Is there a way to access Skype IM logs?

Question

I tried looking in C:\Users[name]\AppData\Roaming\Skype and I found a folder called "chatsync" with some mysterious folders with files ending in .dat. I'm almost certain that these are the chat logs but I don't know a way to properly open these files (notepad shows gibberish mixed with English words). I'm not trying to do sleuthing, just a project for my girlfriend.

So more importantly: how can I read Skype's .dat files properly?

Answer 1

You can also install SQLite for windows. Messages are stored as a SQLite database (several tables exist in the db - the 'Messages' table holds chat messages).