Remove username suggest function in Skype 4.2, Windows Vista?

07
2014-07
  • mechko

    My dad currently uses one of my old machines for chat and email and such and most recently, Skype. However, there are a bunch of old suggested screennames belonging to other people who may have used my machine from time to time and I don't want my father to see these for a number of reasons.

    Is there anyway to make Skype 'forget' who has logged in before? I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling it, but it doesn't make a difference.

  • Answers
  • Ivo Flipse

    Here's a guide by Skype itself on completely uninstalling Skype

    Save your personal information (if required). Your contacts, purchases and account information are stored on our servers, but other personal files such as chat messages, voicemail and snapshots taken during video calls, are only saved on your computer. To keep this personal information, you need to make a copy of it.

    • Vista and 7: Click Start, type run and press Enter.
    • XP: Click Start and then Run...
    • Type %appdata%\skype and click OK.
    • Copy the Pictures folder and the folder with your Skype name to another location, such as your desktop.

    Uninstall Skype.

    • Vista and 7: Click Start, type run and press Enter.
    • XP: Click Start and then Run...
    • Type appwiz.cpl and click OK.
    • Select Skype from the list, right-click and select Remove or Uninstall.

    Delete the Skype application folder.

    • Vista and 7: Click Start, type run and press Enter.
    • XP: Click Start and then Run...
    • Type %appdata% and click OK.
    • Delete the Skype folder.
    • Ensure that the Skype program folder has been deleted.
    • Go to C:\Program Files
    • Delete the Skype folder and the SkypePM folder (if present).

    Delete any Skype entries from the Registry.

    • Vista and 7: Click Start, type run and press Enter.
    • XP: Click Start and then Run...
    • Type regedit and click OK.
    • In the Edit menu, click Find.
    • Search for the keyword Skype.
    • Use right-click to delete all the search results (there can be up to 50).
  • studiohack

    If you want to just remove the usernames and leave Skype on your system, just delete the profile from your computer and it should no longer suggest the username at login.

    You should find a path similar to the following:

    C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Skype

    That path should show folders such as Content, My Skpe Received Files and Wallpapers among others.

    Just look for the username folder in that and delete it. Restart Skype and you should now no longer have the recently deleted username suggested.


  • Related Question

    Skype unable to login on Windows 7 64-bit?
  • Timo Geusch

    One of my machines here - the only Windows PC - has three different Windows installations on it:

    • Windows XP 32-bit, my current main installation
    • Windows 7 public beta 32-bit, mainly installed this to try out Windows 7. It's got the basic tools on it that I normally use, but it's a plain vanilla install
    • Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, just installed. This currently has only a handful of programs installed (FeedDemon, JDK + NetBeands, Skype) that I also have on the 32-bit install

    All of the above installs have the same settings for TCP/IP - same IPv4 network address, netmask, default gateway and DNS servers. There is a firewall between me and the big bad Internet, but it's set up to let pretty much everything through from my side and does not affect Skype operation on the two 32-bit installations.

    On both 32-bit installs, Skype can connect to the Internet fine and log me in without any issues. On 64-bit Win7, I am unable to log in and the error message I receive advises me to check my network connection. All three installs have the same version of Skype (latest Windows version), the Advanced->Connection settings are the same on all three also.

    I'm pretty much stumped at this point in time. The only idea I have is to uninstall, redownload and reinstall Skype on the 64-bit Win7.

    Has anybody here seen similar problems with running Skype on a 64-bit Windows 7 installation?

    UPDATE: I've uninstalled Skype, downloaded the installer again and reinstalled Skype. It now appears to be able to connect and log in.


  • Related Answers
  • mike

    Skype has issues with windows 7 and the new installer should fix it.