wvuviv30

When I am playing music in the background of my computer and working on school work... the music dies for a split second... its sounds really distorted/sounds like it hits max compression.

What is happening? What can I do to fix this?

I have a Dell Dimension 2400, 2.2Ghz 400mhz with 376mb of ram (PC2100 128+256),this didn't do it on my Compaq P3 was 866mhz...

I have 2 hard drives: both are 40 gig.
C: is for system hardware and such
F: is for Music files.

Churnd

Sounds like a sound card issue. Update the drivers and see if that helps. http://support.dell.com

If not, you might have a bad card. If it's still under warranty, call Dell.

Localmotion

maybe a bad sound card?

EDIT: he beat me to it!

If its a bad sound card, just get a new one if its not under warranty by dell.

they are around 100 $

midiwall

Ummm, what's the definition of "working on school work"? Are you writing a paper in Word, or crunching numbers in Matlab, or ???

Does it happen when nothing else is happening on the machine, i.e., just playing tracks?

With 376meg of RAM, depending on what you're doing, you MIGHT be hitting the outter edge of the buffer in Media Player. What bit rate did you rip the audio at? 128kbps? 192? 256? "Lossless"?

Is this Windows XP? Is this Media Player 10?

The distortion and "hitting max compression" symptom comes from how the compression technology works. Media Player will keep playing until it completely runs into the end of the buffer, but compression (MP3, WMA, etc) needs a decent look-ahead to be able to put the blocks together. As you approach the end of the buffer, all the information required isn't there, so the codec (the piece of code actually doing the playback) starts pulling garbage or dead space. That throws off the codec, which then can't put everything back together, and you get junk.

Are you using the on-board sound system or do you have a card?

Try updating the drivers (always a good idea) and then think about getting more RAM before you buy a soundcard. RAM is cheap these days and more RAM in that box is a good thing anyway. Even if more RAM doesn't fix this issue, the box will still run a LOT better than it is now.


As for the Compaq... How much RAM was in it? Was it the same set of sound files? Was it also running Windows XP or was it Windows 2k? Media Player 9 or 10?

Lotso variables...

wvuviv30

Ummm, what's the definition of "working on school work"? Are you writing a paper in Word, or crunching numbers in Matlab, or ???
- I have MusicMatch 10 or iTunes playing the sound files… Using Microsoft Word and an Internet Explorer.

Does it happen when nothing else is happening on the machine, i.e., just playing tracks?
- When just playing sound files… it doesn’t do it as much, then once I try opening up a program the music freezes and/or skips (better description than compression)

With 376meg of RAM, depending on what you're doing, you MIGHT be hitting the outter edge of the buffer in Media Player. What bit rate did you rip the audio at? 128kbps? 192? 256? "Lossless"?
- The sound files are mainly in 128, some few in 192.

Is this Windows XP? Is this Media Player 10?
- XP with SP2 and in Musicmatch and iTunes

The distortion and "hitting max compression" symptom comes from how the compression technology works. Media Player will keep playing until it completely runs into the end of the buffer, but compression (MP3, WMA, etc) needs a decent look-ahead to be able to put the blocks together. As you approach the end of the buffer, all the information required isn't there, so the codec (the piece of code actually doing the playback) starts pulling garbage or dead space. That throws off the codec, which then can't put everything back together, and you get junk.

Are you using the on-board sound system or do you have a card?
- On Board sound

Try updating the drivers (always a good idea) and then think about getting more RAM before you buy a soundcard. RAM is cheap these days and more RAM in that box is a good thing anyway. Even if more RAM doesn't fix this issue, the box will still run a LOT better than it is now.
- I downloaded the audio driver from Dell and it hasn’t helped…

As for the Compaq... How much RAM was in it? Was it the same set of sound files? Was it also running Windows XP or was it Windows 2k? Media Player 9 or 10?
- 256mb, XP with SP2 and Musicmatch. It is the same sound files.

Lotso variables...

midiwall

Hmmm.... okay, this is "fun".

It could be a hardware issue, but I think the jury's still out. Have you swept the box lately for viruses and spyware?

cootees

That would be my guess too. He could have a lot of resources running in the background that he is unaware of and eating up his ram.

midiwall

Hmmm... let's go down that path!


wvuviv30;

Can you get a screen shot of what TaskManager shows?

