Windows 7: I'm Having Poor Audio Quality!

My user says I'm a "Windows 7 Professional" but I've got a Windows Vista Home Basic too and I was wondering if any of you guys can tell me how to get rid of this "Audio Problem" that I'm having . First, I'm listening to the song that's playing like it should . Second, it's at the end of the song . Third, it stops and makes a crackling sound and goes at the end of the song . If you know what I'm talking about, please tell me how to stop this nonsense .

How about more details?

On 1 song or all songs?

Always at the same point in a given song?

On mp3s, waves, or any file format?

Is this a recent development?

What player are you using?

If it's a recent development and everything was fine at one time, how has your PC been altered since everything was fine? New hardware? Software updates?

Etcetera. More info needed.

1. I'm using Windows Media Player 11
2. It's any song really
3. Happens more than twice
4. Can be any type of format
5. This sucks

That's about all I can say right now.

Still not much to go on, so all I can suggest is trial and error.

Try another player on your PC. If you still get the noise, it probably indicates it isn't a problem with the player itself.

Transfer the files to an external device, such as a portable mp3 player. If the problem shows up when played on the external player, that would likely mean a defect in the sound file itself.

If the defect occurs at the same exact place on a particular song, every time you play it, that probably means it is a problem with the sound file, not the player.

Get a bunch of new songs from an unusual or new source. If they play OK, it probably means it's a problem with some of your existing songs---they have become corrupted or failed for some reason.


Switch cables if cables are involved. Play through other speakers if possible.

If a bunch of songs used to play fine on a particular player and now the same songs don't, that probably indicates the songs are OK and that it's player or hardware problem.


Confirm if SOME songs NEVER have the defect.

Confirm if SOME songs ALWAYS have the defect.

Etcetera. Put on your "by process of elimination" hat.

Um, I don't think it's the player or the files have anything to do with it.