Skype 4.0 released BUT...

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

I originally reported that Skype does TWO installations. This is WRONG. The new version works perfectly well. The problem is if you have Skype Portable on a U3 drive. See below.

I have identified the cause of the double installation. It had me totally foxed for a long time and I went through everything I could think of. Tearing my hair out etc. I had searched the registry, install logs etc to no avail. Having been in support myself in the past I went through everything systematically, removign any additional devices, checking back on what I had previously installed etc etc etc. I was even beginning to think that the recent MSoft update to .Net was the culprit.

As a tech guy myself I should have known better but it is very useful for you to know this one. I am sure that other people will encounter this.

First, the installation/upgrade of Sykpe to version 4 DID work properly.

Second, some time ago I purchased an 8Gb U3 drive to use the ReadyBoost cache feature available in Vista. Unknown to me (I did not check but should have done!), the memory stick contained a whole host of pre-installed portable software - OpenOffice, Firefox... and Skype portable...

When a computer (with a U3 drive connected and with Skype portable installed to run upon insertion) is switched on, the old version of Skype runs as well as Skype 4. It would appear that the new version of Skype (4) is unable to determine that the portable version of Skype is running. If Skype 4 is running and the U3 card is THEN installed, you will get the message that Skype is already running. This will not happen upon boot up though.

A couple of comments:

1. I have looked and nowhere does it inform the user that the icon colour has changed. this is I believe a major oversight.

2. The icon change also removes what was a particularly useful feature i.e. if someone has call forwarding the old icon used to show this. The new one does not.


Here.