Installing Skype broke other programs

[Midi-Magic]

When my wife installed Skype on her Windows 7 computer, several programs quit working.

VLC now reports it can't play the file because it has a virus. This happens for any file I give it, including files from my camera (which is firmware driven and cannot get a virus).

Virus checkers don't find any viruses in these files. There are also no viruses in VLC's folder.

I can't see some files on the network drive when looking at it on that computer with Skype. They appear properly on other computers on the network.

Other computers on the network started occasionally reporting "No internet connection" since Skype was installed on just that one computer.

 

[Ralston18]

What was the source of the Skype software download?

Maybe the download also dragged along some other "app" and/or changed some defaults on her computer.

Check her computer's network adapter settings - look for any changes therein that do not match up to your configuration settings or what is otherwise expected with respect to your network and normal internet settings.

Uninstall Skype, run your AV software, and reconfigure her computer as necessary to get it up and running off of the network. Then reconfigure to rejoin the network.

 

[Midi-Magic]

I don't know how she got Skype. Her nephew installed it so she could phone him in another state.

I have traced the "no internet connection" errors to Skype using up all of the bandwidth of my lower speed U-verse connection. I can't upgrade it because my XP machines on the network can't use the higher speeds. I still have XP because of legacy studio hardware/software that has no available upgrade.

All of the files that do not work or do not appear are video files in older formats. They also do not work on any Windows 10 machines (found out by plugging my flash drive into Windows 10 machines). Could Skype have installed parts of Windows 10?

 

[Ralston18]

Skype:

Skpe is now a Microsoft service/product.

There has been some redesigning and changes (Google "Skype Microsoft" and limit the search results to the last few months or so.)

Unfortunately, legacy products such as XP and Windows 7 are not at the top of the list when it comes to support by Microsoft.

Especially so for application changes which are heavily centered on Windows 10.

Start by opening Skype and look for any available configuration settings. Her nephew may have made some error of omission or commission. May be just some default setting still amiss to be fair about it....

Video Files:

You might try some file conversions but do so only on copies of the original files. Ensure that the original files are safely out of the way of any conversion software.

Take a look at your router. You may be able to set up some QoS (Quality of Service) setting to favor network performance for your wife's Windows 7 computer.

Network Performance:

You may also have to take a look at other computers and applications using bandwidth in the background. Do not allow those computers and applications to automatically start at boot time.

And revisit upgrading your network. Perhaps a new network adapter in the XP machines will help. Get an Ethernet adapter that is the same manufacturer as your router. Try and test in one XP machine. The network will only be as fast as the slowest component/device but my sense is that you should be able to boost performance at least a noticeable amount. Leave the other legacy systems off while you try and test.

 

[Midi-Magic]

I can see the files on the network drive on all of the other computers on the network. Only the computer with Skype reports they have a virus. And the error message is not a VLC message. The dialog box has a light brown background.

I am more concerned with the files than the internet problem, since the internet problems last just a few seconds.

Has windows 10 somehow deprecated these file types: flv, avi, mp4, and gif?

 

[Ralston18]

What AV software are you using on the Skype/Windows 7 computer?

Perhaps the AV report is a false positive? Can the AV software be re-configured to exclude video files - just temporarily at least to test.

Or even removed from automatic start or temporarily disabled to remove the AV software as the culprit?

Consider an AV uninstall and reinstall the AV software.

Would not expect a deliberate deprecation per se. (Setting aside my general cynicism.) But I would certainly keep in mind that MS and other companies want things their way. And that is seldom beneficial to legacy products and systems or the respective end-users.....

 

[Midi-Magic]

It is NOT an antivirus message. I know what the antivirus messages look like.

I have never seen this message or its format before. But it seems to have come from Computer (Windows Explorer).

It is not just reporting the problem. It says "the file cannot be opened because it contains a virus."

The XP and the Windows 7 computers are all running the same antivirus. All of the others give no error message and allow the file to be opened.

 

[Ralston18]

Not sure what to think at this time.

Wondering if there is some corruption in what VLC/Windows app is using to detect a virus or identify a virus.

And I do agree that that is a strange message and format. Can you post an image? Maybe someone will recognize the message format and be able to provide the source software.

 

[Midi-Magic]

I will try to get this.

 

[Midi-Magic]

Another problem just surfaced. Windows 7 no longer recognizes a USB DVD drive. It does not even notice that the drive was plugged into the USB port. The drive works on other computers. The drive does not appear in Computer or Device Manager.

 

[Ralston18]

Do other USB devices work in the port that was being used by the USB DVD?

 

[Midi-Magic]

I tried two ports.

A set of headphones works. The microphone with it has stopped working.

The keyboard and mouse work in the same USB unit.

 

[Midi-Magic]

I have now resolved the VLC and the flash player won't start issues.

I uninstalled Skype, and Firefox. But I found VLC already uninstalled.

Something had already uninstalled VLC, but it left the icon and changed it to a Microsoft sound icon.

I reinstalled Firefox and VLC

The inability to play flash files remained.

I discovered that the latest update of Firefox set the flash player to "Ask before activation" instead of "Always activate". The flash player problem is now gone.