• Press CTRL-SHIFT-ESCAPE (all at once) to bring up TaskMan
• Click on the PROCESSES tab
• Click on the IMAGE NAME column to sort by process name
• Press ALT-PTRSCR to get a screen shot of just the TaskMan app
• Attach that here
• (you may need to scroll down in the app window and do it again to get everything)

wvuviv30

here is the pic...
Left is in useage and messing up... the right is about idle...



Picture link if it doesn't work...

or master album...

http://image57.webshots.com/57/9/5/9...4yPtZdy_ph.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...23590594yPtZdy

midiwall

In general... I think we'd like to take a look at what's loaded in the system and what kind of resources you have left.

So..... have you swept for viruses and spyware?

wvuviv30

midiwall.. I am running adware now.. I seem to have not yet installed it again.

cootees

It sounds like lack of ram to me the way it only occurs when you load up another program. XP requires a lot of it to begin with. Microsofts reccomends 128mb but I imagine you have several other resources loaded in the background which will all eat it up. I know some people that have 2, 1 gig stick of memory and they have pushed it to the limit in xp. It really does not take much.


If you narrow it down to the ram then be sure when you go shopping for more to look at both pc2100 and pc2700 as they will both work for your motherboard. A lot of times you can find pc2700 to be a bit cheaper.

btw, your link did not work for me.

midiwall

Yeah, but this worked under XP SP 2 on his old Compaq in less memory.

The only thing I could think of in that case is that MusicMatch is making a judgment call on buffer size based on processor speed. With the slower machine, it could have been reloading the buffer sooner since it knew it would need more leadtime to do so.


wvuviv30; just for kicks, can you fire up Media Player 10 and try playing back files? I'm curious to know if this same thing happens with MP 10.

Also... when it happens, does it always seem to happen at the same general point in ANY tune - i.e., 1 minute in, 30 seconds in, etc?


Ditto...

wvuviv30

I added a link to the ablum...

I am going to try media player 10, once I get home.

midiwall

Hmmm... from that snapshot it doesn't look like you're hitting the top of memory, but you're close.

To be sure, when things are messing up, or any time after - but before a reboot - flip to the "Performance" tab and look at the "Commit Charge" fields. Compare the "Peak" field to the "Total" field in the "Physical Memory" section. If the Peak Commit Charge is greater than the Total Physical Memory, then you're topped out.

(edit: there's some good memory info realting to maxing out here)


Once this happens, then does it seem to happen more frequently, or is it toally random?

It looks like you're runniing iTunes along side of MusicMatch... was it the same way with the Compaq? I wonder if they're fighting for the sound card resource? Any chance that when the audio messes up, the whole machine slows down as well?

wvuviv30

midiwall... thanks for the help... I think it’s now time to invest in some ram. I didn't have iTunes on the Compaq... b/c I recently got an iPod 5g... well I am getting one for christmas.

My Dell can use either PC2100 or PC2700… My computer has two sticks of PC2100 @ 256mb and PC2700 @ 128mb… The PC2700 is the closest to the CPU.

I have an additional stick of PC2700 @ 128mb, but I could not get it working properly.

So what ram should I try and get?

I know my Compaq had two sticks of PC100 @128mb.

Closer Specs of installed Ram
ValueRam
KVR-PC2100DDR/256
2.5V
Kingston
- and –
LYMIX
PC2700U-25330
128mb DDR 333FHz CL2.5

Spare Ram
Infineon
KTF0596-INB6
(Only has 4 chips on it)

midiwall

I'm pretty sure that you have to add sticks in matched pairs on that motherboard.

Churnd

Does this have anything to do with your previous post?

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...&highlight=DDR

Also, from my experience, Compaq motherboards are very picky about the brand of RAM they accept. I tried upgrading the RAM on an older Presario once, and the only thing that wasn't identical to the old RAM was the brand, yet it still didn't work. That may be your problem.

wvuviv30

Churnd - the one I am working on with the Ram is the Dell Dimension 2400... and no is does not have the dual colored Ram slots. there is 2 black spots...



http://i22.ebayimg.com/03/i/05/9e/1a/d0_1_b.JPG

Churnd

It shouldn't matter which order you put them in. If it doesn't work, the board doesn't like the RAM. Either that, or the board's going bad.