In order to improve reliability and stability of our central contact list we have had to disable the list for all versions of Skype for Windows from 1.4.0.84 to 2.0.0.73 inclusive.

To continue using the central contact list without problems please make sure that all your Skype versions are updated to the latest release available at [skype.com/download](http://www.skype.com/download/).

**What happens if I am currently using a version which falls in this version range and is affected?**

The client continues to work normally, but the contact list will not be synchronised with the contact server. If you make any changes in your contact list, these will not be visible in any other computers where you are using this Skype Name.

**Why has the central contact list been disabled for older versions?**

We have had an abnormally large increase in traffic to our server that controls the central contact list which was causing a number of users to lose their contacts when upgrading Skype or logging in at a different computer. We have investigated this increase in traffic and discovered a problem within a number of older releases of Skype which is causing additional, unnecessary, traffic to be sent to the server.

**Can I backup my contacts?**

You can manually backup your contacts on your computer so they have a record of them that can be used at any time.

Regards,
The Skype Team

In order to backup your contacts go to Tools -> Archive Contacts -> Back up Contacts to file to create an archive file that can be used later if needed.

To restore contacts from file go to Tools -> Archive Contacts -> Restore Contacts from file.