Right, so for whatever reason my computer just slowed to a crawl, and I'm closing out all my active programs to see if I can find out what's slowing down my system... And you apparently can't close Skype without using control alt delete. What the hell? Why would you eliminate the ability to exit the program directly from the form? Why would you make the exit button do the EXACT same thing as the minimize button??

Anyway, is there any way to fix this crap? Because it's VERY annoying.

I have the same problem every time I try to close it it just goes down... :brokencomputer:

There may be a tray icon you have to right click to exit.

Yup, literally the only way you can close it is to use the task manager. What idiot decided to make it like that? First lesson I learned in programming was to make a button that CLOSES the program. Did they just forget it? :facepalm:

Actually, you can right click to close it from the tray, but you can't close it the conventional way.

Skype steals your bandwidth*, that's why it doesn't like to be closed. You didn't know this? :huh:

I've banned Skype from my home network because of this (IMO) malicious behavior.



*To qualify this statement: Skype uses a P2P protocol for all users who communicate over it rather than dedicated servers. This allows Skype to keep their costs down. When you are running Skype, your computer is treated as a node in the "Skype network" and your bandwidth will be used to help pass other people's conversations around and therefore steals your bandwidth. If everyone were to close it as soon as they finished their use of it, the network wouldn't work as it has no central backbone. As such when you go to close it, it'll just minimize to tray. Likewise it'll try and add itself to run at startup.

I right click the Skype icon and click "Quit". :huh:

And THAT, my friends, is a load of garbage.

In terms of Skype, not what you said.

It's the way the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_protocol works. It's also why you get free (video)calls to skype users as it doesn't cost them much of anything.

Of course the other side of this is that many people aren't aware of this, and there are stories of people going over their bandwidth cap because of Skype.

From the http://www.skype.com/intl/en/legal/terms/tou/#use_software:

Tools - Options - Advanced - Keep Skype in the Taskbar.

Ewww, leecher

Nope, even that doesn't actually close the program, it just stops it from sitting in the taskbar, and puts it back into the system tray where it belongs. Or doesn't belong.

Right click on Skype in the taskbar and click exit. Not that hard.

and this has me thinking that there needs to be regulations on products being more upfront about their product using your bandwidth

I just close it from the tray :shrug:

So... let me understand this.

People are complaining because Skype, a program that's been out for several years now, provides a free calling service to any other Skype user (including video), and damn cheap calls to landlines and cells, but in order to do that has to take a wee bit of bandwidth. This doesn't quite make sense to me.

If people really want to avoid that bandwidth "leeching" use Google Talk. Oh, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_%28protocol%29.

A 5-second Google search and the Wikipedia entry notes in the 3rd paragraph that Skype uses background processing. Skype's website doesn't seem to have this information readily available. However, there is an article on Skype's website that explains their https://support.skype.com/en-us/faq/FA10983/What-are-P2P-communications.

It always loads up automatically on my laptop, no one I know uses it, or has for a few years. Time to remove it unless I can be bothered finding out how to stop it loading automatically

Skype is basically just malware at this point. Forced updates, adds, attempts to install [censored] in the background that I have no need of, "closing" that really just minimizes it, etc. svcks that there's no widespread alternative.

It's in the ToU, which, unfortunately, is pretty much enough to allow them to do whatever they want given the current state of things


I don't necessarily care for a little bit of bandwidth, I don't like how they go about it. They don't make a simple opt-out option for supernodes (which is insanely messed up given how much bandwidth being a Skype supernode would use) and obscure that they use your bandwidth. In my book, that's messed up.


It's P2P-based, but only for forming direct connections -- my bandwidth doesn't go to anyone but my own use (this wouldn't work out well for Skype since their telephony directory and telephony network is also P2P-based, unlike Google Talk which just uses your gmail account and has gobbled up all the phone lines in Montana )


Google Talk's pretty widespread, especially if the people you want to talk to have and Android phone/Gmail account.

Search in programs for MSconfig

From there there should be a Startup menu and you can select what programs you want to load up when you witch your PC on

I agree there should be more transparency.

Yes, but you can't use Google Talk to dial landline phones, as far as I know. That switch from IP to PSTN is (probably?) why Skype uses the bandwidth the way it does.

Essentailly, in my view, Skype = much wider userbase, less technical userbase, they're just happy to be able to call someone for free. Google Talk = geeks and techies, who also want to call people for free, but doesn't have nearly the same size userbase (XMPP notwithstanding).

Sadly few of my friends who aren't tech people actually use GT, so I'm forced to use Skype / AIM and all these other things that I'd rather not use.

Seriously? Come on, people. Open up Skype. Click Tools -> Options -> General Settings -> Untick "Start Skype when I start Windows". Boom. Done.

I never used any version of Skype beyond 4.1. Whenever it updates, I downgrade right back to an older version.

Because 1) The version I use is better(with a way better UI) and 2) The profile area and contacts is cleaner.

How would I go about doing that?

The skypesetup.exe from a previous version of course. It will ask you do you want to upgrade, and you can say no. Atleast that is how it always was for me. When it auto'd to version 5, I just went back to my old skypesetup.exe.

Erm, I use my google voice account all the time for landline calls. In fact, I give my Google Voice number out as my consulting number. All calls are free in the US (have been for going on 2 years now, hoping they will extend that yet again another year)

Google Voice != Google Talk, at least, the last time I checked. I could be very wrong, considering how Google seems to be integrating Talk into everything.

But I see your point.