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Skype Preview update adds link previews, drag-and-drop support and a few tweaks

A few days ago Microsoft pushed a new update for Skype Preview (UWP) for Windows 10. Even though it is in a Preview state, this version of Skype still lacks many features that are available for users on other platforms, but developers behind it are working hard to make it the best Skype experience on PCs. With the latest update, Microsoft is closing another gap, bringing features such as drag-and-drop and webpage previews to the Windows 10 version of the app.

Messaging + Skype and People apps received an updated UI

As you might be knowing, Skype's Metro app comes bundled with Windows 10. Recently, Microsoft introduced its companion app called Messaging. Now Microsoft has rolled out updates for Skype, Messaging, People and Video apps which refine the look of those apps.

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.

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.

How to disable ads in Skype’s chat window

Previously, we covered a trick which gets rid of Skype ads by modifying the language file. Unfortunately, this method stopped working in newer versions of Skype. Another annoyance in newer versions of Skype is that banner ads are shown right in the chat window. Today, we would like to share another simple method to disable ads in Skype's chat window which works regardless of the version of Windows you have.

How to remove the Skype button from the Windows Taskbar

When Windows Live Messenger was retired, Microsoft recommended all its users to move on to Skype. They bought Skype strategically so as to merge the user base of Windows Live Messenger with millions of Skype users. Skype being a cross-platform VoIP solution which is available for all major desktop and mobile platforms, made it far more popular.

Like Windows Live Messenger, Skype has also always shown its button on the Windows Taskbar. This can be annoying, if you are working on a small screen and would like to reserve some space on the taskbar for your other apps. (Even the Start button can be considered unnecessary by some users and so our StartIsGone tool allows you to remove it in Windows 8.1). Let's see how we can get rid of the Skype button from the Taskbar and keep it in the notification area (system tray) only.

How to prevent Skype from decreasing the volume of other applications in Windows 8.1

If you use the desktop version of Skype, you have probably noticed that every time you call someone or receive the call, Skype automatically reduces the volume of other apps, e.g. your music player. This can cause inconvenience if you do not plan to answer the call and you're listening to something important. Here's a simple tutorial which will allow you to change this behavior of Skype.

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