How to update Skype without using any Skype installer.

[ruwim]

If you ever had problems with installing or updating your Skype installation, then you should know that the only what is required to have a working Skype program is one single file – Skype.exe, nothing else.

Unfortunately, the regular Skype installer performs a lot of unnecessary actions and even places some additional applications on your computer without user’s explicit awareness.

If you have a regular Skype installation, then the Skype.exe file will be located in:

C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\    (on 32-bit Windows)

or

C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\    (on 64-bit Windows)

Note that on some non-English Windows systems the name of Program Files might be different.

Unfortunately, the official Skype download sites do not provide any direct access to Skype.exe file, but there is a workaround.

If the only what you want is to update your current Skype program with a new version or just another version, then it’s enough that you replace the current Skype.exe file with the new one.

If you don’t have access to a Skype.exe file from another computer or some of your good friends, then you need to get any Skype msi installer (of course it must be for the appropriate Skype version).

Currently, most of the latest msi installation files are available from the Skype site. By latest, it means the latest version in the 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8 and 5.9 series. By the time of writing this (07.05.2012), the latest available Skype version is

http://download.skype.com/msi/SkypeSetup_5.9.0.114.msi

Look here for the history of Skype releases:

http://blogs.skype.com/garage/windows/

Now you need a tool to extract Skype.exe file from the msi installer

Go to this site and download this free application - Lessmsi

http://lessmsi.googlecode.com/files/lessmsi-v1.0.8.zip

See this for some info on this application:

http://code.google.com/p/lessmsi/

Lessmsi does not require any installation. You will only need to unzip the lessmsi-v1.0.8.zip file to any folder on your computer. It is best if you for this purpose create a new folder, named e.g. Lessmsi.

After unzipping the downloaded file to this folder you will find there a file with the name lessmsi.exe. Double click on this file. You will now see a window like this:

                       

Click on the small button with the 3 dots at the top of this window. Windows File Explorer will open, and using it navigate to the folder where you have previously saved the new Skype  msi installation file. After opening this msi file you should now see the listing of all files contained in the installer.

 

You have now several options for how to extract the files. You can select the Skype.exe file only and extract this file. You can also press Select All and extract all files from the installer. Nothing will be installed; the files will only be saved to a specified folder.

Be aware that the files are always extracted preserving the directory (folder) structure. As an example, if you extract the files to this folder on your computer

D:\SkypeExe

then you will find the Skype.exe file in the folder:

D:\MySkypeExe\SourceDir\Program Files\Skype\Phone\

 

[Dawnbringer]

link to old msi is not valid.

new msi gives error that i need 5.9 msi

[g4pilut]

This link will give you the .msi version current as of today:

http://download.skype.com/msi/SkypeSetup_6.0.0.126.msi

[Dawnbringer]

Thanks,  however when it tries to remove the older version 5.9 i am asked for the 5.9 msi file. 

[g4pilut]

I'm not sure what you're trying to do.  The procedure ruwim is describing doesn't involve removing anything.  The whole idea is to just replace the current version of Skype.exe with a different one.

[ruwim]

---

Dawnbringer wrote:

Thanks,  however when it tries to remove the older version 5.9 i am asked for the 5.9 msi file. 

---

As g4pilut said, don’t try to run the msi-installer but use the Lessmsi application to extract the Skype.exe file from the msi-installer and replace your old Skype.exe file with the new one.

[deomakoko]

what can i do now?

[Tamim]

What is your issue?

[ukguy]

Thanks for the reply but there is another problem.  In C:\Program Files(x86)\Skype there is no 'Phone' sub-directory only one for 'Toolbars'.

[ruwim]

You can manually create this folder. Open C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\ folder. In Windows Explorer go now to File and select New -> Folder. Rename the new folder to Phone.