The Skype video chat program is free for download and enables users to video chat at no cost through a wide range of network configurations, firewalls and low bandwidth connections. Skype automatically adjusts the video frame rate and quality according to deliver the best performance for the current network conditions. If video frame rate and smooth motion is more important to you than video quality, manually change the frames per second setting in the Skype configuration file.

Close the Skype program if running by clicking on the "X" in the upper right corner of the "Skype" window.

Click the "Start" button and click "Control Panel" and then click "Appearance and Personalization." Click "Folder Options" and click the "View" tab. Click the "Show hidden files and folders" radio button and click "OK."

  • The Skype video chat program is free for download and enables users to video chat at no cost through a wide range of network configurations, firewalls and low bandwidth connections.
  • Click the "Start" button and click "Control Panel" and then click "Appearance and Personalization."

Click the "Start" button on the Windows 7 taskbar and click the "Search" box. Type "%appdata%" in the "Search" box and tap the "Enter" key.

Double-click on the "Skype" folder and then double-click on the folder with the same name as your Skype username. Right-click on the "Config.xml" file and click "Open with" in the menu that appears and click "Notepad."

Type "25" immediately underneath the line that starts with "" and ensure that the first character in the new line lines up immediately below the "" line.

Click the "File" menu item near the top of the "Notepad" window and click "Save" in the menu that appears. Click the "X" in the upper right corner of the "Notepad" window to close Notepad.

  • Click the "Start" button on the Windows 7 taskbar and click the "Search" box.
  • Click the "File" menu item near the top of the "Notepad" window and click "Save" in the menu that appears.

Start the Skype program and verify that the video frames per second have increased.