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poocat · Mar 10, 2008, 09:36 PM

I run Skype a lot, for audio and video (newest version). MacBook Pro 2.0 ghz (1st gen), Leopard 10.5.2, nothing really else running (maybe Adium, maybe Mail, maybe Safari, not all at any time, not any all the time).

Lately sometimes Skype slows my computer to a crawl (Activity Monitor says processors are at like 70%, plenty of RAM free) and then, when the call closes, the window does not close. Instead, the whole computer freezes. Cursor still responds, but no keyboard response, no Apple-Tab, no Dock, nothing. Zero. No Force-Quit. No Kernel Panic. Freeze. Eventually I power cycle, and it restarts fine.

This has happened about 5 times so far, all in the last week, not since any update (all on the same version of Skype and OS X but not directly after their install).

The scary thing is that it's freezing the whole OS. Skype does not crash, there is no report, the whole computer locks.

Suggestions? Help? Apple or Skype? What do you think? What can I do to figure out what is wrong?

Cold Warrior · Mar 10, 2008, 09:55 PM

I'd start by trashing its prefs and cache.

Also try the latest version, Skype 2.7.0.257, if you're not already.

poocat · Mar 10, 2008, 10:00 PM

Thanks for the quick response. I am running that version of Skype.

I have been browsing the Apple discussion forums and think this is a Leopard issue, as I also get the dual display preferences occasionally on wake from sleep, in which the machine acts as though I have a VGA monitor connected, overrides my normal display prefs, and requires a reboot to fix.

I think, as Skype doesn't crash, but the whole display freezes, this is a Leopard graphics bug (similar to what people are reporting on other threads).

Cold Warrior, if you want please move this thread to the OS X forum as I am sure there are other people with this problem. Thanks.

Cold Warrior · Mar 10, 2008, 10:09 PM

I haven't seen this issue here before, so I'm inclined to keep it in Applications for now. I use that version as well on my MBP C2D 2GB RAM, running 10.5.2 with all updates (including graphics update), and don't have any issues.

You could try using an older version of Skype to see if that helps.

Were you alluding to running a second monitor?

poocat · Mar 10, 2008, 11:02 PM

No. I do not have any external hardware plugged in. Occasionally, since upgrading to Leopard, when I wake the computer from sleep the resolution is changed to VGA. I open display preferences, and there are 2 versions of it, one with my normal settings and a second preference pane (that appears on top of the first one) that is a VGA monitor, is set as "master mirror" and will not close or disappear until a reboot.

Also, this thread Apple - Support - Discussions - MacBook Pro Freezes after successfull ... references the display problem. It is the display drivers, I believe. I don't know why Skype exacerbates the problem, but I no longer believe it is causing the problem. There is some problem with the Leopard graphics system I think.

Thanks again for the help.

poocat · Mar 10, 2008, 11:03 PM

Also (referenced in that thread) is this post, which I will try when I get home, though it means wiping my system again.

Leopard 10.5.2 Freezes - Mac Forums

Cold Warrior · Mar 10, 2008, 11:19 PM

If you reinstall, you might want to just do an archive-install. It'll accomplish basically the same thing, but won't take as long as wiping. This time though, test Skype at each 10.5.x release. Maybe 10.5.2 or the graphics update (visible only after installing 10.5.2) are the problem.

poocat · Mar 10, 2008, 11:32 PM

I will try Skype on each. Archive and install sounds better. I also saw a suggestion that says just to re-install the 10.5.2 combo? Can I install that over what I have? The instructions weren't clear. Would that remove the graphics update? What I really want to do is just remove the graphics update and see. As I have ATI graphics, not Nvidia, I think that might be the fix.

Cold Warrior · Mar 11, 2008, 05:15 PM

Reinstalling the combo won't (AFAIK) remove the graphics update.

Archive-install will give you 10.5.0. You could then install the 10.5.2 combo on top of that.

poocat · Mar 14, 2008, 08:41 AM

That's what I did. Now back to 10.5.2 with no Graphics Update, and so far not a single problem. Looks like that's the bug. Thanks a lot for your help. Skype is fine ever since (running it now) so definitely not a Skype problem.