WinXP random 'skips' problem. I'm stumped.

[zeradul]

completely randomly, whether I am doing something demanding, or just making circles with the cursor. Or not touching the computer at all. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the problem was.

The main reason I have allowed this to go on for so long, is that I had an aureal vortex sound card, and the win2k drivers (no xp drivers) have a known issue with my chipset. So it would play stuff, but not flawlessly, so I lived with it. For the longest time I just thought it was just this

[zeradul]

So I think I have nailed it down to one of these things at fault....

1.) Software native to XP conflicting with something I have (mobo?), somehow?

2.) My processor is flawed?

3.) My vid card is too old and conflicting with something somehow?

4.) Detonator problem?

[zeradul]

I am kinda due for a new vid card, but I hate to get one before D3 comes out, if its not going to fix my problem.

i hate to do anything that wastes more time if it doesn't fix the problem.

Other courses of action would be to Install 98SE and see what happens, if its gone, this rules out a processor flaw.

Then I would install XP with a 4 meg AGP vid card, and NOTHING else, this might signify whether or not its a conflict with MY vid card.

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so those are my couses of action, each fairly extensive. I spose I could pop the 4 meg AGP card in right now and see what happens.... thoughts?

[Corduroy]

This sounds like a video card problem. The skip in the audio is just because of a short system hang which is causing everything to hang.

Have you tried adjusting the resolution? Have you tried to change the refresh rate? I think the best thing to do in this situation is to swap out video cards.

Oh, I have the same 4in1 on my motherboard, and i've never installed seperate drivers for them. XP takes care of that on its own and installing the drivers on the manufacturer's CD (which are pre-windows XP) has only given me problems in past installs of XP.

Let me know if this helps.

[zeradul]

Well, I spose I should have swapped out the vid card sooner, but I have had it for 2 years now, and it has never been overclocked, and has always performed flawlessly. I have never had an issue with it, and so I'm doubting that is the problem, but I will give that a shot right now.

[zeradul]

Nope, Just as I thought, the ATI Rage 4MB card had no effect. Still one skip every 3 to 4 minutes on average.

Let me also point out one other strange aspect to this problem, I cannot recreate the problem on my own... It just happens, but I cannot induce it no matter how hard I try.

For example, i took a 10 Megapixel image and violently moved it around the screen (with the 4 MB card) This maxes out the processor as it attempts to compensate, but the whole time I do this, it doesn't skip, music plays perfectly, and the cursor moves without skipping. But two minutes later the system will be sitting idle and SKIP.

And no amount of hard drive activity can cause this to happen, either... Multiple program opening all at once doesn't do it. Copying from drive to drive at 25+ MB/sec doesn't do it.

Like I said, I am stumped.

[Corduroy]

[Wiggo]

Does the Event Viewer have any probs logged there that are as repetitive? :?:

[zeradul]

I think you found something Wiggo...

What do you make of this? If you look at the times, this screenshot centers around a 12 minute chunk that I had turned my computer on to check some things last night. It also includes the very end of the previous boot, and the first part of this mornings boot.

Going back through the log, though, it is not always a consistant two errors... some days, 3, some days 1, some days none. But Let me tell you this, that I have never noticed this problem 'not' happen. But then again, its hard to know if you would notice such a thing.

[zeradul]

"but does this occur outside of games when you're not playing MP3s?"

from my first post : "I have tried to recreate the problem in XP even before installing ANY sound card, and yes, it happens."

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"Have you thought of uninstalling those via chip drivers and letting XP use what it has by default for it?"

I am beginning to this this is a very likely cause. I do install them immediatly after XP, mainly because VIA claims they are very beneficial, as does everyone here.

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"Perhaps this is hard drive related. ..... but MP3 playing puts demand on the hard drive every time a song is over, so that may be something to look into."

from a previous post : "And no amount of hard drive activity can cause this to happen, either... Multiple program opening all at once doesn't do it. Copying from drive to drive at 25+ MB/sec doesn't do it."

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"Did this problem happen before you switched over from the 1400 to the 2600+? I didn't really understand what you were trying to say in that paragraph."

No it did not happen when I was using 98se. When I upgraded to XP, I immediatly had the other issue with my old sound card. (aureal vortex, VIA KT266+, XP) I thought that was the problem, until I upgraded to a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, (which was immediatly after going to the 2400+)

My point is, I do not know if I ever had this problem, while I had XP running on my 1.4 T-Bird. I do not know, because the other issue would have 'masked' the problem. (You know, its like having a broken leg, and not knowing you have a cut on your arm)

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"Have you tried running 98SE on this machine again?"

Not yet, but that appears next in line of things to try.

[zeradul]

Well, I just installed 98se on a old HD, and everything works wonderfully. I even installed the newest 4 in 1's, and they were fine as well.

That rules out hardware flaws.

So now we're down to some kind of software conflict with the software native to XP? Maybe my 4 in 1's, w/XP, w/my hardware, is the problem.

I guess I will do a fresh install of XP and see if the problem exists before I install the 4 in 1's.

But any suggestions as to whats causing the Event log errors in that screenshot would be a BIG help.

[Wiggo]

Maybe one of the software experts will have a better answer for that event log as I don't atm. :shrug:

[Corduroy]

I'm positive that this problem is caused by the 4 in 1 drivers, at least that seem like the most likely culprit. I have nearly the same hardware profile as you and I'm not using the 4 in 1s, because they are not designed for XP. I'm sure that's why XP is having that error.

[asklepios]

first of all i must say...u r hell of a man...:thumb:
u tried everything that u cd have and i love such persons.
since i m not much of a hardware guy but abt those errors in event viewer...well just double click on it and it will tell u what the problem is.

since it is saying that it is from service control manager...i can just make a guess that it is related to a service and most probably some networking related thing.
u might be having a badly configured network card (if u have one ofcourse). to be sure...just double click the error and read it carefully. the error will be self explanatory and u will be able to know what service is causing troubles.

[zeradul]

Well, I've got XP re-installed, WITH the 4 in 1's, and I have not had the problem reoccur, yet. I did however experience one random restart. I wasn't doing anything except I had a few IE windows open, and poof, the system restarted. I have NEVER had that happen before. Nothing was logged in the event logger, so no idea what caused it.

Cord, the 4 in 1's ARE made for XP. (but I did use a slightly newer version 4 in 1's, so maybe a bug was fixed by VIA in the mean time.

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I did have one error occur in event logger as I installed things, the message read that my firmware was too old. It did not clarify the type of device though? Should I persue updating the firmware of my vid card? network card? and so on?

Everything is working, minus that error, and the random reboot. But I am kind of anal about stability, and if updating my firmware adds 0.1% stability, i want to do it.