Previously, we covered a number of tricks to get rid of Skype ads. Since then, Skype has been updated. Here is an extended version of the tutorial with additional info applicable to the recent Skype version.
Category: Skype
Skype has started hiding the user’s IP address to protect users
Microsoft has finally fixed a very old issue with Skype. Almost 4 years ago, it became known that there was a security and privacy breach in Skype's VoIP service which could allow an attacker to get the IP address of Skype users. Recently Microsoft added the ability to hide the IP address from the Skype app and now this option has became enabled by default.
The full list of Skype emoticons
Skype has a set of emoticons which the user pick using the appropriate button near the input text box in the conversation window. But many Skype users might not be aware of the huge set of hiddden smilies available in Skype. Here is the full list of Skype emoticons.
Fix failed to load library ‘dxva2.dll’ in Skype
If you use Skype on the good, old Windows XP OS and if you recently updated the Skype app, then you might have received a strange message failed to load library 'dxva2.dll'. After that, Skype does not start and you cannot sign in. Here is how to fix it and why it happens.
Skype has introduced censorship for hyperlinks
Recently some Skype users experienced a strange behaviour: when they tried to send links to their contacts using Skype, the recipients did not receive it. In one case, it was found that Skype was filtering links to the popular Chinese Deal Extreme online shop. This means that Skype now controls what you are sending and modifies your conversation without your explicit consent or confirmation. Microsoft has been known to do this for Live Messenger too in the past.
Skype command line switches
Skype is the most popular app for free audio and video calls via the internet. Despite this, not every Skype user knows that it supports numerous command line arguments which can improve your usage of Skype. Let's see which command line switches Skype has.
Fix: Skype does not run in Windows 10 build 9860
Some users have faced a strange issue: in Windows 10, the built-in Skype app (the Modern one) does not start and does not work properly. Windows 10 is still under active development, so it will be fixed by RTM but it is easy to fix this issue in the current build. Here is why it happens and how to fix it.
How to fix the error about outdated version of Skype and continue to use older versions
We notified you earlier that Microsoft was planning to prevent old versions of Skype from working. Since yesterday, all versions of Skype below Skype 6.13 for Windows and Skype 6.14 for OS X are blocked and do not allow you to sign in. If you are not happy with the latest bloated version with obtrusive ads, here is a temporary workaround which will allow you to bypass the version check and run Skype 5.
Microsoft to block old versions of Skype for Windows and OS X, forces users to upgrade
Microsoft is going to prevent old versions of Skype from working. In the near future, all versions of Skype below Skype 6.13 for Windows and Skype 6.14 for OS X will be blocked. Microsoft recommends you to upgrade your Skype app to avoid issues in the future. While most users are happy using the latest version and do not remain on an older version, there are some reasons why many people stay with older versions - especially those who do not like the changes Microsoft made in newer version of Skype.
Download Skype full offline installer
As many products have started doing, Skype has an annoying web-based installer for its Windows desktop version. When you click the download link, you get a small installer stub instead of the full big-sized installer. The web installer downloads the full version of Skype. The web installer shows a marquee-style progress bar with no indication of how much time is left to download and install. Let's see instead how to get the full Skype installer.
