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Skype on a Stick

How-to take Skype with you on a USB drive...

Skype on USB Drive for People on the Move

You spend a lot of time on the road and you want to contact your family and friends with Skype.  However, computers available to you at the hotels, libraries and internet café do not have the software installed along with your favorite configurations.  There is one solution – install Skype on a USB drive.  When traveling, plug in your USB drive, microphone and headset and you are ready to talk.  If you are using a MP3 player as your USB drive, you already have a headset.

Bluetooth Headsets | Standard Headsets

Follow the following steps and Skype would run from your USB drive.

1. Only Skype version 1.4 or later supports a removable configuration.  Download the latest version if required.
2. Create a folder \Skype on your USB drive.  Secure the folder if you worry about people peeking into your data if you lose your USB drive.  Read the USB drive owner’s manual for more details.
3. Copy skype.exe into \Skype.  You can find the program in “C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone”.
4. Create a batch file runSkype.bat in the \Skype folder using Notepad. Within that file, insert the following command line just as it's seen here:

        start skype.exe /removable /datapath:"\Skype"

Once the .bat file has been created you start Skype by either browsing to the Skype folder on the thumb drive or going to Start-> run and execute the batch file:   run Skype.bat (e:\Skype\runSkype.bat for instance) If you run the skype.exe file you may receive an error stating that the file is not a valid Win32 application.

If you want to use the existing profile on your current computer:

1. Copy all files and folders within:
   1. For Windows '98 / ME / 2000 / XP - “c:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Application Data\Skype” to \Skype on the USB drive
   2. For Windows Vista - "c:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Skype" to \Skype on the USB drive
      
2. Copy the following folders to \Skype on the USB drive:
   1. “My Documents\My Skype Content”
   2. “My Documents\My Skype Pictures”
   3. “My Documents\My Skype Received Files”

That is it.  You are ready to go.

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