Today, more and more Windows XP users began to complain that they are unable to log in to Skype. Typically, when launch Skype occurs error Sorry, we couldn’t connect to Skype. In some cases, instead of this error is displayed the authorization form, but "everything is mixed up" — it displays the text on a white background and various text fields. If you check access to Skype using Internet Explorer, you may notice that is blocked access to these servers like swx.cdn.skype.com, secure.skypeassets.com, www.skype.net and others.
Number of users confirming this error: ???
It seems the problem is associated with the security certificate due to which the Internet Explorer can not connect to Skype servers. As a temporary workaround, install the 7.15.0.103 version.
Chronicle of events:
The first reports on the official forum confirming the bug
The developers have fixed the error, but changes may not take effect immediately
I tested on several Windows XP computers and confirm that bug is resolved
and using skype in standart way, i am always getting:
"Sorry, we couldn't connect to Skype. Please check your internet connection and try again."
It seems the problem lies in IE8 on WinXPsp3, which can not connect to half of skype servers,
tested here: Check access to Skype, because of IE8 certificates problems,
spent ~2days, tested all solutions i could find on internet with no luck,
One last idea is if we somehow could redirect requests from IE8 to any other browser,
maybe converting/hotlinking unusefull iexplorer.exe into some batch script, which then could call the chrome/opera/or/firefox to do the job instead of IE8 itself,
because firefox/opera/chrome still connects to all ssl skype servers whithout a problems.
So maybe this could be solution #5 for skype:live accounts on winXp with only buggy IE8 supported.
[Updated ]
PS: ..the root problem may be that IE8 on WinXP supports only 128bit SSL,
and half of Skype SSL servers recently updated to newer 256bit certificates,
while other browsers like firefox,chrome,opera were better maintained,
and even used on XP supports broader 256bit encryption security.
Hi Kevin! I already found solution #5 — a workaround that enables AES-256 for Windows XP and among other cool things allows to log in using live: accounts. Stay tuned! I’ll try to publish the solution within a few hours.
If you will need any kind of assistance in testing/tuning new solution, i will be glad to help. I think i also have some IT skills for doing impossible things - possible. :)
[Updated ]
I'm not sure what have just happened, IE8 still does not connects to https://apps.skypeassets.com/static/skype.client.login/3.0/3.28/release/images/normal/skype-logo-136x60.png , but after another 24hours of trials just after one more reboot, my WinXPsp3 with latest skype ver.:7.36.0.150 launched without problems as usual using any: "live" or "standart" usernames for skype login.
If the cure was not done from the Microsoft end, then maybe for me the solution had been some of XP updates, i have installed desperately seeking for solution throughout the last day.
my guess list what i have installed lastly:
http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/software/secu/2013/10/windowsxp-kb2868626-x86-enu_1a00424d2070b57a4d9e2e73e54d90f51bb0562a.exe
http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.php?autocom=downloads&req=download&code=confirm_download&id=10247
http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/csa/csa/secu/2017/04/ie8-windowsxp-kb4018271-x86-custom-enu_122a1122404b9862e6998bcec0917de02c378de6.exe
http://codecpack.nl/SkypeSetup.exe
https://softpedia-secure-download.com/dl/07fd62c7d87ac50fc7e80e11eb715ce4/59ae0783/100105889/software/internet/browser/IECollection1721.exe (in IEcollections i unselected IE6 and below )
Also somewhere in the middle of installing all this list, i turned windows updates on, and in IE8 windows update website selected express updates install option,
but after ~30min of waiting, with progress bar spinning and nothing changing,
i thought that update process is not working again because of IE8 certificates problems,
so i have stopped windows update service, after i tried to close IE8 window with no luck,
and killed IE8 + windows update processes from task manager.
but anyway, i have suspect that fix have been done in Microsoft end, and my trials were just waste of time.
Thanks for your suggestion to help me! However, Microsoft has already fixed the error; therefore, your updates did not fix this error. I can be wrong, so check which encryption algorithm is used on your computer. For this, start Internet Explorer → click “Help” → choose “About” → and check string “Cipher Strength”. If you still have “Cipher Strength: 128-bit” it means that the problem was fixed by Microsoft.
4 comments
+8), #mentioned here: Cannot connect to Skype for Windows XP and Windows Vista,
but this solution don't work for skype
live:account,and using skype in standart way, i am always getting:
"Sorry, we couldn't connect to Skype. Please check your internet connection and try again."
It seems the problem lies in IE8 on WinXPsp3, which can not connect to half of skype servers,
tested here: Check access to Skype, because of IE8 certificates problems,
spent ~2days, tested all solutions i could find on internet with no luck,
One last idea is if we somehow could redirect requests from IE8 to any other browser,
maybe converting/hotlinking unusefull iexplorer.exe into some batch script, which then could call the chrome/opera/or/firefox to do the job instead of IE8 itself,
because firefox/opera/chrome still connects to all ssl skype servers whithout a problems.
So maybe this could be solution #5 for skype:live accounts on winXp with only buggy IE8 supported.
[Updated ]
PS: ..the root problem may be that IE8 on WinXP supports only 128bit SSL,
and half of Skype SSL servers recently updated to newer 256bit certificates,
while other browsers like firefox,chrome,opera were better maintained,
and even used on XP supports broader 256bit encryption security.
+1207), # ↑live:accounts. Stay tuned! I’ll try to publish the solution within a few hours.+8), # ↑[Updated ]
I'm not sure what have just happened, IE8 still does not connects to https://apps.skypeassets.com/static/skype.client.login/3.0/3.28/release/images/normal/skype-logo-136x60.png , but after another 24hours of trials just after one more reboot, my WinXPsp3 with latest skype ver.:7.36.0.150 launched without problems as usual using any: "live" or "standart" usernames for skype login.
If the cure was not done from the Microsoft end, then maybe for me the solution had been some of XP updates, i have installed desperately seeking for solution throughout the last day.
my guess list what i have installed lastly:
http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/software/secu/2013/10/windowsxp-kb2868626-x86-enu_1a00424d2070b57a4d9e2e73e54d90f51bb0562a.exe
http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.php?autocom=downloads&req=download&code=confirm_download&id=10247
http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/csa/csa/secu/2017/04/ie8-windowsxp-kb4018271-x86-custom-enu_122a1122404b9862e6998bcec0917de02c378de6.exe
http://codecpack.nl/SkypeSetup.exe
https://softpedia-secure-download.com/dl/07fd62c7d87ac50fc7e80e11eb715ce4/59ae0783/100105889/software/internet/browser/IECollection1721.exe (in IEcollections i unselected IE6 and below )
Also somewhere in the middle of installing all this list, i turned windows updates on, and in IE8 windows update website selected express updates install option,
but after ~30min of waiting, with progress bar spinning and nothing changing,
i thought that update process is not working again because of IE8 certificates problems,
so i have stopped windows update service, after i tried to close IE8 window with no luck,
and killed IE8 + windows update processes from task manager.
but anyway, i have suspect that fix have been done in Microsoft end, and my trials were just waste of time.
+1207), # ↑By the way, look at here: AES-256 for Windows XP.