Skype won't update because it can't close applications

[nomadreid]

TL;DR

The automatic update for Skype will not proceed because supposedly programs are running that it needs shut, but there are no programs listed as running in Task Manager.

Now and then I get the automatic update question "Do you want [Skype] to make changes on your computer"; clicking "yes" gives me something like (this is not an exact quote" "Skype cannot proceed because it cannot close all applications relevant for it setup" with the options : retry, abort, or ignore. I looked in Task Manager "Control-Alt-Delete", and it said that no programs were running. Retry doesn't change anything. Once I tried "ignore", and the computer crashed. So since then I press "abort". Within a day or so, the automatic update reappears. Advice? Please note that I am not a programmer. Should I discard and reload Skype, or what? Thanks.

 

[FactChecker]

I have problems like this often. The only ways I know to completely shut down everything is to restart the PC.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

If possible, use the web version of Skype. That will get rid of update issues altogether.

 

[hutchphd]

Skype used to be such a pleasant program........

 

[Borg]

I had a work computer that would do this a lot. From what I could tell (in my case), it was likely the antivirus software having a look at files and not letting go. The only solution for me was to reboot and immediately do whatever I needed to do before the software started locking on to files. My antivirus expecially loved to lock on to large zipfiles when I was trying to move or copy them and casually gaze at them for hours.

 

[nomadreid]

Thanks for the input, Factchecker, Wrichik Basu, hutchphd, annd Borg. Shutting down or restarting the computer doesn't help: I just get the same messages. The web version of Skype sounds promising -- unless anyone knows any disadvantage to Skype for Web as opposed to the desktop version I presently use (for Windows 10), I will try it. I don't know how I would check to see if it's my antivirus (free version of Avast) interfering: this Skype message pops up right after I restart the computer.

 

[nomadreid]

Update: Whatever was the cause, the problem disappeared after Skype was down for about 25 minutes day before yesterday (not just on my computer; on a friend's computer as well), it was down for the same interval of time). I suspect (but cannot prove) that this indicates that it was a glitch on Skype's part (perhaps for my area of the world), not on my computer. It went down just as I was starting to sign in for the Skype for Web (but had the desktop version open, as it is set to open upon startup), but I cannot imagine there to be any causal connection there, since I had not finished the sign-in for the Skype for Web. Coincidences happen. Thanks again for all those who gave input.