If
you are using Google's Chrome web browser you may notice that it labels
this website as 'Not Secure' - that's simply not true. For more
info, see: "Google
and Http"
You
might have set yourself up on Skype
using your Mac, ready to talk to a close friend
or relative, and
then all of a sudden you encounter issues which mean your call can’t go
ahead
or that it simply won’t be the same. It can be incredibly infuriating.
Skype,
like so many tools in this
technologically advanced world of ours, can have an off day every now
and then.
Likewise, our mobile phones can too. One minute we might be playing the legendary
Frankie Dettori slots,
then the next minute our phone decides to malfunction and ruin what was
meant
to be a fun, relaxing bit of entertainment. We encounter issues with
our
televisions, cars, printers - the lot. Technology isn’t completely
reliable. In
fact, it is hugely frustrating sometimes. We’ve all been there, right?
So,
with Skype in mind, we thought we’d cover a
few of the most common errors and how you can fix them. Don’t worry;
it’s
fairly straightforward.
Skype can’t seem
to find my webcam, speakers, or microphone
We’ve all had this one at least once, right?
When the ‘Skype can’t
seem to find my webcam, speakers, or
microphone’ error message appears, it tends to be fixed by a simple reboot of the computer
but not always. If
that fails, then try a bit of troubleshooting by accessing Tools
then Options. From there, click Audio Settings,
then Show
advanced options. A list of audio devices should appear, so
make sure your
device of choice isn’t greyed out and simply turn it on. It really is
as simple
as that.
Bad call
quality
We
touched on it above, but Skype isn’t perfect,
especially when it comes to
call quality. It isn’t always Skype’s fault though, with bad internet
connection or congestion on the router being a common issue. Sitting
too far
away from the router can cause problems also, so try moving closer to
it.
Another tip is to make sure too many computers aren’t hogging the
bandwidth.
So, for example, if someone is online gaming on their PlayStation 4 in
one
room, it might slow down the Skype connection in another room, thus
leading to
bad call quality.
When Skype
replaces
phone numbers in your web browser with ‘Click to Call’
buttons
Yet another annoying problem, seeing the ‘Click
to Call’ buttons in your web browser infuriates some users. It is
installed by
default, but fear not, it can be easily removed. First, you need to
uninstall
Skype Click to Call. Then, check your browser for any Add-Ons. If Skype
Click
to Call is on there, disable it. Once you’ve done that, fire up Skype
again and
click Tools, Options, Advanced and then make sure the top two boxes are
unchecked.
What has
happened to
those unused Skype credits?
Skype, somewhat inexplicably, “deactivates”
your credits if you don’t
use them at least once every 180 days, which can be incredibly annoying
if
you’ve saved them up for a special call or were simply planning on
using them
in the near future. Skype doesn’t actually delete the credits, though.
It hides
them in a virtual back room, which is pretty damn sneaky really. You
can get
them back quite easily, thankfully. All you need to do is click the “Reactivate
credit” button where your
balance used to be, and then they should reappear.
Skype’s noisy
notifications for everything
Skype
loves a noisy notification, but not all of
its users do. To shut them up, simply click Tools, then Options, then Notifications, and
finally Notification settings. From there, uncheck the noises you can’t
stand.
I've been writing about computers, software, Internet and the rest of
technology since 1992, including a 17 year (1995-2012) stint as 'High
Tech Office' columnist for Business in Vancouver. This blog includes
thoughts on technology, society, and anything else that might interest
me. Comments, emailed to alan@zisman.ca
are welcome - and may be published in whole or part. You can follow me
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