How to Fix Skype Not Opening or Responding in Windows 10

If Skype is not opening or responding on your Windows 10 PC, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the issue. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process of fixing Skype not opening in Windows 10, including allowing apps to access your microphone and camera, repairing and resetting the Skype app, and checking your firewall settings.

Allow Apps to Access Microphone & Camera

Before you can use Skype, you need to ensure that apps on your computer are allowed to access your microphone and camera. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Privacy settings”.
2. Click on “Privacy” in the search results.
3. In the Privacy settings, scroll down to the “Microphone” and “Camera” sections.
4. Make sure the “Allow apps to access your microphone” and “Allow apps to access your camera” options are turned on.

Allow Skype to Access Webcam & Microphone

Once you’ve enabled app access to your microphone and camera, you need to specifically allow Skype to use these devices. Here’s how:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Skype”.
2. Right-click on the Skype app and select “App settings”.
3. Scroll down to the “Permissions” section and make sure the “Allow Skype to access your microphone” and “Allow Skype to access your camera” options are turned on.

Repair Skype App

If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, you can try repairing the Skype app. This process will reinstall the app without deleting your data. Here’s how:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Settings”.
2. Click on “Apps” in the Settings menu.
3. Find Skype in the list of installed apps and click on it.
4. Click on “Advanced options” and scroll down to the “Reset” section.
5. Click on “Repair” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.

Reset Skype

If repairing the app doesn’t work, you can try resetting it. This will delete your Skype data, including your preferences and sign-in details, but it may resolve the issue. Here’s how:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Settings”.
2. Click on “Apps” in the Settings menu.
3. Find Skype in the list of installed apps and click on it.
4. Click on “Advanced options” and scroll down to the “Reset” section.
5. Click on “Reset” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process.

Reset Network Configuration

Sometimes, network issues can prevent Skype from opening or responding. You can try resetting your network configuration to resolve the issue. Here’s how:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Command Prompt”.
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt app and select “Run as administrator”.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
1. netsh winsock reset
2. netsh int ip reset
3. ipconfig /release
4. ipconfig /renew
5. ipconfig /flushdns
4. Restart your computer and try opening Skype again.

Check Firewall Blocking

Your firewall settings may be blocking Skype from opening or responding. You can try temporarily disabling your firewall to see if that resolves the issue. Here’s how:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Windows Defender Firewall”.
2. Click on “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off” in the search results.
3. In the Windows Defender Firewall settings, select “Turn off Windows Defender Firewall” for both the “Private network settings” and “Public network settings”.
4. Click “OK” to save the changes.
5. Try opening Skype again.

If Skype opens successfully with the firewall disabled, you may need to add an exception for Skype in your firewall settings to allow it to communicate with the internet.