How to Disable Skype's Annoying Auto Updates

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It happens all the time. You have an important business call scheduled for 2 p.m. At 1:57 p.m., you launch Skype for Windows and are greeted by an update message that says "Just a moment, we're improving your Skype experience . . ." The program then takes several minutes to download and install a new version of itself, making you embarassingly late for your appointment. 

On some systems, you're given a choice before this happens, but on others, you are stuck waiting. Fortunately, there's a way to turn off these time-consuming Skype updates. Here's how.

1. Launch Skype for Windows if it's not already open.

2. Navigate to Tools -> Options.

3. Select the Advanced tab in the left pane.

4. Select Automatic updates in the left pane.

5. Click the "Turn off automatic updates" button. If the button says "Turn on automatic updates," the updates have already been disabled and you can stop here.

6. Click Save.

After you make this change, Skype will no longer update itself. This means that, if you want to keep the program up-to-date on your computer, you'll need to go download new versions manually from Skype.com. 

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Avram Piltch
Avram Piltch
Online Editorial Director
The official Geeks Geek, as his weekly column is titled, Avram Piltch has guided the editorial and production of Laptopmag.com since 2007. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram programmed several of LAPTOP's real-world benchmarks, including the LAPTOP Battery Test. He holds a master's degree in English from NYU.