When I updated to OS 10.5.2 something happened to Skype. 2.7.0.257. I launch the program as usual, but when I try to sign in I get the message Failed to sign in: unable to mount database. It would really be nice to continue using Skype. Can someone help me

Quit Skype.

Repair disk permissions using Disk Utility. And while being there, verify the disk as well (for errors), just in case. If you have any unusual error messages during the procedure, let me know.

Delete the file Macintosh HD:Library/Preferences/com.skype.skype.plist

Delete the file User/Library/Preferences/com.skype.skype.plist

Delete the folder User/Library/Application Support/Skype ***Please note that this action will delete your chat history but it is the most important step in solving various issues***

Make sure you have completed ALL the available updates from Mac OS X Software Update (especially Quicktime).

Restart Mac OS X.

Launch Skype.

Hi Dimitris,
These instructions sound very excessive for one application in what is basically a *nix environment.
I too upgraded, and got the message from Skype and went Googling where I found your post. I thought that thiss is an application problem, not an O/S problem. So somewhere, the application has screwed up. I only performed the removal of the {User}/Library/Application Support/Skype/{username} (I had exited Skype) and re-started to a working Skype albeit without any chat history

I think that it's important that we all remember that the lines between operating system and application are far less blurred away from WIN* operating systems.

Thanks for the lead on the location of Skype's config files!

Cheers,

Anthony

Yes, I had already noted in my advice that deleting the Skype folder will result in losing your chat history but will most probably solve your issue.

You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs

Remove:
{User}/Library/Application Support/Skype/{username}

Confirming that this solved the problem for me. However, in addition to chat history I lost recent changes to my Profile (pic, email addresses) as well as a recent addition to my Contact List. Re-inviting the user seemed to instantly repair the buddy connection.

Thanks for the tip!

All I did was delete {OS x User dir}/Library/Application Support/Skype/{skype name}/config.lck
That is all you have to do.
You get to keep your chat history and everything.

I guess I just made an omelet without breaking any eggs.

Thanks for posting that tip, Michael, it worked like a charm!


Thanks for posting that tip, Michael, it worked like a charm!

I did the same thing by deleting config.xml. I don't know if there's any difference.

I got this problem minutes after leopard alerted me that my primary disk was almost full. i deleted some large files and emptied the trash. skype works again. i would have been pissed if i had to lose my history to fix this. thank goodness!

Brilliant! So simple and yet so effective. I copped this problem on 10.6.1 upgrading to Skype v2.8.0.659.

It surprises me that Skype advocates a repair step that would cause a user to lose their contacts and/or chat history. And it was left to the users to determine one that is simpler and would not.

This looks to me like shirking of responsibility on the part of Skype.

And at the very least, a reliable utility should be provided ANYWAY by Skype, to backup someone's contact and chat history.

After all this is a tool used by many in business or for critical aspects of their personal life. I'm sure Skype wants them to adopt the tool for that purpose, so why not give them an adequate safety net to be able to use it that way.

I find myself constantly defending Skype's issues to users of other seemingly more stable IM tools, and I think I speak for other users, when I say we'd appreciate Skype doing its bit.

Deleting the Skype directories in Application Support worked. Yay!

after reading the post from Skype I was really afraid to loose all my chat history, but deleting the lck-File only, worked for me.
Thanks!!

(BTW: Skype running under Mac OS 10.6.1)

worked for me too. thanks a lot! running 10.6.1 here.

Just upgraded to 2.8.0.722 and am getting this error when I attempt to log in. Deleting config.lck isn't solving the problem for me and, since I use Skype for work, I'm not very happy about the idea of losing my chat history.

Does anyone have any suggesting that don't involve the ridiculous process Dimitris outlined?

EDIT: I relaunched Skype and it went through.

Hey Dimitris,

Thanks for responding to this.

I was able to make Skype work just by deleting the preference folder and not the file containing my chat history.

While I understand that sometimes solutions for computer software aren't perfect and require some work (and sacrifice), considering the nature of Skype and its use, for many losing chat history is a deal-breaker. I work in IT, and our IT Manager works remotely from overseas. We use Skype to communicate, and for meetings, etc, thus making chat history pretty important for us as an office.

With a company as large as Skype, with the resources it has from its extensive user base, I'd think that your development team should be investing the extra time in coming up with solutions that don't require such an extensive loss for many customers. Perhaps it would be better to put more R&D into your software updates and have them roll out working and NOT causing your end users heartache and headache.

Thanks for your time,

Matt Mitchell

I also had the same error. I restarted my Mac and all was OK.

Howard

I just upgraded to 2.8.0.722 and had this problem, and removing the config.lck fixed it.

(1) Thanks, Michael -- it had to be something this simple and you found it.

(2) Shame on Skype. Michael posted this for a much earlier update, and the problem that leaves behind this lock file still exists a year and a half later. They have a system that downloads, installs, and then restarts. That system can leave behind a lock file. It takes bit tweezers to fix it, and most customers don't know how to use bit tweezers. This should make it a high-priority bug. But it's left around for several releases.

I totally agree,

For a program that has been sold for such an amount of money to Ebay (or at least has been licensed), this kind of upgrade behavior should be unacceptable. I would expect this kind of upgrade quirks in open source or free software, and even then I would not be pleased with it. Please fix this in the future, because this makes you look very, very immature...

Hi all,

The advice is all good, but there is a simpler way that worked for me.

Quit Skype

Open up Terminal
cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/
chmod -R 751 Skype/
cd Skype/
cd johann.is ( my skype userid = 'johann.is' )
chmod 777 *

Start Skype

No loss of data, even the last opened chat window you were busy with before the upgrade should still be there.

Cheers,
johann

This worked for me as well.

I can also vouch for Johann Smith's method. It's easy, and works.

I am having the "unable to mount database" problem as well, starting right after I downloaded the new Skype (2.. But Skype will not let me quit or even shut down/restart my computer! When I try to quit a window pops up and says

"Skype Error
Valid port numbers are 1024...65535"

I tried to delete the "config.lck" and the "config.xml" as was suggested but they simply reappeared if I tried to sign in.

What should I do?

Bro, you thank you SO much!

I found the best way is just to remove the two preference files:

1. Delete the file Macintosh HD:Library/Preferences/com.skype.skype.plist

2. Delete the file User/Library/Preferences/com.skype.skype.plist

Done!

JOHANN IS THE SHIT!!!1 FIXED!!!1 i didnt under stand all those other instructions i dont even know how to find those files they were telling me to delete. terminal is somthing i understand. just waned to say thanks

Got this error after installing 2.8.0.722 upon first re-start. I closed and re-opened Skype and no more error message. So, closing and re-opening Skype seemed to have cleared the error without deleting any preferences, files or Disk Utility repairs.

In my case It was sufficed to
1. Quit Skype
2. run the following command from the Terminal window:
rm -fv ~/Library/Application\ Support/Skype/{SKYPE_ID_HERE}/*.l*ck
removing just the lock files.


It worked