Skype file transfers
About a hundred times a day I find reason to send a file to someone I am in contact with. Just sending the file directly to that other person using Skype File Transfers works very well for me.
In this post I wanted to point out some of the ways you can do this:
]]>1. Click on the Send File button inside Skype:
2. Open a chat with your Skype contact. Click the Send File button or drag the file into the chat. Works also on multi-chats also, of course. 
2. Right-click on any file in Windows Explorer and choose
Send To – Skype 
3. Download and install the Skype Toolbar for MS Office from http://www.skype.com/download/skypeofficetoolbar/. With that installed you get an extra toolbar in Ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio and Project that allows you to send the file you are currently working on. Note that this application is in BETA, though! 
View demo
4. Transfer file that you get in emails from within the Skype Email Toolbar. Works in MS Outlook, MS Outlook Express and Thunderbird. Download from http://www.skype.com/download/skypeemailtoolbar/. Note that this is application is still in BETA.
View demo
5. Of course a lot of partners applications can also do Skype File Transfers. My personal favorit is SnagIt. Read Jim Courtney’s blog post about that here:
http://www.skypejournal.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-henshall-tb.cgi/2424
A few things to consider:
* You can only send files to people who are on your contact list and those people must authorize first.
* The person you are sending to needs to authorize each file transfer.
* When you recieve a file from someone else, make sure to run it through an updated virus checker before opening the file.
* Regretfully it is not possible to send folders – only files at this time.
Hope you find these techiques as useful as I do 
I agree that it is handy to be able to transfer files using Skype but why is it so painstakingly slow when compared to Windows Live Messenger for example.
Yes the Skype transfer I finally gave up on and use MS Messenger. Here is my example:
Skype 10 MB file — I gave up after 30 mins
MS Messenger 10 MB file — 3 mins.
I’m running high broadband DSL. All my contacts say the same thing. None the less Skype is the best don’t know what I would do with out it.
Just a tip: if you are chatting using voice all the file transfers will suffer. It doesn´t matter whether you have a gigabit hookup, the transfer will be slow because of voice usage. Try to send the file again, when no voice conversation is taking place, that your transfers will benefit greatly.
Great Tips & Screencast examples. Skype is a required tool for business. Thanks Peter!
I like Skype, it is really great software… But Skype needs to get with the 1990s and start supporting folder transfers. ICQ has been doing it forever, how hard can it be? Sure, I could zip my files and send the zip, but then I’ve got to remember to delete the zip afterwards, and I’ve got two copies of everything in the meanwhile.
With larger file transfers, zipping them means that if I lose connectivity mid transfer, I have to start from _scratch_. Where as with folders, one could simply skip the already received files and continue with whatever hadn’t been.
I only hope that ‘Sending folders is not implemented yet’ doesn’t mean ‘we’re getting tons of kick back from Pando and aren’t about to blow that deal anytime soon’. :~(
Never noticed any slow downs in file transfers, BUT, the reason I am writing today is because I am desperate to find a way to disable all these silly confirmation windows titled “Skype – Sending file. Done!”. These windows are a real pain and Skype should allow the option in the settings for them to SHUT AUTOMATICALLY ONCE THE TRANSFER IS COMPLETE. So far the most of us are forced to go and shut all of these windows one by one for each file you have received or sent. What a pain. I cannot see a way to do that. Do you know how to do this? Is it possible? HELP!