How to Get Up and Running with Skype

For family and friends wanting to get set up with Skype, this one's for you...

Thanks to www.top-windows-tutorials.com for the two great tutorials on installing Skype and setting up a Skype account. The third tutorial, on making a video call with Skype, is from YouTube.com. (Remember, though, that before you can make a video call, you must buy a web cam and set it up on your computer.)

Tutorial 1 - Installing Skype

In this short tutorial, we'll show you how to install Skype on your computer. Installation is very easy, but just in case you need some extra help, we prepared this short tutorial.

In order to install Skype, you'll need to download the latest version. You can obtain the latest version of the software from the official Skype homepage here. Download the file to your desktop, or somewhere where you can easily access it. When the download is complete, double click the file, or select "open" in your browsers download manager. You'll need to be connected to the internet during the installation. 

Windows Vista users may have to grant permission for the installation to proceed if prompted to do so by Windows User Account Control.

The following window will then appear:-

Select your preferred language on this screen. Be sure to tick the box to acknowledge that you accept the terms of the privacy and end user licence agreement. Click on either of the blue links to be taken to a copy of these agreements.

When you are satisfied, click on "Install". The following window will then appear:-

There will be a delay while components are installed on your computer. This can take several minutes, so don't be alarmed if your computer appears to stop responding for a moment. When the process is complete, the following window will appear:-

Installation is now complete and the create account wizard will start. We cover creating new accounts in our next tutorial.

Tutorial 2 - Setting up a Skype Account
In this tutorial, we pick up from our installation tutorial and show you how to set up a Skype account. You will need to create an account before you can communicate with other users on the Skype network.


Please allow for a short delay while the video loads. When loading is complete, press the play button below the video to start playback.

Tutorial 3 - Making a Video Call