Windows 8.1 and Skype Phone

We are renting a home in AZ for the winter. It has no landline so we use a Skype number and our laptop. We have had no problems with it in the past 2 years but a few months ago we got a new Dell laptop with Windows 8.1 installed. We can make a call on our Skype phone but we cannot answer a call. We hear the phone ringing but there is no button to press to answer. We checked online and many people are complaining about the same thing. We asked the agent who sold us the computer and he cannot help so.....does anyone know a solution? We cannot even receive voice messages, thank goodness we can retrieve them from the ipad.
Thank you in advance for any advice.