14 DAY TRIAL // On Windows 10, Microsoft is currently offering two different versions of Skype, one that’s available in the Microsoft Store as a UWP app and another one that can be installed as Win32 software.
But as it turns out, the company might be getting ready to abandon the latter, putting the focus entirely on the UWP client that can be installed from the Store.
Microsoft has recently pulled installers for older versions of Skype due to what the company claimed to be a security issue with the installer packages themselves, and not the application.
“There was an issue with an older version of the Skype for Windows desktop installer – version 7.40 and lower. The issue was in the program that installs the Skype software – the issue was not in the Skype software itself. Customers who have already installed this version of Skype for Windows desktop are not affected. We have removed this older version of Skype for Windows desktop from our website skype.com,” the company said in an announcement.
Desktop version pointing to the Store
And while Microsoft doesn’t say a single thing about making this installer available for users once again, it claims the latest version can be installed without any issue.
But as you can see in the screenshot below, installing the latest version of Skype for Windows desktop with the offline installer actually points users to the Microsoft Store to get the UWP app.
Microsoft watcher Rafael Rivera says Skype for Windows desktop is being retired and version 7.40.0.104 “is likely the last classic version we’ll see.”
The most recent major overhaul of Skype for desktop took place in October 2017 with the release of version 8, so it’ll be a little premature to pull this new client already. But with two different Skype apps available on Windows 10, users could end up all confused as to what version they should install, so abandoning the desktop sibling appears to make sense at some level.
