Every time I restart my computer, it tries to 'add a new helper tool'. For instance I have to reinstall shell commands in Atom on every restart, and it prompts with the 'An update is ready to install.' But I see this same issue with other programs too. Atom installs /usr/local/bin/atom- but then when I restart it's gone. Download Skype for Mac to stay within the reach with free Skype-to-Skype video/audio calls, videoconferencing, smart messaging, and screen sharing. Skype has had 7 updates within the past 6 months. I have Skype installed on Mac OS 10.14.1. This also was happening on previous versions of the OS. When there is an update available for Skype and a standard user is logged in, they get prompted with 'Skype is trying to add a new helper tool. Enter an administrator's name and password to allow this.' I followed the suggestions elsewhere.
Two posts in a year, not bad 😛
Like a lot of companies that drink the Microsoft cool-aid I work for a place that uses Skype for business for text chat/voice communications… it generally works pretty well.
A few colleagues of mine have Blynclight status lights above their monitors as a visual indicator to visitors and/or other people around you that you are free/busy/uninterruptible. The concept itself looked pretty simple to build so I thought I’d give it a go… My project is called SkypeSignal (I’m not very good at names):
My solution comprises of two main parts:
- An Arduino nano connected to a couple of RGB LED lights
- A .NET application which uses the Lync client SDK to send commands to the Arduino via serial (over USB)
The Design:
The parts list for the actual build is pretty minimul:
- Arduino Nano
- A few RGB LED’s (supports a PWM driver [i.e. WS2811])
- a 330 Ohm resistor
- USB Cable
- Project box
- Wire
I went for LED’s using the WS2811 chip to drive them; this means that we only need 3 wires to run the whole thing, the below design can be modified to chain LED’s together and address them individually or alternativly run them as single LED’s by sharing the same digital input.
The operating workflow:
- Device connected to USB
- Relevant COM port set in SkypeSignal.exe.config and application started on PC
- A thread is started to run a small tray application on the windows task bar
- A thread is started to subscribe to Skype/Lync client events using the client SDK
- On client status change, a numerical command is sent down to the Arduino where it switches the light to the colour/pattern representing the presence of the user.
It would be trivial to add new features to this and I may look at adding some of these in the future:
- Have the .NET app send a PING to com devices and using device on com port that responds with expected value
- Flashing on missed notifications
- Strobe + Audio Alerts on Incoming call (I’ve included a speaker in my version for future use)
- Look at pulling the status over IP using UCWA to have a headless status device.
- Tidying up the code – its pretty janky
Demo:
The finished project above works pretty sweet – If you want a copy of the code, check it out in my Repo here: https://github.com/coaxke/SkypeSignal
Or download a copy at https://www.resdevops.com/files/binaries/SkypeSignal.zip
Drop me a line if you have any questions.
-Patrick
Edit:
Aug 17: I’ve just added incoming call alerts to the app (requires updates for tray-app plus Arduino sketch. Enjoy
I have used Skype on my Mac for years. However when I turned my machine off and on last week a new version of Skype was automatically installed / updated on my Mac. It had a complete different interface that does not show my favourites and appears to have a different interface that completely changed the way I use Skype. To be truthful I hate it.
Not only that, every few minutes I have a pop-up appears asking me to install a helper tool. I enter my password to install the helper tool... and guess what - a few minutes later the pop-up appears again. I enter my password again wondering if 'I' made a mistake to find only minutes later the pop-up appears again.
This got me suspicious wondering if I had malware on my computer. So I use ESET to do a malware search and clean on my Mac but it finds nothing. I do a Google search for the Helper Tool message that comes up on my Mac and find a few threads saying this problem has occurred connected to a Microsoft update that (according to several people) Microsoft will not acknowledge as an error in the new update. I can't validate this as being true - as I personally have not been in touch with MS.
But this annoying helper pop-up is getting so bad I want to remove Skype altogether. (Note my Mac's are using High Sierra 10.13.5)
So this morning - thinking logically (instead of emotionally) - I thought - 'if many people are reporting this as an error from the new MS update - then what would happen if I installed the older version of Skype?'
SO I did a search for 'old skype versions mac' - and found: ********
Skype Helper Mac
I downloaded version 7.58.501 - installed it... and 'voila' I have the skype interface I am used to and prefer and the 'helper pop-ups' have stopped altogether.
I am no expert but it does appear that the helper pop-ups are 100% related to the new update 8.21.0.7 which is 90mb as a download compared to the previous traditional skype version that has always been between 42mb to 45mb as a download. I am guessing MS has included another 45mb of coding in the new version (doubling it's size) and must have a lot of extra less that useful stuff bundled in the background that is sadly creating problems.
Skype Helper Tool Prompt Download
If you are suffering from the endless 'helper pop-ups' - until MS sort the problems out - I'd suggest re-installing the previous version 7.58.501
I am now back to my happy days in using Skype.
Skype Helper Tool
[Link Edited by Host]
iMac, iOS 11.4, Skype
Skype Helper Tool Prompt Download
Posted on Jun 24, 2018 2:12 AM