Disable or completely uninstall Skype for Business from Windows 10

What is Skype for Business?

Ever since the world has been in lockdown, there has been a boom in the usage of communication platforms for class sessions and business meetings. One such platform is the Skype for Business tool.

This is a very useful application when it comes to performing its functions of bringing people together, virtually, and efficiently letting the users present information & talk to each other.

It is one of the best inexpensive options for video-conferencing and is designed, exclusively, to meet and fulfill the needs of the business firms, which use the software. 

Why might you need to delete Skype for Business?

Now, there have been a few negative reviews about this platform, stating that Skype for Business uses a lot of memory on your CPU. This is not ideal for software of this kind. 

There are also complaints about this software, claiming that it starts up every time the computer is booted up and does not get closed, even when the close button is clicked on multiple times. 

Bugs, glitches, and issues like this are so annoying that you might consider uninstalling. Now, uninstalling Skype for Business is complex as it comes integrated with the Microsoft Office Suite.

This means that the application can not be removed from your personal computer completely without making a dent in the Microsoft MS Office 365 suite. Here’s how to do a complete Skype for business uninstall from your PC.

Disabling Skype for Business start-up through the Skype Settings

If you are bothered by the popping up of this software, every time you launch your Windows 10 OS, you can disable it from starting up with the boot-up. Follow these steps to disable the automatic start-up on your Windows 10 PC. 

1. Open the Skype for Business application on your personal computer. 
2. Click on the Options cog icon on the sign-in screen. The Skype for Business options window opens. 

3. On the left pane of the Options window, select the Personal category. 
4. In the My Account section, uncheck “Automatically start the app when I log on to Windows” and “Start the app in the foreground”. 

5. After this, click on the Okay button. The window closes automatically, and the changes will be applied. Close Skype for Windows when done. 

This will not automatically start the app when I log on to Windows. This is an alternative if you wish to keep the software and not uninstall it. 

Removing Skype for Business with Control Panel

The Control Panel’s features let users uninstall programs and install them if they wish. As a standalone application, you can uninstall Skype for Business this way.

1. Use the Start menu to launch the Control Panel or type in the search bar and open it. 
2. In the Control Panel, open the Programs menu and choose Programs and Features. 

Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Uninstall or Change a Program

3. You’ll see all the programs that are on your computer. Locate the Skype for Business application.

4. Right-click on Skype for Business and select Uninstall from the pop-up. You can also double-click on it, which will initiate the Skype for Business uninstall.  

This will uninstall Skype for Business on your PC. You should remove the sign-in details from the sign-in window of Skype for Business and exit Skype for Business before you uninstall it. 

Note: You can find the app in the foreground even after it is closed.

Uninstall Skype for Business through the Registry Editor

The Windows Registry Editor database can also uninstall any application on your system. Therefore, this can uninstall Skype for Business when you do not want it on your PC anymore. This is how you can uninstall Skype for Business with the help of the Registry Editor. 

1. Open the Run command tool by pressing the Windows + R keys together. 
2. In the Open text box, type in regedit and click on the Ok button to open the Registry Editor. 
3. Locate the Skype for Business registry among the list of applications. You can click on the Edit tab, select the Find option and search for the Skype for Business app. In most Windows 10 Computers, this is the location of the Skype for Business software in the registry editor: 

Computer> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> SOFTWARE> WOW6432Node> Classes> CLSID> {31D09BA0-12F5-4CCE-BE8A-2923E76605DA}

4. Choose Skype for Business Registry, right-click on it and delete it. 

Steps to uninstall Skype for Business on a Mac device

The previous steps were for the Microsoft Windows OS. Skype for Business is compatible with macOS also. And if you face inconvenience with the app on a Mac, this is how you can uninstall the software. 

1. Exit Skype for Business on your Mac. It is important to close it. 
2. Open the Finder menu, select Go and then choose Go to Folder. 
3. Enter this directory: /Users/<User>/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness/Users/<User>/Library/Logs/LwaTracing/Users/<User>/Saved Application State/com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness.savedState/Users/<User>/Preferences/com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness.plist
4. Delete this file: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/MeetingJoinPlugin.plugin
5. Launch the Keychain access, through the Applications or Utility folder. 
6. Then choose Skype for business and erase it. 

How to remove Skype using uninstaller tools

Uninstaller tools are third-party software that can help remove unwanted software from your PC. You can use similar software to uninstall Skype for Business and other apps that you want to get rid of.