Install/Upgrade Skype for Business

If you need to have Skype for Business installed on your Math Department issued laptop, then you can follow the instructions below to do so.  If you installed MS Office using the University licensed software, you can also use the instructions below.  For Windows Desktop PCs in the math department, you can contact the to request it to be installed.  You can also use the web version, by logging into the online website using your Cougarnet credentials.

1) Go to the Start Menu.  Go to the Control Panel.  Click on the Programs and Features.
2) From the list of installed programs, scroll down to "Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016" and right-click on it.  From the popup menu, choose "Change". If your account does not have admin rights, you may be asked to enter account credentials with admin rights.
If your laptop was issued by this department, then you should have been issued a paper with an account username and password to use for this.  If you have lost this paper, you will need to contact the and you will be issued a new admin account sheet or arrange an appointment to have Skype for Business installed for you.
3) Make sure the "Add or Remove Features" option is selected and click the COntinue button.
4) Find the option for Skype for Business.  If there is not a red X in the icon, then it is already installed.  You can skip to step #6
5) Left-click on the icon for Skype for Business and from the popup menu, choose the first options "Run from My Computer".  Then click the Continue button.
It will take a short while to install Skype for Business.  Once it is finished, a shortcut is placed in the Start Menu under the Microsoft Office 2016 folder.  However, this icon is broken and will not launch the Skype program.  To fix this, you will need to do the following:
6) Bring up the File Manager Explorer.  You can either press and hold the <Windows> key and press the <E>, or you can look for the yellow folder icon near the Start Menu and click on it.
7) The folder you want to go to depends on whether you have the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office.  Most users will have the 32-bit version installed. Navigate to the folder: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16" and look for the file lync.exe.  If you don't see it, navigate to the folder: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16" and look for the "lync.exe" file.
8) Using the right mouse button (IMPORTANT! Do not use the left mouse button!), right-click and hold to drag the lync.exe file to an empty area on your desktop.  When you release the right mouse button, a popup menu will appear, choose "Create shortcuts here".
9) Right-click on this shortcut icon and from the p[opup menu, choose Rename.  Rename it to "Skype for Business 2016".
10) To remove the old and broken shortcut in the Start Menu, go to the Start Menu, then to All Programs and then right-click on the Microsoft Office 2016 folder, and then choose Open from the popup menu.  A File Manager window should appear showing you the all the Office shortcuts.
11) Right-click on the "Skype for Business 2016" shortcut and from the popup menu, choose "Delete", which is near the bottom of the menu.  You should be asked to provide the admin account credentials, enter the username and password and it should be deleted.
12) The File Manager window should still be open.  On the desktop, click once on the "Skype for Business 2016" shortcut you created earlier, and using the left mouse button, left click and hold to drag it into the File Manager window and into the Microsoft Office 2016 folder.  When you release the left mouse button, you should be asked to provide the admin account credentials, enter the username and password and the move will complete.

Now all you need to do is click on the new shortcut you created and moved into the Start Menu and Skype for Business should launch.  And it should automatically start everytime you log into this PC.

1) To log into Skype for Business, it will ask you for a Sign-in address.  Type in your full UH Central Email address: {username}@central.uh.edu Then click the Sign-In button.
2) This will fail, as no password is given.  Now it will allow you to enter your password, so do so.
3) It will fail again, click Ok. If you get a different error message about the time being incorrect, this could be because the time on the PC is not correct.  Could be due to Daylight Savings Time.  Correct the time, using the admin account given to you, and this should go away.
4) Now it will ask for an username and password.  For your username, use your full Cougarnet username: {username}@cougarnet.uh.edu Then enter your password and click the Sign-In button. Now you should be signed in and can make and receive phone calls and instant messages.

Last revised: May 7, 2021 13:13