Firefox Skype Extension

Posted by on Mar 21, 2007 in Popular, Tech | 17 comments

Have just been taking time to upgrade my new laptop with my usual suite of software. The changover to Windows Vista Ultimate is so far entertaining, nervously exciting and yet familiar. At least most of my favourite keyboard short-cuts return the results I need to manage my way around. What was disappointing is that on loading Firefox and the Skype, I was missing my favourite Skype extension.

Now someone will need to explain, but so far the Skype extension is not available at the mozilla.com / firefox.com website. At this point it is built into the Skype install. Sadly that went wrong, the extension didn’t appear and there was no way to reinstall. Reinstall’s failed, reboots were no go and uninstall and reinstall simply wasted coffee time.

However, despite asking Google’s advice, the final answer came from the Skype forums. OK, I won’t keep you waiting any longer,… If you lose your extension, go to the new Skype Business section and download the MSI version of Skype. This windows installer package allows you to choose both the IE and Firefox install extensions as part of the process. Yahoo, I’m back and connected.

You may be interested in these posts:

  1. Video Downloader
  • http://www.24-archive.com Tom F

    Thanks, I had exactly the same problem and Googling it found your solution.

    Nice.

  • Rene

    Thanks. I also am having the same problem. But I’d really like to find just the firefox extension as I’m trying to install it for mac. Is skype phasing it out for some reason?

  • http://www.andrewpitchford.com Admin

    Rene,
    Did some looking into this one myself and couldn’t find an answer. I would be extremely surprised if Skype turned its back on the Mac. Sorry I couldn’t find a result that would help you further on this one.
    Andrew

  • Thomas G Henry

    the msi doesn’t seem to have the firefox version anymore

    :sad:

  • http://www.andrewpitchford.com Admin

    Seems weird Thomas, I just downloaded version 3.5.0.239 and it installed including the Firefox extension. Checking Skype’s help seemed to indicate it was still included. I didn’t do any exhaustive testing so don’t know if it picked up on my previous install. Did you just find the installation failed to install the FF extension or have you read of its exclusion somewhere?

  • David

    The 3.6.32.244 MSI file seems to include the Firefox extension, and offers to install it, but it didn’t actually do it on my system.

    There are references on the Skype website to SkypeToolbarForFirefox.exe, but it seems to have been pulled.

  • David

    I was wrong, the 3.6.32.244 MSI file did successfully install the Firefox extension.

  • Chris

    Found this post via google ad glad I did, my extension disappeared from FF and grabbing the MSI fixed it. Strangely, I chose to install the IE version of the plug-in and it still doesn’t work in IE.

  • Hersey

    Hi – Installed skype on SO winXP – she had several issues – one was when she attempted to open inbox in Mail.com – it would just redisply page. :sad: I uninstalled the skype add-on and mail.com worked immediately. :lol: Maybe there’s some other combination conflict – but that seemed pretty direct. BWDIK !! Good luck

  • http://www.cartoonsteve.com Steve

    Could someone please tell me how to activate or configure and use the extension in Firefox? I downloaded the Skype msi version 4.0.32.224 and see it in the list under “add-ons” but the option button is ghosted out like it was in the standard version of skype I had installed and uninstalled earlier – and there is no listing of it in the firefox toolbars. As i understand it, firefox is supposed to let you hightlight (any?) numbers and a skype button will allow us to call – or does this only work on web pages which have been coded with something like this: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Skype

    Help

  • http://www.cartoonsteve.com Steve

    update – I see the skpye actions button on my browser to the right of the google search but whether I highlight a number or not, clicking it just opens a window saying “turn number highlighting on” which is checked but no action is taken.

  • http://www.andrewpitchford.com apitchford

    Steve,
    I decided to check my own installation again which had a ‘Skype’ add-on listed in my Firefox addons but was also ghosted out for ‘Options’. I forgot to write it down but the addon at this point had a version number of 2.XXXX. This made me think twice simply as we’re up to version 4.0 of Skype. Later you will see this was a red herring. I realised, prompted by your comment that I actually hadn’t used the Skype addon for some time and it wasn’t functioning in my browser environment. Probably because of some upgrade or me rushing to install Skype 4.0 along the way. So based on this I decided to uninstall the extension and start again.
    First I went for the MSI version install of Skype 4.0 from the business section at http://www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/windows/business/ Once you’ve downloaded and begun the installation please ensure you choose ‘custom’ install. I also noted my Spybot prog was picking up on the ‘Browser’ integration so make sure any malware protection actually allows the full install. You may find you have to disable malware or anti-virus programs while the install is in progress. Then reboot and enable them again post-install.

    After install and restarting Firefox I found I had my Skype button back in the right hand corner of my browser. I then clicked on it and was shown the Skype extension options as well as the version number for the Skype Firefox extension of 2.2.0.102 From here doing a search of the ‘Yellowpages’ brought up phone numbers with the Skype link applied apart from a couple that had badly managed spaces between phone numbers. A good result with version 4.0 of Skype and the Firefox extension.

    Hope that helps!
    Andrew

  • http://www.andrewpitchford.com apitchford

    Steve, I saw this comment after I’d responded to your first one. My first suspicion would be that some malware protection software may have prevented the ‘full integration’ of the extension into Firefox similar to the comment I made in the last reply. May be you could follow this line of thinking and tell me how you get on.
    Thanks,
    Andrew

  • Inukaze

    Hi, well im under Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) Im Using Skype 2.0.0.72.

    I wanna know, when the Skype Page, send you a contact , how i do to Firefox to Send the Contact to Skype ?

  • http://www.andrewpitchford.com apitchford

    Inukaze,
    Not being a Linux user I’m not sure I understand your question sufficient to assist.
    I hope these two links might help you for using Skype with Ubuntu.

  • http://beginlinux.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/installing-skype-on-ubuntu-904/
  • http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/skype
  • Eric

    I am looking for the Firefox extension .xpi file that is most current. I am trying to install to Mac. I have the version which works on my pc but it doesn’t appear to work for Mac

  • http://carvounas.net Christophe Carvounas

    Thanks, I was just wondering why I loose my extension, and was unable to find it back despite Skype reinstall – options – Install firefox extension checked.
    You perfectly gave me the solution.
    Regards.