Hack40.Reset Your Skype Configuration

Hack 40. Reset Your Skype Configuration

Roll back your configuration to plain-vanilla defaults without having to do an uninstall and reinstall.

Works with: all versions of Skype.

Configuration settings for Skype are mostly controlled from a file, named config.xml, which resides on your machine.

Here's where you can find it:

Windows

C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Skype\Skypename\config.xml

Linux

/home/Username/.Skype/Skypename/config.xml

Mac OS X

/Users/Username/Library/Application Support/Skype/Skypename/config.xml

Pocket PC

\Application Data\Skype\Skypename\config.xml

Username is your login name for the machine and Skypename is the name you use to log in to Skype.

Sometimes, if Skype is misbehaving, it is advantageous to reset your configuration as close as possible to the factory defaults. Uninstalling Skype and wiping out all user data will surely do the job. But before taking such Draconian measures, try this instead.

Stop Skype from running, delete or rename your existing config.xml file (it always pays to make a backup of the file, just in case; you'll get this automatically if you simply rename config.xml), and restart Skype. Skype will rebuild the config.xml file with many plain-vanilla defaults. This might improve Skype's behavior, but without the heartache and aggravation of an uninstall/reinstall.

After using this technique to reset your configuration, you should go through Skype's options (Skype Tools Options…) one by one and set them to the way you want. For example, you might find that Skype now uses the default audio in/out devices rather than your previously set up and preferred devices.

3.17.1. Hacking the Hack

Skype uses a second configuration file, shared.xml, which you usually can find here (where Username is the username under which you log on to your computer):

Windows (version 1.3 and before)

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Skype\shared.xml

Windows (version 1.4 and after)

C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Skype\shared.xml

Linux

/home/Username/.Skype/shared.xml

Mac OS X

/Users/Username/Library/Application Support/Skype/shared.xml

Pocket PC

\Application Data\Skype\shared.xml

You also can reset the shared.xml file by stopping Skype from running, renaming or deleting the file, and then restarting Skype. When Skype restarts, it will build shared.xml with new data and this may improve things if Skype is behaving unexpectedly or if it's suffering from poor voice quality and/or slow file transfers.