Sound Compromised

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brant
  • Start date Start date
B

Brant

The sound on my HP laptop has become choppy, distorted and/or skips. It
effects every input from the windows startup wave file to content on the web.
It's most constant when playing a CD. This has only started a few weeks ago
since around the time I installed SP3. I can't say it's SP3 though because
it seemed okay immediately after the install. The machine has been stable
for the last three years.

I've done the following without resolve:
- Checks status of sound in Device Manager (says device is working properly)
- Checked for sound card driver updates
- System Restore (for some reason would not restore post sp3 but now that
I've unistalled sp3, maybe give it a second go)
- Virus disk scan
- Uninstalled SP3

Note: System has been slow to load all processes and the CPU is working
harder than normal (fan kicking in, high cpu utilization). No point in using
any applications for a least 7 minutes after boot.

I hoping someone has some ideas because I'm not crazy about repairing it
from scratch. Thanks! B.
 
Use task manager to see what is running. Shut down programs to determine
causing program. Shut down virus programs
(usual cause)
 
Open Task Manager to the Processes tab and park it in a corner of your
monitor. When your computer seems to be running slowly, glance over at
Task Manager and see what process is occupying the majority of the CPU's
resources.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

"A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp
 
Thanks, it have to be one of the very first processes as the welcome wave
file is distorted which immediately follows logon, NO?
 
Brant said:
The sound on my HP laptop has become choppy, distorted and/or skips. It
effects every input from the windows startup wave file to content on the web.
It's most constant when playing a CD. This has only started a few weeks ago
since around the time I installed SP3. I can't say it's SP3 though because
it seemed okay immediately after the install. The machine has been stable
for the last three years.

I've done the following without resolve:
- Checks status of sound in Device Manager (says device is working properly)
- Checked for sound card driver updates
- System Restore (for some reason would not restore post sp3 but now that
I've unistalled sp3, maybe give it a second go)
- Virus disk scan
- Uninstalled SP3

Note: System has been slow to load all processes and the CPU is working
harder than normal (fan kicking in, high cpu utilization). No point in using
any applications for a least 7 minutes after boot.

I hoping someone has some ideas because I'm not crazy about repairing it
from scratch. Thanks! B.
Click to expand...

Do you have speech recognition installed by any chance?
How to turn off the speech recognition and handwriting recognition features
in Office XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326526

Or
Try System Restore to an earlier date when things were working okay.
Disable your Anti-virus then restart in Safe Mode by tapping the F8 on start
Up until you get the Boot up options and select Safe Mode.

In safe Mode click Start >> All programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >>
System Restore and pick up a Restore point to restore your system.
It will do the reboot and the rstore will procedure pay attention to it and
see if it was successful or not.
Do n't forget to Enable your Anti-virus after a successful Restore and
hopefully it will also resolved your problem.
HTH,
nass
 
The sound on my HP laptop has become choppy, distorted and/or skips. It
effects every input from the windows startup wave file to content on the web.
It's most constant when playing a CD. This has only started a few weeks ago
since around the time I installed SP3. I can't say it's SP3 though because
it seemed okay immediately after the install. The machine has been stable
for the last three years.

I've done the following without resolve:
- Checks status of sound in Device Manager (says device is working properly)
- Checked for sound card driver updates
- System Restore (for some reason would not restore post sp3 but now that
I've unistalled sp3, maybe give it a second go)
- Virus disk scan
- Uninstalled SP3

Note: System has been slow to load all processes and the CPU is working
harder than normal (fan kicking in, high cpu utilization). No point in using
any applications for a least 7 minutes after boot.

I hoping someone has some ideas because I'm not crazy about repairing it
from scratch. Thanks! B.
Click to expand...

Do you happen to have Intel Audio Studio installed?
--ron
 
It's system idle at 96 - 98 under the cpu.

Leonard Grey said:
Open Task Manager to the Processes tab and park it in a corner of your
monitor. When your computer seems to be running slowly, glance over at
Task Manager and see what process is occupying the majority of the CPU's
resources.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

"A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp
Click to expand...
 
nass said:
Do you have speech recognition installed by any chance?
How to turn off the speech recognition and handwriting recognition features
in Office XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326526

Or
Try System Restore to an earlier date when things were working okay.
Disable your Anti-virus then restart in Safe Mode by tapping the F8 on start
Up until you get the Boot up options and select Safe Mode.

In safe Mode click Start >> All programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >>
System Restore and pick up a Restore point to restore your system.
It will do the reboot and the rstore will procedure pay attention to it and
see if it was successful or not.
Do n't forget to Enable your Anti-virus after a successful Restore and
hopefully it will also resolved your problem.
HTH,
nass
Click to expand...

I tried system restore several times even back 2 months. It says can't
restore to that date. Never had issue with the restore before with AV
running but will try your suggestion for unloading it.
 
The System Idle Process is what your processor is doing when it is idle,
i.e., nothing.

If the System Idle Process occupies 96% to 98% of the CPU during the
time you are experiencing your sound problem, then you know that
software is not the cause of your problem. That leaves hardware, so you
should show your computer to a professional technician.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

"A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp
 
Thanks to all for the info & Nass the system restore worked although I tried
it previously it didn't with the AV running. So I'm back to late August and
will have to figure out what went bad between then and now.
 
No Ron don't have that.
Click to expand...

Oh well. It had caused me similar sound problems when I installed SP3. I had
to uninstall it (and this required a registry hack), and then reinstall the
latest version in order to repair.

Perhaps you have some other sound related program which is causing your
problem.
--ron
 
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