Disable Skypehost.exe (Windows Skype) on Windows 10
Skypehost.exe (Windows Skype) is a process that runs on PCs that are powered by Microsoft's operating system Windows 10 by default.
It does so by default right after installation or first start of the operating system even if the Skype desktop software has not been installed on the machine.
Skypehost.exe powers two applications that Microsoft installs by default on systems running Windows 10: Skype and Messaging + Skype
Messaging is a chat application that Skype was added to, enabling users to send messages using Skype instead of using other forms such as SMS.
Skype Video, integrates more of Skype's functionality to Windows 10 directly. It enables you to make video calls or voice calls (by turning off the camera), and also chat with contacts.
Skypehost.exe
Skypehost.exe runs as a suspended process on Windows 10 if Messaging + Skype, or Skype Video are not being used.
You can verify that in the following way:
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-Esc to open the Windows Task Manager.
- Windows 10 opens a poor man's version by default, click on "more details" to display the full interface.
- You find the Skypehost.exe process listed as a background process called "Microsoft Skype" under Processes, or directly with its file name under the Details tab.
Suspended is one of the states of an application's lifecycle on Windows 10. It is sleeping more or less, ready to switch to the running state once activated by the user or automatically.
Suspended apps use little memory and usually no cpu, and it may not make much of a difference on most systems whether skypehost.exe is listed as a suspended process or not.
Windows 10 will terminate suspended applications if resources they use are needed elsewhere.
Disabling the Windows Skype process
It makes little sense on the other hand to keep the process in suspended state if Skype Video or Messaging + Skype are not used on the system.
Option 1: Uninstall Messaging + Skype
This is probably the best option for the majority of users. It is easy to carry out and uses build-in Windows options to remove the application from the system.
- Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings application.
- Navigate to System > Apps & features, and wait until the list of installed apps and programs is displayed fully on the page.
- You can browse the selection manually, or, and that is the faster way, type skype into the search at the top to list the two applications that you need to remove from the system.
- Click on Messaging + Skype, and then on the uninstall button that appears.
- Confirm the prompt that appears to remove the application from the system.
- While you are at it, remove "get skype" as well.
Check the Windows Task Manager after the uninstallation process completes. You will notice that skypehost.exe is no longer running as a process on the PC.
Option 2: Remove Skype using the PowerShell
If you cannot remove Skype using the Settings application, need more control over the process, or want to execute the uninstallation on remote computer systems, then you may use PowerShell instead to remove the apps from those systems.
- Tap on the Windows-key, type PowerShell, hold down Ctrl and Shift, and hit enter on the keyboard to open an elevated Powershell prompt.
- Confirm the UAC prompt to continue.
- Run the following commands one after the other, press enter after each line.
- Get-AppxPackage *messaging* | Remove-AppxPackage
- Get-AppxPackage *skypeapp* | Remove-AppxPackage
Useful information about skypehost.exe
The installation directory of Microsoft Messaging, and skypehost.exe, is the following one:
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Messaging_2.13.20000.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe\
Please note that the version may change when updates are released, and that you cannot open the folder using File Explorer.
The easiest way to list the folder name is to do the following:
- Tap on the Windows-key, type cmd.exe, hold down Ctrl and Shift, and hit enter. This opens an elevated command prompt window.
- Confirm the UAC prompt to continue.
- Use the command cd "c:\Program Files\WindowsApps" to navigate to the folder.
- Use the command dir to display all folders, and scroll up until you find the Microsoft Messaging entry.
- Use the command cd Microsoft.Messaging_2.13.20000.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe to navigate to the folder. Make sure you replace the version with the one displayed to you.
- Use the command dir to display the folder's contents. You find skypehost.exe listed in that folder.
How to restore the removed applications
If you find out at a later point in time that you need the Skype or Messaging application again, then you may want to restore the apps on the system.
The easiest way to do that is to visit Windows Store, search for the apps' name (e.g. Messaging + Skype), and install it from there. All default apps are listed in the Store.
Alternatively, use a program like 10AppsManager to restore these applications on the system.
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277