This Quick Start describes the basics for communicating by using Microsoft®
Lync™ 2010 communications software. It explains how to use Lync 2010 to easily
interact and collaborate with the people at your workplace.
What do you want to do?
Sign in and get started
If you’re already logged on to your organization’s network, sign in by
starting Lync.
- On the Windows® taskbar, click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft Lync, and then
click Microsoft Lync 2010. When the Lync main window opens, if
you see your name and your presence status, you’re signed in.
- Click the availability menu under your name, and then either click your
presence status, or click Reset Status to let Lync set it
automatically, based on your activity and Microsoft® Outlook® Calendar.
The following table describes each of the presence status
indicators.
Presence Status |
Description |
Available |
You are online and available to contact. |
Busy |
You are in a Lync call, or, according to your Outlook Calendar, you
are in a meeting, and you don’t want to be interrupted. |
Do not disturb |
You don’t want to be disturbed and will see conversation notifications
only if they are sent by someone in your Workgroup. |
Be Right Back |
You are stepping away from the computer for a few moments. |
Away |
Your computer has been idle for a period of time (15 minutes by
default). |
Off Work |
You are not working and are not available to contact. |
Offline |
You are not signed in. You’ll appear Offline to individuals whom you
have blocked from seeing your presence. |
Unknown |
Your presence is not known. Your presence might appear unknown to
others who are not using Lync as their instant messaging (IM)
program. |
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Personalize your contact information
You can personalize your location, phone numbers, and presence information.
For example, you can add your mobile phone number and make it available only to
close contacts.
- To set a location to let people know where you are today, click the arrow
next to Set Your Location or your current location, and then,
in the location menu, click Show Others My Location.
- To add a phone number to your contact card, click the Options button
,
and then click Phones.
- Click the button for the phone number that you want to add (such as Work Phone or Mobile Phone).
- In the Edit Phone Number dialog box, type the number, and
then click OK.
- Select the Include in my contact card check box, and then
click OK.
- To change privacy relationships for the people you want to see your
personal phone numbers, right-click the contact’s name in your Contacts list,
click Change Privacy Relationship, and then click Friends and Family.
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Change your picture
settings
You can decide whether you want to see your contacts' pictures. You can also
change your own picture or choose not to show one.
Hide your contacts’ pictures
- In the Lync main window, click the Options button
.
- In the Lync - Options dialog box, click Personal.
- Under Display photo, clear the Show photos of
contacts check box to hide other people’s pictures, and then click OK.
Hide or change your picture
- In the Lync main window, click the Options button
.
- In the Lync - Options dialog box, click My Picture.
- Do one of the following:
- To hide your picture, click Do not show my picture.
- To change your picture, click Show a picture from a web
address, type the address of a photo site (such as Windows Live®
Skydrive or Facebook) including the file name, and then click the Connect to Picture button.

Note The file
must be less than 30 KB in size. If the photo that you want is larger than 30
KB, see Prepare
a photo for Lync 2010.
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Build your
Contacts list
Add people to your Contacts list if you'll be contacting them often or if you
just want to keep track of them.
- In the Lync main window, type the person’s name or email address in the
search field.
- In the search results, right-click the person.
- (Optional) If you’ll be contacting the person often, click Pin
to Frequent Contacts.
- Add them to a group by clicking Add to Contacts List, and
then clicking the group name, or, if you haven’t created groups yet, click Add to New Group, and give the group a name. You can add more
contacts to this group later.
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Get in touch by IM
There are several ways to start an IM conversation with people or groups in
your Contacts list. From your Contacts list or from search
results, do any of the following:
- Double-click the contact.
- Point to a person’s picture. When the contact card opens, click the IM
button.
- Point to a group in your Contacts list, and, when the group contact card
appears, click the IM button to send a message to the whole group.
To invite additional people into an IM conversation:
- In the Lync main window, drag a contact name from the Contacts list, and
drop it onto the conversation window. To add contacts outside of your
organization (whom you can’t IM) to the conversation by e-mail, in the
conversation window, click the People Options menu, and then click Invite by Email.
- To join, just click a link in the e-mail (outside users can join the
conversation regardless of whether they have Lync installed).
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