Video Conference through Skype

Getting started with Skype (Windows desktop)

Windows

Never used Skype before? Don’t worry, it’s easy to get started.

All you need to do is download Skype to your computer and sign in with your Microsoft account.

When you sign in, you can add your friends as contacts, then call, video call and instant message with them, wherever you are.

This guide will show you how to download and install Skype, and sign in for the first time.

To download the latest version of Skype for Windows desktop

Go to the Skype website and click Get Skype for Windows desktop.

Save the Skype installation file and then open it to install Skype on your computer.

 

Select your language, read the Skype Terms of Use and the Skype Privacy Policy, then 

click I agree – next.

 

If you don’t want Bing to be set as your internet search engine,  

uncheck the Make Bing my Search engine box before you click Continue.

If you have an antivirus software on your computer, it may ask you to give Skype permission to go ahead with the installation. Don’t worry, it only happens once – just click Yes to proceed

Your Skype installation starts. When it is complete, Skype opens and the sign-in screen is displayed.

To sign in to Skype for the first time

To begin using Skype, you need to sign in first. You can sign in with your:

• Skype Name – if you already have a Skype account
• Microsoft account
• Facebook account 

Setting up Voice Messaging (Windows desktop)

Windows

Let Voice Messaging pick up your Skype calls when you can’t, and listen to your messages next time you’re signed in to Skype. All for free.

To activate Voice Messaging

You can activate Voice Messaging manually from your account, for free. After you’ve activated it, you’ll need to set up your Voice Messaging preferences. If you buy an unlimited subscription or a Skype Number, Voice Messaging is activated automatically so you just need to set up your preferences.

To activate Voice Messaging:

	Sign in to your account.
	In the Manage features section, click Voice messages.
	Click Activate my voice messages now.

To set up your Voice Messaging preferences

When you’ve activated Voice Messaging, you can change the settings to suit your preferences:

Sign in to Skype and, in the menu bar, click Tools > Options….

 

 

From the left, click Calls > Voice messages.  

Make sure Receive unanswered calls as a voice message is checked. This means Voice Messaging is turned on and the default voicemail greeting is set.

To record your own voicemail greeting, click the Record button and speak into your computer’s microphone.

 

When you’ve finished recording your message, click the Stop button.

To listen to your greeting, click the Playback button.

If you want to revert back to the default greeting, click the Reset button.

On the same screen, you can also choose when you want to send a call to your voice messages.

• After a certain length of time (in seconds).
• When you reject a call.

When you’re in another call.

When you’re happy with your Voice Messaging settings, click Save.

To listen to a voice message

There are a couple of ways you can access your voice messages. If someone has recently left you a message, you will see a notification badge in your system tray and on your Recent tab.

Go to the Recent tab and click the contact's name. In the conversation window, click the Play button next to the message.     Go to View > Voice messages. All of your voice messages are displayed. Messages that you haven’t listened to yet have an orange dot next to them.   In the list, click the voice message you wish to play. It is displayed in the conversation window on the right. Click the Play button next to the voice message to play it. If you can’t hear the message, try turning up the speaker volume on your computer. After you have listened to a voice message, it is stored locally on your computer (as a .DAT file in C:/Documents and Settings/username/Application Data/[SkypeName]/voicemail). This means that you won’t be able to listen to it again if you sign in to Skype on a different computer. To delete a voice message After you’ve listened to a voice message, just click the trash can icon to delete it. To turn off Voice Messaging To turn your Voice Messaging off:   Making a video call (Windows desktop) You can video call anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world, for free. Simply find your friends who are using Skype and add them to your contact list. When you’ve added a friend, it’s easy to video call them. Before you make a video call Check that your system meets the minimum system requirements. The person you’re calling will also need to meet these requirements. Check that your webcam is working properly. If it’s not working, these tips can help.   To make a video call   Sign in to Skype and, in the menu bar, click Tools > Options > Calls > Voice messages. Then un-check Receive unanswered calls as a voice message. Sign in to Skype, then click the Contacts tab Find the person you want to call and make sure that they are online. If they are, you’ll see this status icon next to their name.  Click the contact. You will see their details on the right side of the window. Click the Video call button.   The screen changes color, a call bar appears near the bottom of the screen and you’ll hear ringing until the other person answers. If you’d like to mute the ringtone, in the menu, go to Tools > Options, then select the Sounds tab. Uncheck ringtone in the list of sounds, then click Save. Smile, wave, say hello!     If you can't see or hear each other, click the call quality button in the call bar and check your settings (you may have to move your mouse to make the call bar appear).   To end the call, click the end call icon.     Useful things you can do on a call     Return to Home Page