Fix Sign In Problem Into Skype And Making Call

Skype is down yet again. Just two weeks after the first round of problems, users the world over have reported trouble logging into the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service.

Skype has acknowledged this issue, tweeting, "A small number of you may have problems signing in to Skype. We're investigating the cause, and hope to have more details to share soon,"

On it's blog, Skype says, "A configuration problem has meant that some of you have been disconnected from Skype. We've identified the cause of the problem, and have begun to address it. If you've been affected, you should start to see improvement in the next hour or so. You shouldn't need to manually sign back in to Skype - it should reconnect automatically when it's able to do so. We apologies for the disruption to your conversations."

Later in the blog post, Skype said, "Today's problems have stabilised, and recovery is ongoing. Skype should return to normal soon."

You can follow the steps below to fix the problem manually.

Windows

1. If the Skype icon is displayed in the system tray at the bottom right of the screen, right-click it and select Quit.
2. Click Start, type "run" and press Enter. (On Windows XP: Click Start and then Run.)
3. Type "%appdata%\skype" and click OK.
4. Locate and delete the file shared.xml. The file may be displayed as shared if file extensions are not displayed by default on your computer. 
5. If you cannot find this file:
       * Click Start, type "run" and press Enter. (On Windows XP: Click Start and then Run.)
       * Type "control folders" and click OK.
       * In the View tab, ensure that Show hidden files and folders is enabled.
       * Repeat the instructions from the beginning.
6.    Restart Skype.

Mac

1. Open Finder and locate the following folder:

      ~/Library/Application Support/Skype

2. Delete the file shared.xml.
3. Restart Skype.

The ~ sign means your home folder. You can find your home folder by opening Finder and selecting Go > Home from the menu bar or pressing Command (Apple), Shift and H keys at the same time.

Linux

1. Go to the following folder:

      /home/YourLinuxUserName/.Skype

2. Delete the file shared.xml.
3. Restart Skype.

The Skype folder is a hidden folder - please check Show hidden files in your file browser to view and access it.