Skype for Microsoft Update

Summary

Skype releases new versions of Skype for Windows throughout the year. To help you stay current with new functionality and features of the Skype experience, Skype is available through Microsoft Update.  

Skype includes the following:

• Chat every day with free instant messages.

• Share photos and see them inline, right in the chat.

• See your family come together over a free group video call.

• Switch between calling and messages - or do both at the same time.

• Make low-cost calls and text messages to mobiles and landlines

To make it simple and fast for Skype users to upgrade to the latest version of Skype for Windows, we have integrated Skype into Microsoft Update. If you have Skype installed on your PC already, either directly from www.skype.com or through a preinstalled version on your PC, you will receive the latest version of Skype through Microsoft Update.

More Information

To check whether Skype is already installed on your PC, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open window, and then click OK.

2. In the navigation pane of the Registry Editor window, look for the following registry key:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Skype\Phone

3. If the registry key exists, click the Phone folder. If the registry key doesn't exist, Skype is not installed on the computer.

4. In the main pane of the Registry Editor window, you should see an entry that is named "SkypePath." The value in the Data column will tell you where Skype is installed on the computer. If the "SkypePath" entry doesn't exist, go to step 5.

5. If the "SkypePath" key doesn't exist, look for the following registry key, and then repeat steps 3 and 4:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Skype\Phone

Note If the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Skype\Phone key doesn't exist, and if the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Skype\Phone key does exist, Skype was installed from an administrator account but was not used from the current account. If neither key exists, Skype is not installed on the computer.

If you’re planning to upgrade from an earlier version of Skype for Windows, you can learn more about the updates on the Skype Garage blog. The "Archives" section of the blog contains detailed information about previous updates.

You can obtain the update in two ways:

• Through Microsoft Update. To check Microsoft Update, click here.

• Through the Upgrade function in the Skype application. To use the Upgrade function, follow these steps:

  1. On the menu bar, click Help, and then click Check for Updates.

  2. After you check the version, click Download, and then click Upgrade.

Note Skype will automatically be updated only on PCs on which Skype is already installed. Skype will not automatically be updated on any PC that doesn’t already have Skype installed.

How can I install the latest version of Skype for Windows?

To install Skype for Windows, follow these steps:

1. Download the latest version from the Skype website.

2. Click Run to run Skype directly from your browser.

3. Follow the steps in the setup wizard to complete the installation.

4. Start Skype, and then sign in by entering a Microsoft Account user name and password.