons that give you the option to either "Accept" or "Decline" the call or to "IM Only" with the caller.

Creating a custom ringtone:

Any sound file with a WAV extension can be used as a custom ringtone, including sound files you create yourself, for example, using the Sound Recorder application that comes with Microsoft Windows (Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > Entertainment > Sound Recorder).

1. If you have a microphone attached to the audio in jack of your computer, you can record a sound using Sound Recorder.
2. Save it as a WAV file using the "Save" command on the "File" menu of "Sound Recorder" (be sure to make note of where on your hard drive you save it).
3. In Messenger, go to "Preferences" and then "Calling and Audio."
4. Click "Import" to add the WAV file to your list of ringtones.

Note: If you are having problems importing a ring tone, please make sure that .wav is at the end of the file name when trying to import it. If you do not wish to do this each time you want to import a custom ringtone, you can change a setting on your computer by following these instructions:

1. Double click on "My Computer" located on your desktop.
2. Go to "Tools" and select "Folder Options."
3. Click on the "View" tab.
4. Scroll down and locate "Hide extension for known file types."
5. Click "Apply&quot and then click "OK"

.WAV will now appear on the file name when importing.

Assigning a ringtone to a contact on your Messenger List:

1. On your Messenger List, click the contact you want to add a ringtone to.
2. Open the "Contacts" menu.
3. Mouse over the "Ringtone" area, and click the desired ringtone.

You can also right-click the contact, which opens a menu that includes "Ringtone."