>>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Recently I was forced by Skype to update to the "latest" MS version. Which I don't like really, but I was forced.
>>>>>
>>>>>OK, this thread has meandered the usual way but now that I noticed an important piece of its title, I have to go back to its source. Because I think I've found the cause of the problem and hence a possible way to solve it.
>>>>>
>>>>>It's the first word that's the problem. You also said it - "MS version".
>>>>>
>>>>>Now if we could find a version which isn't a MS version, I think we could just sit and enjoy our drinks.
>>>>
>>>>I agree; I wish we could find the older - prior to MS - version. I wonder if such installation exist, would it possible to uninstall the MS version and install the older one. I suppose we will never find out.
>>>
>>>You should be able to run both versions at the same time on the same machine (with a few tweaks)... you can get old versions from here:
>>>https://skype.en.uptodown.com/windows/old
>>>
>>>I know for sure there is a way to do it -- I did it a while back. You can hack a couple of files and not only get rid of the ads, but also theforced updates. I don't remember exactly how I did it now -- but I found instructions with a google search in a few minutes when I did it.
>>
>>I cannot even find About Skype in my MS Version one; just to see which of the ones listed in your link would be the prior-to-fucking-MS version.
>
>I know Microsoft bought Skype in May 2011 so perhaps that could narrow it down for you -- but as Dragan pointed, those pre-MS versions probably won't work anymore because the servers they used most likely don't exist anymore. Only shot would be to try to hack a .dll or two and get it to talk to the new servers.

I will just continue writing some nasty feedback messages to MS. Maybe nobody reads them but it make me feel better :)