#exception code: 0xc0000005

"[solved in this particular case - see g4pilut's post for solution. hint - manually undo xp compatibility for skype.exe after the default install for Win 7 has completed.]" 

"First thing I'd suggest checking is that you're not running the latest version in Compatibility Mode. (I'm assuming you're running Win 7 although you didn't say.) Numerous users have had similar crashing problems because they were either deliberately or inadvertently running in Compatibility Mode."