Topic: Sound stutter, CPU related?

[RGraves]

Good evening, everyone.  =)

OK.  I'm back on my good(?) old(definitely) 733mhz P3 system.  =)  This problem has been going on for awhile now, I've been poking around all over the place to get the solution... and I finally got tired of it happening.  =P

Anyway.  I'm running Windows XP Professional, in case that might help.

Whenever I start up a media file of almost any type, it will stutter, only for a second at a time, but it will happen alot before it just stops.  Something like stutter, playback, stutter, playback, stutter, playback, works fine.  usually takes about 30 seconds to a minute before it will stop stuttering.  However, I found that those values can change.  It seems to be related to CPU activity.

I will open up the Task Manager and look at the processes tab.  Sort by CPU usage to take a look at what program is clogging it all up.  But invariably, there is usually a good 70% still in System Idle Processes!  Now, I'm unsure what exactly these are, whether they be processes that only happen using the systems idle CPU abilities or whether that be a measure or how much free CPU capability I have, I am unsure.  Anyway, it will almost always have the majority of the CPU taking it, and Windows Media Player only has around 17%.

I remember when I could start music and it woudl seamlessly blend into the workings on my computer.  Now it seems that everything I do gives it reason to stutter!  But nothings changed.  =/  I am thinking something is wrong with the way my system is prioritizing its processes... but I dont know how to fix that even if it is.  *sighs*

Thanks for your help in advance, everyone.

-Robert

[Sandra]

Is it just with windows media player Robert ?
Have you got any other players like Winamp that you could try to see if its got the same fault ?
Have you got the latest updates for windows media player ?

[RGraves]

Quicktime does it as well.  And as far as I know, I have all updates for windows and windows media player.  (WMP9)

[Sandra]

Have you recently updated Direct X or is there a newer update for that available ?

[Simon]

Have you tried updating your sound card drivers, Robert?

[Dack]

What soundcard and motherboard are you using? There are certain issues with compatability between the two on certain combinations.

[RGraves]

Sorry for the really late reply all.  I've been tinkering with my system and actually the problem is fixed now....  I honestly couldnt say exactly what I did, since I was trying to fight a virus at the time.  ^^;;;  I restored Windows to a restore point and checked the sound.  It was still stuttering, well, I ended up running windows XP through an installation overtop of my current installation since i had had to delete a couple system files to completely rid my hair of a blaster worm variant.  when i got back on, the sound worked perfectly.  I also found that alot of the windows updates were no longer isntalled, so I think that that might have been it.

Thanks for your support, everyone.  =)