Nowadays, almost everyone on the planet is focused on active communication on social networks or through software such as Skype. It is he who allows not only to communicate with his interlocutor, but also to see him, despite the huge distance that separates the two people.
Skype is one of the most popular means of communication today.
The popularity of Skype only increases every year, the developers update its capabilities, providing users with important updates. Of course, when a notification about the release of updates appears, most users instantly start this process, being confident that new interesting opportunities await them.
Unfortunately, in some cases, when installing a new version of the software, an unexpected failure may occur, which entails extremely unpleasant surprises, since all subsequent attempts to launch Skype will fail and the error message 1601 will be reported when installing Skype.
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How to identify the error
Due to the fact that all kinds of errors can occur on the computer, it is useful for the user to learn how to distinguish them, and also subsequently very quickly find and eliminate the reasons that provoked them.
Symptoms and causes of Error 1601
If at the next attempt to start Skype, its active window immediately closes, this indicates a serious software failure, which entails error 1601. In principle, a window appears immediately on the screen with a message that Skype cannot be launched due to an error 1601, which confirms the user’s guess.
In addition, error 1601 can manifest itself in a slightly different way. It can slow down Windows significantly. Both the mouse and the keyboard are also very slow to respond. In general, the computer is accompanied by frequent short-term freezes for no apparent reason.
When this critical error message appears, your computer may suddenly stop working or restart on its own.
There can be several reasons for this “uncontrolled” PC action. In order to install it correctly, it is important to carefully track at what stage the error occurs, which programs are running at that moment, whether Skype is working at this moment or is it just starting up.
Most often, such unpleasant surprises are provoked by an incomplete installation of Skype. In some cases, users download a download file, which is initially damaged, respectively, it cannot install Skype correctly, thereby provoking a failure during installation.
Unfortunately, the error code 1601 can also be caused by malware that damages system files or interferes with Skype program files.
In rare cases, another program can play the same role, which mistakenly deletes the files that Skype needs at startup.
Eliminating the error that occurred
Having established the true cause that provokes the occurrence of a software failure, it will be much easier for the user to eliminate it. Power users share helpful and practical tips on how to fix an issue in Skype caused by error 1601.
There are several options for solving the problem, so it is useful to start with the simplest and least expensive in terms of time and effort, and only then, if necessary, move on to using the following options if the previous one turned out to be ineffective.
Restore registry entries
Even a minor error in the registry can provoke a serious system or software failure, so it is important to correct and restore the correct entries in the registry in time.
However, it should be remembered that editing the registry manually by those who do not understand anything or have minimal practical experience is unacceptable, since such “editing” can completely destroy the system, and the OS will simply not boot upon subsequent startup.
In connection with such a huge risk, inexperienced users are better off using the capabilities of special programs focused on scanning the system, searching for and automatically eliminating detected errors.
You shouldn’t edit the registry yourself if you don’t understand what you are doing.
Before starting each scan of the system, the program automatically creates a backup copy in order to later be able to return it to its original state if the editing process is not entirely successful.
If the registry is successfully edited, the user not only manages to launch Skype, bypassing the annoying crash caused by the error code 1601, but also significantly increase the system’s performance and speed.
System cleaning
Due to the fact that at present computer technology is used quite actively, and users daily visit a sufficient number of Internet resources, an excessive number of completely unnecessary files accumulate in temporary folders. They are the ones that negatively affect the performance of the system. They can also provoke a system failure, the code of which is 1601, due to which Skype does not start.
The same failure can be triggered by a conflict of separate temporary files or excessive loading of the hard disk, on which there is practically no free space left.
Cleaning the disk from temporary files removes everything unnecessary, thereby helping to increase the performance of the OS, and in connection with the removal of conflicting files, the error that prevented Skype from starting is also eliminated.
Again, you can manually clear the system of temporary files, but this method is recommended only for experienced users. Those who do not have sufficient knowledge and skills are advised to use special programs that automatically clean the system, successfully removing all temporary files.
Search for malware
Due to the fact that one of the reasons why Skype may not start is malicious software, experienced users strongly recommend that you conduct a full computer scan, especially if you have not previously installed an antivirus program on your PC.
If the anti-virus software has been installed, you should first update its anti-virus database, only then carry out a scan. Experienced users recommend performing a scan aimed at finding malware when there are clear signs of its presence, not with one antivirus program, but several. Moreover, it is possible to scan the system with an antivirus program online, without downloading or installing software on a computer.
If the antivirus program detects malware, you should follow the recommendations suggested by the antivirus program. After removing the viruses, the problem with installing and launching Skype can be resolved.
Updating Drivers
Over time, critical driver updates have been released for every part of your PC. Experienced users recommend installing such updates in a timely manner, since with active use of a PC, drivers also have properties to be damaged, in some cases they simply become outdated.
Outdated drivers make themselves felt, because even an inexperienced user notices that the video card starts to “blink” at an insignificant load, the audio card is unable to work normally, therefore sound reproduction is accompanied by noise. All of this indicates that the components of the PC need driver updates.
Fortunately, programmers have made this task easier too. On the Internet, it is quite easy to find special programs that independently scan the PC, determine the installed components, determine the driver version, and then carry out a search.
After successfully finding new drivers, the update process is also carried out automatically. The user may find that after updating the drivers, Skype starts successfully and is no longer accompanied by any error.
You can update all drivers using special programs that will do it quickly and without hassle.
It is also useful to update the operating system itself. Unfortunately, if the user has installed pirated Windows, the system update will fail.
To start the Windows update process, you must sequentially go to “Start”, then “Control Panel”, and then select “Windows Update”. If there are available updates there, the user must agree to the offer to install them.
Sometimes it is useful to resort to a system restore if the user is sure that the failure was caused by changes that were made after performing some actions. System restore is also done automatically. To start the process, the user must go to “Start”, then click on “All Programs”, select “Standard”, then “Service”, and then select “System Restore”. The dialog box that opens will ask you to select the desired restore point. They choose the point when the user did not feel any problems when working on a PC, and Skype worked flawlessly.
So, even a novice user can restore the work of Skype, if he shows scrupulousness, correctly identifies the cause, and then takes steps to eliminate it.