Skype on Windows 95?

[blackwingcat]

Umm...

I think that it is only method that Skype prevent from update the old version skype. and we can't connect to server with client version 2.x lower.

Got the version I mentioned above working (1.3066)

hint:

127.0.0.1 ui.skype.com

Edited October 7, 2013 by blackwingcat

[dencorso]

I've added

127.0.0.1 ui.skype.com

to hosts.

Still, I remain unable to connect to server with my 1.4.0.84...

There must be more to it.

[Steven W]

I tried other versions and couldn't get them to work. When using 1.3.066 I have to follow the exact 7 steps I added above, or it just sits there trying to connect. Also have to clean the registry after installing later versions...Would be nice to get later versions working.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Steven W

[buyerninety]

Excuse me, maybe not relevant but I note in an XP system there are registry entries that contain 'version information' of

apparently Skype or the SkypeIEPlugin.dll , also accompanying that key an entry that contains a 'ForWarding link' to Microsoft,

an entry for 'CompatabilityFlags' and an entry for 'BlockType'...

Unsure why no-one only Steven W has explored this... I imagine he sees similar interesting keys in a 98/95 system...

Edited October 7, 2013 by buyerninety

[Dude111]

Its interesting that Steve can get 1.3.066 to connect whill other versions wont....

What exactly did they change?

Steve did you try any versions below 1.0?? (0.97.0.40 for instance)

EDIT:

What if they are checking the program USER AGENT and you change your skype user agent to the one Steve can connect with?? (1.3.066)

EDIT2:

I tried version 0.97.0.40 and i couldnt connect

I added "0 ui.skype.com" to my host file and of course the update alert didnt come...... But I still couldnt connect.....

I opened a hex editor and tried to change the version ID to 1.3.0.66 and when i ran the program it said the file was corrupted and wouldnt run.. (I forgot they have the file checking the exact amount of data in it when its run)

Edited October 8, 2013 by Dude111

[buyerninety]

Skype for Windows procedures for certain of the versions mentioned above, such as the 0.97 [-Beta] and the 1.4.0.84 ,
are explored in this ~2006 document; http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~salman/publications/skype1_4.pdf .
-

[note: of course, 1.3.0.66 is last 'Skype for Windows' vers 1.3.x.xx , following went to 1.4.x.xx versions.]

Edit: Have confirmed Steven W couldn't get the next higher (1.4) version to work.

With 1.3.0.66 he has a 98SE box IE 6 SP1 with Maximus Decim's IE 6.0sp1 Component Update 3.4 installed,

(and primarily uses FF 10.0.12esr, for which you must have KernelEx).

Edited October 10, 2013 by buyerninety

[Dude111]

Well why does version 0.97.0.40 not connect??

DID THEY CHANGE SERVERS WITH THE 1.O AND NEWER VERSIONS??

Ill look @ the PDF you supplied!

Edited October 9, 2013 by Dude111

[Steven W]

I did not attempt versions lower than 1.3.0.66. FWIW (probably not much), before I got it to run I did edit the version of skype.exe using XN Resource editor. I thought this was necessary, but later uninstalled, cleaned registry, and reinstalled without edits and it worked. A weird consequence of version edit, in the Help -- About Dialog, a bunch symbols were shown instead of the actual version.

[Dude111]

Hehe thats interesting...... When I edited the version # in the file it wouldnt run!!

[blackwingcat]

I edited version from 1.4 to 3.4 with resource hacker.

but it would not connect to server.

[Andrew T.]

Hi folks! Sorry about the lapse; I'm back from a rather trying offline week. With that over, here's a brief summary of what's been deduced so far.

* No version of Skype was ever promoted as being compatible with Windows 95.

* There's a chance that the earliest versions might have been able to work on the OS nevertheless, but finding out is difficult because the application installer "calls home," expects a specific online response, and refuses to run.

* The Skype 1.x installer is built with a program called Inno Setup.

* Interestingly, a subfolder containing "SkypeVersionChecker.dll" is generated in c:\windows\temp\ each time the installer is run. The DLL doesn't contain a visible URL, though.

But, would a pre-1.0 version have worked? As it turns out the 0.90 installer was built with a different setup program, and it installs successfully without "calling home!" That doesn't mean Skype will run, though. This error appears if I try to do that:

FlashWindowEx API is presumably a 98-only API. Here's a thread that covers that sort of issue. (I wonder if there's a way to hack around this?)

So what about skipping the official client and trying GWConnect? Its installer is as snippy as Skype 1.x's about not installing, since on Windows 95 (and others?) it throws this error in your face:

I treat this entire subject, by the way, as an exercise in curiosity. If something that might work doesn't work, or doesn't install that should install...my natural instinct is to find out why.

Of course to actually be functional, Skype would have to install, run, and connect...and 3.2 on Windows 2000 could be what's necessary these days to clear all three hurdles.

[Steven W]

Without specifically addressing Win95, there are some interesting files in the Application Data/Skype folder too. Looking at 1.4.0.84 there's shared.xml, some db files, etc. There's also a registry key that reports version number.

[Steven W]

You might want to ask yourself, how badly you want Skype (maybe even anything MS) after reading this:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/11/skype-ten-microsoft-nsa

[Dude111]

Exactly Steve!!!

Thats why I wont use skype now!!!!!!! (They ruined it.....NOTHING GOOD ABOUT SKYPE ANYMORE)

[Steven W]

Obviously, this is something that every person is going to have to decide for him/herself. I rarely actually use it anymore just to chat with a friend whom insists on using it that lives half-way around globe. I can understand Andrew's pursuit of it as a curiosity. Reminds me of one of my first (if not my very first) post here at MSFN:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/82947-in2tv-and-more-on-win98/

and jds's attempts to get Zimbra going under Win98:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/163408-zimbra-desktop-722-potential-outlook-replacement/

As I've stated there, I'm not impressed with Zimbra's software, but as for the intellectual challenge of getting it going on an older version of Windows -- that kinda of stuff interests me.

Forgive my rambling, just reminiscing