Skype Portable 6.18.0.106 has been released. Skype lets you connect to others via instant message, audio conferencing and video phone. It can also call regular phone lines from anywhere in the world. It's packaged as a portable app so you communicate on the go and it's in PortableApps.com Format so it can easily integrate with the PortableApps.com Platform. It's released as freeware for personal and business use.
Update automatically or install from the portable app store in the PortableApps.com Platform.
Features
Skype-to-Skype calls, video calls and instant messaging are free, any time of the day or night, anywhere in the world. Call phones and mobiles and send SMS messages at great value Pay As You Go rates, or call unlimited* to certain countries with a subscription.
- Free Skype-to-Skype calls.
- Call phones and mobiles, send SMS.
- Free instant messaging.
- Voicemail.
- Free video call.
- Forward calls to a phone when you’re offline.
PortableApps.com Installer / PortableApps.com Format
Skype Portable is packaged in a PortableApps.com Installer so it will automatically detect an existing PortableApps.com installation when your drive is plugged in. It supports upgrades by installing right over an existing copy, preserving all settings. And it's in PortableApps.com Format, so it automatically works with the PortableApps.com Platform including the Menu and Backup Utility.
Download
Skype Portable is available for immediate download from the Skype Portable homepage. Get it today!
Portableapps.com is not affiliated with Skype. Skype is a trademark of Skype Technologies SA.
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Comments
Full of Errors?
Hi, I have several errors in this new version. When I run skypeportable.exe, I always get a Visual Studio Just-in-time debugger popup. If I ignore it and don't click Ok, Skype continues to run fine. If I click Ok, it crashes. When I right click on Skype icon in the bottom right windows tray array and click quit, skype goes into logoff mode (light green and white icon) but never quits. It permanently stays on my tray although I'm disconnected. Any clicking on this icon (left or right) does nothing. I have to task manager, click Skype to force a crash.
Not sure whats going on with this new release, but its full of problems? Can you re-post the most recent version before this because this version is really unusable.
Fine Here
It works without issue here on my Windows 7 box even with Visual Studio's debugger running, so it's something on your PC interfering with the setup. If you'd like assistance troubleshooting it, please post a note in the Other Apps support forum. This is just a comment on a news story and hard to track.
We don't make older versions of freeware available, only current versions. This is for (1) security reasons as older versions have unpatched security issues, (2) support reasons as we don't support older versions of apps, (3) financial reasons as we have to pay to host everything we make available.
I'm using it on Windows 2003
I'm using it on Windows 2003 Server which was supported with the previous version of Skype Portable but for some reason this version isn't working. Since I no longer have the download for version 6.16, I can't use this one? Is there no way to get the previous version? It was just released yesterday, surely there's still the old binary somewhere that I can revert to?
Troubleshooting
Please provide the information requested in the forums so we can help you troubleshoot. The current version is working fine on Windows XP as well, so there's likely something up with your setup. If we can't fix it with you, the next version of Skype probably won't work either.
Hi, I managed to get a hold
Hi, I managed to get a hold of version 6.16 from an older drive and installed and worked perfectly. Definitely something buggy in 6.18, I'm sure other users will report the same after a day or two of downloads, but you should consider making the download link available again in the meantime.
Current Skype Incompatible with Windows XP/2003 64-bit
I figured it out. If your install of Windows 2003 is 64-bit, that's the incompatibility. Windows XP 64-bit was never well supported by desktop apps and had almost no installbase. So, apps were hardly ever tested against it. Now that XP is done, I don't know of anybody that tests against XP 64-bit for anything except our tests of PeerBlock Portable (since it has 4 separate drivers included). Likewise, Windows 2003 64-bit has the same baggage as Windows XP 64-bit when it comes to desktop apps. Even worse, realistically, since it isn't really intended for desktop apps so no one ever tests against it.
The current version of Skype works fine on Windows XP/2003 32-bit, Windows Vista 32/64-bit, Windows 7 32/64-bit, and Windows 8/8.1 32/64-bit. It doesn't work on Windows XP/2003 64-bit. Microsoft usually rushes fixes when it affects large numbers of users. As this will likely only affect a handful of users, they may not.
Hi, I'm using the x86 version
Hi, I'm using the x86 version of Windows 2003 SP2. Version 6.16 works perfectly though, by reverting to the last version, all the errors went away. I know Win2k3 is probably on its last days of life but its odd that 6.16 worked. Either way, I'm good now, thanks for your help.
Not That Odd
Developers often tweak minor bits of applications to improve performance, switch compilers or graphic libraries, etc with each new version. They test, but will often only test on standard OSes (usually Windows Vista through 8.1 for most developers). It is odd that it works on Windows XP 32-bit but fails on Windows 2003 32-bit since they're the same core, but then, Windows 2003 wasn't really intended for desktop apps. You may be able to get it working by ensuring that all the latest patches are applied including upgrading Internet Explorer to the last supported version (8, I think) and Windows Media Player to the last supported version. People often fail to consider that this upgrades components of the OS itself to be closer to the versions in Windows Vista and later, improving the compatibility with many apps.
I have the same problem with
I have the same problem with version 6.18. I also use Windows Server 2003 sp2 32 bit with all patches. But version 6.16 work fine.
Left-overs
Can't help noticing that SkypePortable (not just this version) leaves quite a lot behind, both in the registry and in the user folders:
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Keys added
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HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ESENT\Process\Skype
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ESENT\Process\Skype\DEBUG
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\IM Providers
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\IM Providers\Skype
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\Skype
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\Skype\Phone
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\Skype\ProtectedStorage
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005_Classes\Mime\Database\Content Type\application/x-skype\Extension: ".skype"
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005_Classes\tel\shell\open\command\: ""D:\PortableApps\SkypePortable_6.18.0.106\App\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe" "/uri:"%l"""
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005_Classes\tel\DefaultIcon\: ""D:\PortableApps\SkypePortable_6.18.0.106\App\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe""
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\Classes\callto\DefaultIcon\: ""D:\PortableApps\SkypePortable_6.18.0.106\App\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe""
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005\Software\Classes\callto\shell\open\command\: ""D:\PortableApps\SkypePortable_6.18.0.106\App\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe" "/uri:"%l"""
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005_Classes\callto\DefaultIcon\: ""D:\PortableApps\SkypePortable_6.18.0.106\App\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe""
HKU\S-1-5-21-3005851118-3764878957-3379878526-1005_Classes\callto\shell\open\command\: ""D:\PortableApps\SkypePortable_6.18.0.106\App\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe" "/uri:"%l"""
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Folders and files added
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C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\Skype
C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\SkypePM
C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Cookies\
C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Local Settings\Application Data\Skype
As far as I can judge, this is not the kind of thing we expect from a PortableApps program...
May I suggest someone has a good look at this - preferably on a blank system?
Local Mode
You'll see that if you start skype.exe directly in local mode. You can inadvertently do that in the portable app by (1) running skype.exe directly, (2) associating skype.exe with something on your system like click to dial numbers in your browser, or (3) settings Skype to auto-start with Windows. If you don't run Skype in local mode, everything is cleaned up on exit.
If you have additional issues, please post in the support forums so multiple people can assist (Other Apps support forum). Posting as comments on a random news story is often lost in the shuffle.
Skype (Portable)
no settings for start automatically in Skype portable !!!???
Why you forget it, It can be set only via external autostart applications !!!???
Platform
Portable software is not supposed to be directly started with Windows. That would mean altering Windows, which portable software isn't supposed to do. None of our software has ever supported it (10 years plus) and if you use the internal app's option, it'll likely run in non-portable mode. You use something like the PortableApps.com Platform to automatically start apps.