I'm not sure why you think no one else is having your problem, dogdog. It sounds the same as the one I reported above. I am not running the free version of Sandboxie. I do not have the Google toolbar installed on Skype. I do not want to return to an earlier version of Skype because call quality is so much better with the new version ... no echo, no delay. I will continue to run Skype un-sandboxed until I can figure out what is going on. Note that I mention in my first post that I used a new, completely unrestricted sandbox and still could not run Skype sandboxed. If I figure this out, I will post back what I did.

I have just fully uninstalled Sandboxie 3.34 and reinstalled it. Without changing the default configuration, I started Skype 4.0.0.206 in the only sandbox: DefaultBox. It crashed.
In the Sandboxie window, I see:
Start.exe
A few seconds later Start.exe disappears and I see: Skype.exe, , SandboxieRpcSs.exe, SandboxieDcomLaunch.exe
Next, the Skype 'signing in' window appears on the desktop.
A few seconds later, skypePM.exe appears in the Sandboxie window followed a second later by Werfault.exe.
The 'App has stopped working' dialogbox appears on the desktop. Details say that an AppCrash has occurred and Skype.exe is named.

At this point, I give up. I can think of nothing further to do. My version of Vista is Home Premium with SP1 and all updates installed up to and including those of this morning. I will just have to run Skype without a sandbox.

OK - problem is as yours.

What in particular I do not understand is why tzuk is not getting the same problem when he tries to do the same?? What is happening differently in tzuk's setup??

Sorry guys, I did not realize that I should sign in. When I said it was working for me I meant that the sign-in window came up with no error. Now having read JimOfCR's comment, I tried again, but this time I did sign in, and I did get the error this time. I don't have an answer immediately, but at least I know where to look now.

For what it is worth. When I tried I got the Sign In Window but the "egg timer" was running; the error as described above then appeared. I had not had a chance to try to sign in. It sounds like JimOfCR had the same results.

tzuk seems to have got to a stable sign in window and the error only appeared after he tried to sign in. So perhaps a slight difference??

Sounds more hopeful - tzuk seems to on the track of some difficulty with Skype.

Many thanks.

For an immediate solution, try going to Sandbox Settings > Resource Access > IPC Access > Direct Access,
and add:
\RPC Control\plugplay

This exclusion is related to what I've determined to be the cause of the problem, so I'd really like to hear if this exclusion is making a difference on your systems as well.

1) I have not noticed anything else being affected when I use the sandbox.
2) There must be a change between Skype v 3.8 and v 4.0 that requires this additional access.
3) What does this extra IPC access actually do??
4) For security reasons could this access be restricted to just the necessary Skype components rather than being general (I assume that this solution gives access [RPC Control\plugplay] to other programs as well as just Skype)??

Many thanks

I said immediate solution and I meant short-term solution. Long term I plan to fix the problem at the source. But I would like to get confirmation from you guys that what I perceive to be the source of the problem in my system is also the source of the problem in your system. And to get that confirmation I need you to apply the setting and let me know if Skype then runs sandboxed correctly. Thanks.

Your solution works fine here tzuk

With your change to the sanbox settings I can run Skype v 4.4 sandboxed with no problems.

Pending a long term (more secure solution) I have reverted to Skype v 3.8 without change to sandbox settings. Will you be able to include long term solution specific to Skype in Sandboxie v 3.35??

For my own interset what does this extra IPC access actually do?? What is Skype trying to access that change allows??

Once again many thanks for your prompt help with this problem.

I hope to address this within a week or two.



Skype is trying to find or use some hardware devices, most likely a webcam.

Many thanks.

I think I managed to fix this. I will ask you to check and confirm this, when I release the next beta version.

I'm sorry to have been absent from this thread for awhile. Adding \RPC Control\plugplay does, in fact, allow Skype to run on my machine. tzuk, your mention of Skype trying to access devices is interesting because my webcam stopped working with Skype 4 beta. I kept reporting it to them. With the official release of version 4, my webcam resumed working (and the problem with sandboxing began). Interestingly, my webcam worked fine with earlier versions of Skype running in a Sandboxie sandbox. Thanks very mucyh for thie workaround. I worry about the security of peer-to-peer technology like that of Skype. The workaround may not be ideal (and maybe it is), but at least I have Skype back inside its own private sandbox again.

Like I said, I believe I fixed it already, but I'll need your confirmation later on. I haven't released the fix yet because I've also started working on some other big feature and I'm not ready to release it yet. But hopefully, tomorrow or the day after that.