Skype and YIM won't work

[ChuckNorris]

Hi guys. I just bought my mom a new laptop 3 months ago. An Acer Aspire 5517. It worked like a charm for the first month, all she really uses it for is Skype and web browsing. Okay so now Skype hasn't worked for over a month. The little status button that should be green when your active never loads, it just keeps turning. Every once in a while it will work, and I try to make a call, and after 10 rings I want to hang up, but I can't, I click end call, but it keeps ringing indefinitely. Even if I force shut down skype, it keeps ringing. Skype tech support told me to install the new beta version of skype, it didn't help, still my status won't turn green. Also if someone tries to call me, I can't click on accept video call, or whatever it's called. I have re-installed skype 4 times. I have the same wireless connection. I get the same speeds as before. No hardware or software has been installed besides Skype, Mozilla, YIM. So I thought, okay I will install YIM for her to make video calls. I install it, sign in, when I try to go into webcam settings, the program freezes, and I have to shut down the program. Please guys, help me, she is driving me crazy.
BTW, her lappy has AMD Athlon TF-20, 1.60 Ghz, 64bit, 2 Gigs Ram.
Acer AV runs every night.