Is it possible to run multiple instance of skype?

Question

At the moment when run, I can only open one instance of skype. Is it possible to do so with 2 instances?

Answer 1

Yes, run the first one on your computer and run the second one using the portable apps version:

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/skype_portable

Answer 2

I found it myself but forgot the site where I learned this, sorry :(

Run skype application from command line with argument /secondary

E.g.

In my case I executed "C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe"

Answer 3

At least with earlier versions, I had luck by creating multiple skype.exe executeable copies and then running them in different user contexts using XP's "fast user switching" feature.

In that szenario, user A autostarted one copy of the executeable, and user B autostarted a different one. Both users logged in simultaneously. Both of them could use Skype. There were problems, of course, when one user session with an active Skype talk was switched away, and the other user tried to use Skype for communication. Everything else worked fine, if I remember correctly.

And note that in my scenario, both users had their own desktops. I am not sure if it would be enough to use RunAs or a similar run-command-as-a-different-user utility.

The good thing is if this works with the current Skype version, it will work for more than two users, too (as apposed to the portable variant suggestion).