No wonder in recent years, all sorts of programs for video conferencing over the Internet have become so pronounced in popularity. Still, it is not in vain that a well-known proverb claims that it is better to see everything with your own eyes once than to hear about it or read. Skype program perfectly meets all the requirements of modern users.
So how to set up Skype on your computer so that all the advantages of this wonderful program become available to you? The answer to this question will be our article.
By installing the program, you can easily and completely free communicate with friends from different countries. In addition, a variety of files can be transferred through this application, so even the need for e-mail for many can disappear altogether. Since even a child can set up Skype on a laptop, you can start using the program almost immediately.
Keep in mind that many today resort to the help of master classes, which some users spend completely free on the Skype network. So, you can independently study a foreign language, master the art of embroidery or crocheting, and also learn about all the intricacies of weaving original beadwork. Do not miss so many wonderful chances for your self-education!
Let's start
First you need to go to the Microsoft home page, and then find the link to download the online application installer there. Before connecting Skype to your computer, make sure the quality of the Internet connection. If the speed is poor, then the online installer simply can not download the installation kit.
We’ll immediately warn you that you will need to buy a webcam and microphone in advance. If you have a laptop or tablet, you don’t need to do anything at all, since all the necessary equipment, as a rule, is already in their design. It should be noted that it is worth buying only new models of webcams, since modern versions of Skype often simply cannot recognize old equipment.
We continue to understand how to configure Skype on a computer.
Install the application
Run the installation file. In the first window that appears, check the box "I agree with all the terms of the license agreement." After that, you will be thanked for choosing a program, after which you can continue the installation.
In particular, immediately select the directory in which the program will be installed. In addition, if necessary, select the "Run at system startup" check box. Have you checked everything? Then we press the “Install” button, after which the installer independently downloads all the missing files from the company's servers. Since connecting Skype to a computer at a low connection speed can be difficult, be patient in this case: the file can be downloaded for a long time.
The easiest way is for users of the new version of Microsoft OS. Before setting up “Skype”, Windows 8 needs to be updated, and then go to the “Store”. Enter the word Skype in the search bar, after which the system itself will find the desired program. Click “Install” and the utility will be installed on your system.
New User Registration
Once the installation is complete, the initial setup window appears. You should come up with a username and password, and then enter these credentials in the appropriate fields. You will also have to accept the terms of the confidentiality agreement by checking the next checkbox.
We continue to learn how to configure Skype on a computer. A new dialog box will appear in which the user must enter his real email address and indicate the country and city in which he is located. Enter only your real mailbox that you are currently using: if something happens with your password, you can always get a new one by mail.
All! Go to the authorization page, enter your username and password, press the Enter key. And how to set up Skype on a computer, if it comes to sound adjustment options?
Install the microphone
First look at the entrance where the speakers are connected. There should be three nests in total. Headphones plug into the green jack, and use pink for the microphone. Do not confuse, because otherwise you will not be able to communicate with your friends, and you will hardly hear them!
We remind you once again: in order to configure Skype on a laptop, you don’t need to connect any microphone, because it is already there. As a rule, it is located in the lower left corner, under the keyboard (small hole).
How to check the connection?
First, click on the "Start" button, we find there "Control Panel". In the menu that opens, we are interested in the item “Sounds and audio devices”. We go into the opened dialog box, after which we open the “Speech” tab. There is a large and clearly visible “Volume” button, which you should click on. Move the volume slider to the highest position. Do you hear anything on the headphones? If so, then they are connected correctly.
Here's how to set up Skype on a computer. The sound on the microphone is checked a little differently.
Switch back to “Sounds and Audio Devices”, look for the “Volume” item there. A dialog box appears in which you want to activate the "Properties" section. See a stylized microphone image? Check the box next to this picture. Now try to say something into the microphone: if everything is connected correctly, you will immediately see a bar of increasing volume level and hear your voice in the headphones.
How to configure video options?
And how to set up Skype on a computer, if it comes to the correct calibration of the video?
We follow the path “Tools / Video” in the main window of the program. A dialog box will open in which you need to select your webcam model from the drop-down list. Then a new menu will open, in which you can choose from whom you will receive the video and to whom you yourself will become visible (we recommend checking “Only contacts from the list”).
How to set up Skype on a tablet? There is nothing simpler: since the microphone and camera are already there, and all the options are unified with the "large" version, the process is no different from the one described above.
How to start chatting with someone?
At the very bottom of the page with any of your contacts there is a field in which you can write a message. As soon as you finish entering, press the Enter button on the keyboard, after which the addressee will immediately receive your message.
If you want to send some kind of file to the interlocutor, click on the “+” icon, after which “Explorer” will open. There you need to specify the file you want to send. Double-click on it with the left mouse button, and then sending will begin. When the user confirms the transfer, he will immediately receive your file.
How to add a new contact to the address book?
In the main window of the program there is a large button "Add Contact". Click on it, after which a dialog box will open, in which you can enter all the necessary information about your new interlocutor. In the appropriate fields you must specify the email address and / or Skype user login.
Yes, if your friend does not have Skype for your computer, then you will not be able to talk.
Make and receive Skype calls
If you want to be able to call not only users of this application, but also all your friends who have a cell phone, you should buy a regular number for a small fee, which will be valid on the networks of all telephony operators around the world. It is kept for you forever, does not depend on the change of country of residence.
To call someone’s contact, select it in the list, left-clicking, then click on the green button with a stylized image of the handset. You can reset the call by pressing the red button. If you ever used a cell phone at least once in your life, then you definitely will not have problems with all this. Of course, for full communication, you and your interlocutor must simultaneously be online.
Additional functionality of the Skype program
In addition to all of the above, you can use the option "Voicemail", as well as view the call log. By the way, all conversations can be recorded, and additional plugins will help you, if necessary, completely change your voice. In addition, the latest versions of “Skype” have the opportunity to add contacts from the social network Facebook.
Here's how to set up Skype on your computer and other devices. Good luck and good communication!