Hi Guys
I use Skype a lot but since I upgraded to Windows 7 it freezes the whole machine on a call after between 5 and 20 minutes. I also use Skype on my HTC phone just for your info. Hope you can help
Thanks
Hi sibonakalo, welcome to WhatTheTech.
By freeze, do you mean the mouse and keyboard are not responsive and you have to power the computer off to recover?
Can you provide more information please?
What did you upgrade from, Vista or XP? If Vista then did you do an actual upgrade or a Clean Install, formatting the hard drive and starting with a fresh Windows 7 install. If not, have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling Skype?
If that doesn't help, is your copy of Windows 7 an upgrade or full retail copy?
Have you allowed Windows 7 do do Automatic Updates so everything is at the latest levels?
Hi Thanks for the reply
The whole machine freezes and I have to reboot. It was a new machine that came with Windows 7 installed. I have reinstalled skype a few times with no effect and I do have automatic updates turned on.
Thanks Rich
It happened while I was watching a YouTube video as well last night but only lasted a few seconds whereas when it happens with Skype there's no recovery and I have to reboot. This suggets that its not just restricted to Skype perhaps.
No, I don't think that's true. A temporary pause while watching a video is very different from the computer locking up so you have to power off to recover. Try the older version of Skype, see what happens.
Hi Rich
Your suggestion to use a previous version of Skype seems to have worked. I had an hour long chat (no video) this morning without any interruptions. Thank you very much for your help with that.
Do you have any suggestions about the interruptions to online video (YouTube) and it has happened a couple of times when I've played music from my hardrive through Windows Media Player.
Thanks once again I appreciate your time very much
Please post your system specifications to start with.
CPU speed, single, dual, quad core.
Amount of Ram.
Size of hard drive and how much free space there is.
Internet connection (wireless, ethernet cable).
Internet Service Provider.
Also, please Run the PCPitstop Full Tests, here: PCPitstop Full Tests
You must use Internet Explorer as it needs to install an ActiveX program.
Note: Vista/Windows 7 users with UAC must first Right-click IE - Select "Run as Administrator"
If you haven't already registered, Click - Sign up now! (left hand column in User Login)
Register and create a password Accept the ActiveX component to allow your machine to run the Full Tests
Registering and accepting the ActiveX are both SAFE and FREE.
The Full Tests take less than 5 minutes for most machines.
Once you have your Results, please post the URL (the http:// stuff) back here into this thread for review.
Note: Vista/Windows 7 users, please close your instance of IE "Running as Administrator" after you are finished reviewing your Results.
Caution: During the testing of Video Adapter, a variety of patterns, shapes, colors and text are “flashed” onto the users monitor screen. In the many thousands of daily uses of the PCPitstop Full Tests over several years, two individuals who suffer epilepsy experienced discomfort and temporary dizziness when viewing the flashing patterns.
If you know that you are susceptible to photo driven seizure, please look away from your screen during the Video Adapter testing sequence.
Note: The PCPitstop Full Tests Results is a free service, but is supported by various paid product advertisements for utilities that "could" remedy the OP's problem.
Since this site is a "free-help" forum, we do not recommend or endorse purchase of automated utilities, and will assist you in manually correcting any problems and settings necessary to optimize your machine's performance. Ask your questions here. We'll help you walk through any necessary steps.
The PCPitStop report looks very good, except for wireless. It shows your upload speed is twice as fast as your download speed which is very unusual. Download is always faster than upload because ISPs cap upload speeds but not download speeds.
On my previous XP Laptop, 1.8Ghz, 1.5GB Ram, 160GB HB, 110GB free, I got 6377 Kbits/sec down and 490 Kbits/sec up.
Yours shows down 500 Kbits/sec and up 1078 Kbits/sec. Down is very bad and is the cause of the YouTube problems.
Please open Device Manage and expand Network Adapters. What is the make and model of the wireless device.
Also, is this a purchased computer (laptop?)? If so, what is the make and complete model number.
We need to see if there is a later/better driver for the wireless device.
I followed your instructions and clicked on the ? but nothing happened. I got a small box in the bottom left hand corner of the screen saying Java script 0
