How do I get rid of the second instance of Skype on my Windows 10?

[Ron Obvious]

Ever since a recent Windows update, I've been noticing that there's a second Skype running in the background of my Windows 10 Pro system. Looking at the running tasks, there's the usual, green logged-in icon of my desktop Skype, but also a grey, "Skype - not signed in" that's just sitting there not apparently doing anything. I can quit the process without ill effects.

But I don't want it there in the first place.

Googling the problem identifies the reason (installing Desktop Skype) and confirms that a lot of people have noticed this, but not how to get rid of it.

The control panel's "programs & features" only lists the Desktop version I installed, but neither here, nor in "Windows Features" do I find this other Skype.

Any suggestions on how to get rid of this unwanted passenger on my laptop?

[Nictuku]

2. Try this:

Type Skype in the search bar, it will list the apps above. If there are 2 listed, see if you can figure out which one is the one you want. Then on the other one, do a right-click and select Uninstall.

[Ron Obvious]

3. Thank you! I think that may have done it.

I got three Skypes in my search bar, but one of them turned out to be the desktop shortcut. By right-clicking, I did eventually get to (I think) settings; apps & features which listed both Skypes. The Desktop version was v8.63 and the other one 15 or something. I was able to uninstall that one, and my desktop skype is still running so I assume everything is fine.

How confusing Microsoft have made things with this feature duplication, though (settings AND control panel, I mean).

Thanks!

[Nictuku]

4. Regular Skype is included in Windows 10

Regular Skype is included in Windows 10, and is an 'App' that you can get also in the Windows Store.

People who install O365 also get Skype (or Skype for Business) depending on what your licensing for O365 grants you.

The same thing applies to OneNote. It is included in the OS, but you will have 2 versions if you install O365.

It might come back when Windows 10 does one of its wonderful (that was snark) Feature Updates, where it resets many of the settings you may have customized.

[mr_lebowski]

5. Settings menu in W10 is just a nicer GUI that's overlaid on the old Control Panel system

that's been around forever. They're not really duplicated features.

[Ron Obvious]

6. Well, they do somewhat duplicate

My natural instinct is to go the control and look at Programs & Features for installed programs. In this case, the Skype I installed myself was listed but not the built-in Skype. Neither was it listed in Windows Features.

I just wouldn't have occurred to me to go to Settings for this. I also think that installing Desktop Skype should uninstall or at least disable built-in Skype. Why would anybody want both?

[mr_lebowski]

7. Oh they absolutely appear to duplicate, you are right ...

Most of what's in Setting is really just a new overlay over the old, existing control panel is what I'm saying. Another way to 'get to' the same place IOW. Somewhat like the way Google.com is the same place whether you get there via Chrome or Firefox.

And I tend to agree about Skype ... in an ideal world ... but there's a few reasons why the ideal thing may not happen.

Sometimes if a Developer makes an app (App 1) that installs another app that already exists in Windows (App 2, something like Skype) they do so because the App 2 version they installed is customized in some way so that it supports App 1 fully.

This also makes it so PC's w/o App 2 already on them (someone still running W7 or even XP may not have Skype as it's a relatively new add to Windows) will reliably have it, so that App 1 can always access it.

App 1 installing it's own copy of App 2 also allows the Dev to control the versioning of both App 1 and App 2 at the same time, they're not reliant on the whims of Microsoft Windows team, who could, say, suddenly take away support for some feature of the built-in version App 2, thus breaking features in App 1.

Another scenario: App 1 was developed before all PC's had App 2, and App 1 has just never been updated to account for this fact. It doesn't even 'know to look' for a built in copy, it just puts it's own on there, period.