HOW TO CREATE A SKYPE ACCOUNT

1. Go to www.skype.com
Get the new Skype for Windows on your computer.


2. Download now Skype 4.1 for Windows


3. To start Skype


If it's your first time opening Skype:
Open Skype on your computer.
That means double-clicking this icon on your desktop or choosing it from the Windows > Start menu. Having trouble? Launch it from here. This will open a start-up screen.


Click Don't have a Skype Name?
This opens a Create account window.
Type in your name, then create a Skype username (called a Skype Name) and a password.
- Pick ones you can remember so you can sign in next time.
- Follow the directions from there and click Sign in.


If you've opened Skype before:
Open Skype from your desktop or Windows > Start menu.
In the start-up screen, click in the box under Skype Name and type it in. Then do the same for your password.
(If you forget your password, click the Forgot your password? link and follow the directions from there.)
This will sign you in to Skype, ready for you to use.
3. Adding a contact
• Search your email contacts to see who's on Skype
• Add a specific person
• Add a phone or cell phone number
Search your email contacts to see who's on Skype:
Click the Directory tab and click the link See friends who are already on Skype.
You'll see an Add contacts screen.
Under Check your email contacts, click in the checkbox(es) beside the email accounts you have.
If you have a Yahoo account, type in your username and password then click Search email contacts.
Skype uses your Yahoo login to check if your contacts are on Skype – it never saves it, ever.
Wait for Skype to search your contacts.
If Skype finds a match, it will list the friends who also use Skype.
Click in the checkbox beside the people you want to talk to on Skype.
Then click Add contact.
Write an introduction message so they know who you are.
Click OK to send. Depending on their security, you can IM them. When they accept your invitation, you will be able to see when they are online and call them, too.
Add a specific person:
Click the Directory tab and go to Find people.
Click in the box and type in their name, email address or Skype Name.
Click Search. Wait for Skype to search.
In the list, find the person you're looking for. Check details like location and click this icon to double check it's them.
Click on them, then click Add contact. This will open a Say hello window.
Click in the message box and type an introduction message so they know who you are.
Click OK to send. When they accept your invitation, you will be able to see when they are online and call them, too.
4. Call someone on video
It’s free to call people on video.
Make sure you've got a webcam and check:
- it's plugged into your computer
- you've installed the software that came with it
- it's switched on.
In your Contact list, find the person you want to talk to.
Click on them.
In the main window, click the green Video call button.
Smile, wave, say hello!
Useful things you can do on a video call:
• Resize the screen – click and drag the corner of the video screen to make it bigger or smaller.
• Move it around – click and drag the video of yourself around your screen.
• IM at the same time – click the Show messages link at the top of the video to instant message while you're on the call.