Skype - memory leak, or ...?

[Keef]

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem, and/or knows a fix.

I use Skype occasionally, and have found it very useful - until this last few weeks.

I don't know what's changed, apart from an updated version of Skype (4.2.0.169) but if I use it now for talking (as opposed to IM), it will within a few minutes increase its CPU use to 100% at which point the far end can't hear me. I then can't close it using its own icons - I have to do Ctrl-Shift-Esc and shut it down from there.

When I first start a call, it will be around 35% CPU, which then bobs up and down, going (say) 50%, 40%, 65%, 55%, 75%, 70%, 95%, 100%, clunk.

While I'm not in a call, it sits there using no resources at all.

Windows 7 home edition, 2GB RAM, Pentium 4, 3.2GHz, 8 MB/S broadband. Avast antivirus, Windows 7 firewall.

It will do this with no other "user" software running.

I have disabled the Skype "insert" into Firefox - the one that highlights every telephone number on the page and offers to call it for you. That reduced the "starting" CPU usage from 55% to 35%. I've also got "Skype Extras" turned off - with that on, it started at 75% and crashed within a minute or so.

This is with the desktop machine - I've not tried yet with the laptop: that will be interesting.

[Simonta]

Hi Keef

The problem might not be on your PC. Have you changed anything on your router? Skype is a peer to peer application. Your PC resources are used to route other peoples calls in a "swarm", similar to torrent applications. In fact, it was developed from Kazaa.

You may have unwittingly become a Skype "supernode" but, in theory, only if your firewall is turned off.

| Computerworld NZ

It's possible to configure your router to stop this and there is a setting in Skype itself (or perhaps it was a registry key) to turn off the peer-peer routing aspect. Google will assist.

Note that when you accepted the Skype license agreement, you consented to Skype using your resources.

Cheers

[mixture]

Keef,

I don't use skype, stay well away from it due to various security concerns.

However, having played with the software briefly on a few computers of late, I've noticed that it has UPnP enabled by default.

Kill that off and see how things look ? (hidden away in settings screens)

Also try Googling for info on Skype registry keys, particularly the supernode one(s) ... I'm not going to type links or registry keys here because I don't want to be blamed if you mess with the wrong bits of your registry.

[Keef]

Indeed uPnP was enabled. I'll try it later now that I've turned that off.
Many thanks!

[Keef]

Velly intelesting!

If someone called me on Skype, I'd get the usual ringing noise, and a box on the screen to accept or reject the call. Clicking on "Accept" would answer so the caller and I could hear each other, but the ringing noise would continue in my speakers so I couldn't hear what they said.

Within a minute or so in a call, the CPU use meter would reach 100% and all would come to a stop. Skype would eventually report "Your computer is very slow". It had by then long since ceased to provide communication.

I uninstalled it, and installed the old version that was still sitting in my downloads box. Guess what - it's all working absolutely fine now!

[Keef]

I spoke too soon

Within a couple of days it was back to the gentle climb to 100% CPU and the inevitable crash within a minute of starting a call..

I uninstalled it, and then checked to see what was left.

- One large folder called C: \Program Data \ Skype with subfolders and various stuff. Removed that.

- Over 70 entries in the Registry, including over 30 in "Firewall Rules", most of them apparently identical. Removed all those and restarted the PC. It was VERY slow starting (obviously didn't like the gaps) but gradually worked its way down to 2% CPU use - lower than I've seen in a while.

Does anyone know if there should be so many Skype entries in the Registry? I've been using it for years and like the ease of use (and I have a fair bit of Skype-out call credit) but I don't want to put it back if it's going to gum up the PC again.

Basically, with it installed, anyone in my callers list can crash my PC just by Skype-calling me. Not impressed with that!

[Saab Dastard]

Does anyone know if there should be so many Skype entries in the Registry?

Yes, there are hundreds.

SD

[jimtherev]

Are you the only one?

Seems that there is a Skype user with similar - though not so far so catastrophic - problems to you, on one of the Skype BB's. Worth a visit - here? skype taking gradually more cpu - Skype Community

[forget]

After starting Windows XP my Skype shows a Memory Usage of 47M.

I’ve downloaded skypememoryreducer which puts an icon on my desktop. Click on this and Memory Usage immediately drops down to 1K.

Questions. What is the down side to this, if any?

How do I get skypememoryreducer to start automatically on Start Up. Thanks.

[Saab Dastard]

Put a shortcut to it in your Startup folder!

SD

[forget]

I already did that (exclamation mark.) It didn't work (another exclamation mark.)

After start-up if I manually click the desktop icon - bingo.

[Mike-Bracknell]

One of the other beneficial things you can do, is look in your IE Add-Ins, as Skype comes with a widget that makes phone numbers (or at least what it *thinks* are phone numbers) clickable. The only issue is that it eats memory and processor resources, so your browser crawls to a halt. Disabling these disables the clickability in webpages, but I think you'll agree it's a cheap price to pay for the return of some performance to your PC.

[Saab Dastard]

How do I get skypememoryreducer to start automatically on Start Up.

Put an entry in either:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

or

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

!

SD

[Keef]

I dropped the whole skypememoryreducer into the startup folder.
Windows warned me about it not being "signed" the next time it booted up, and I told it not to ask any more.

[forget]

Thanks all. Put it down to finger trouble but I've re-done the Startup exercise and it now works (exclamation mark.)

I didn't get an 'unsigned' message like Keef. Memory Usage down from 47M to 1K.

I don't see a downside (yet) so why doesn't Skype suggest skypememoryreducer?

[SyllogismCheck]

Keef,

It's a long shot, but a couple of years back a new version of Skype caused my laptop to reach 100% CPU usage then hang shortly after initiating a call. Simply updating the soundcard drivers cured the problem. May be totally unrelated to your issue but so easy to do it's probably worth a crack.

[oldbeefer]

Now onto version 5. I downloaded it 2 days ago and it's working well.

[forget]

SC, I put skypememoryreducer into the startup folder (eventually) and memory usage dropped to insignificant. No apparent downside so I'd say it does what it says it does.