Realtek, Windows 7 64RTM Crackle/static/popping

You probably shut down your computer before doing that then started it back up, which solves the problem for me and many others anyway short term.

I started a new thread in the audio section before realising that there is already quite an extensive thread on this very issue. Wow!

Yesterday I noticed that when playing audio on my PC (whether on a video, MP3, DVD, playing a game) my PC will lag noticeably and the audio will crack/drop out. This only seems to happen while I am actually active on the PC (MP3/video playing in the background while browsing the internet, for example). The issue does not occur with line in audio (I have Foxtel audio coming into the card).

I have tried the following:

- Updated audio drivers
- Different sound card (Audigy 2 ZS – primarily using onboard sound)
- Reinstallation of Windows (Windows 7 Ultimate)
- Reflashing BIOS with current version
- Disabling devices which I don't need as specified by DCP Latency Checker (WiFi adapter, firewire adapter, etc)

My current hardware:

- Intel E8400
- Asus P5K-E
- 4GB Kingston RAM (not sure of the exact details, but can find them if needed – they're 4x1GB)
- nVidia GTX 275

DCP Latency Checker tells me the following:

Some device drivers on this machine behave bad and will probably cause drop-outs in real-time audio and/or video streams. To isolate the misbehaving driver use Device Manager and disable/re-enable various devices, one at a time. Try network and W-LAN adapters, modems, internal sound devices, USB host controllers, etc.

I've had a look at other threads on this forum and others - unfortunately none of the solutions specified on this forums work for me.

The strange thing is, is that I have been working fine with Windows 7 x64 + this motherboard for quite some time (12+ months), and it's only now that this issue has come up. :\

jameswh said:

The strange thing is, is that I have been working fine with Windows 7 x64 + this motherboard for quite some time (12+ months), and it's only now that this issue has come up. :\

Same here....

Tried everything, but nothing works.
At the moment the tech support from realtek is helping me but they can`t find it

Same problem here...

Details ...

Actually this computer is only a few months old hp pavilion p6680t cto

I downloaded ms security essentials just after I got the unit and it has been working fine.

However when a recent download of ms updates came through I had shut the computer down just after and then within a few minutes rebooted the unit.

AND THERE IS WAS THE STRANGE CPU NOISES WITH A BIT OF STATIC AND CRACKLING AS WELL.

Interesting thing with my unit is that after the initial burst of noise upon starting up for the first time with these updates subsequent boot ups have been fairly subdued with the noises usually it will settle down when there is little processor activity.



Also strangely I had a similar problem with my 9 year old hp pavilion 7955 with win xp ...static, crackling and cpu noises coming through the speakers!!!!!!!!!!!

My guess about when the problem started was when ms updates came through as well here. But I was too ignorant to understand this back then.

Old computer was working fine the first year or so and then the strange static noises just like with the new computer. Only thing was it was never resolved BUT I was able to get the noises COMPLETELY muted by removing inputs from the cd player, mic in, ect..

Unfortunately I have muted all these sources and the sound cannot be stopped this way.





here are the updates that came through that day

ms security essentials (KB2310138) definition (1.97.840)
ms security essentials (KB2310138) definition (1.97.875)
update for windows 7 64 bit (KB976902)

The coincidence is pretty suspicious if you ask me.

Of course the problem is that you cannot remove these updates easily if at all .

If anyone here has a connection to real tek and ms check these out.

you are running Microsoft Security essentials - try this:


1. Open Microsoft Security Essentials.
2. Click the Settings tab.
3. Click Excluded files and Locations
4. Click Add.
5. Select the following path:

c:\Program files\Microsoft security essentials\MsMpEng.exe

6. Click Ok.
7. Click Save changes.
8. Close the scanner program, and then restart the computer.

For more on this, see the following:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msestart/thread/0519ba5e-f3d8-4caa-a193-01fea178aa4f

Darryl,

Just for reference what would make this change things to solve the problem.
FYI I have not received any ms error messages about the msmpeng.exe file. Does that make a difference?
Also I have not experienced any excessive cpu usage in my new computer. I never use any thing like p2p filing sharing software either. Like utorrent that seems to conflict with Msmpeng.exe


As for my old hp pavilion 7955 I only recently added mse to it but the static and cpu issue has been going on for almost 8 years . Was MS Defender loaded onto xp all the way back then????

Just to refresh ...I definitely was able to isolate my problem with the pavilion 7955 with win xp to the "cd audio" volume output..buy muting it I was able to eliminate the issue for myself but the noises were still there if you unmuted it. I played with all the other inputs and outputs and none of them had the noise coming out of those sources at all.

I wonder what the root problem is. It almost seems like a hardware issue to me.

I'm going to experiement with my old 7955 since the cd audio source comes from the cd rom and cd player I'm going to disable them both.

I also think I am going to try and disable the dvd rom in my new p6680t and see what happens .

Darryl:

I just reviewed the ms social forums thread about the problem .

The odd thing is that the download that possibly created the audio issue in my new computer had just come down the line on Feb 2, 2011 . I wonder why they would have let a potentially known problematic update go through to consumers that way????

There also was that single update I mentioned that listed as update for Win 7 64 that also came through that day, so I would also think that is suspect as well.

What all this current information doesn't explain is why my 9 year old pavilion 7955 would have had the exact same problem back in 2003, I am pretty sure that Defender was not even around then, or was it?

When specifically debut for xp?

Also my real tek alc888 on the hp pavilion p6680t doesn't seem to have the CD audio volume slider like some others do as well as the PC beep slider. Both are not on my version of controls.


Also I was not clear enough regarding the old pavilion 7955 with the issue.

I noticed that I could mute the "cd audio" volume control in the intel integrated audio volume controls and the issue was solved for me. So in my mind the noise in that old computer seems to be isolated to the cd player unit. Correct?

I think for $hits and giggles I am going to disable the cd player unit in my old 7955 tonight and see what happens.

In any case the connection between two different computers with different os and being ten years apart is really, just strange!

vermin said:

So maybe its connected to bad Computers. Mine is terribly slow.Or bad RAM. or some other thing.

Hej Torbjorn!

I'm guessing you're in Sweden???

If so I've visited your country and it is AWESOME!!!

I tend to agree with you about it likely being a hardware issue, perhaps a defective chip set or descrete components (capacitors, resistors, diodes) ect...being weak to begin with and then after a short time in service partially failing or operating out of spec just enough to cause our issues.

What makes me almost certain of this is the fact that my old workhorse , the pavilion 7955 from HP had this EXACT same problem . Honestly when I first heard the noises from this three month old p6680t I couldn't believe it!!!!! I even exclaimed to myself out loud , "You have got to be kidding me, the same thing on two very different pcs over a decade apart. The only difference is that the 7955 lasted for about a year or so before the noises started to occur while this new one has only lasted for three months or so.

I have to say though that I would also suspect windows updates of some sort also could be the source too. Because of the wide variation in folks here that have all kinds of different mobos, hard drives, ect.....


I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT JUST AFTER THREE WINDOWS UPDATES (TWO OF WHICH WERE MS SECURITY ESSENTIALS) THE NOISE SUDDENLY APPEARED. COINCIDENCE ? HARD TO BELIEVE THAT. I ONLY WHICH I COULD HAVE PINNED DOWN THE DATE THAT MY OLD 7955 UNIT STARTED THE NOISES . MAYBE THEN MS COULD FIND A SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE TWO OS.

I GUESS IT COULD BE CORRUPTED UPDATE FILES, MAYBE THE UPDATES AS DESIGNED WERE FINE BUT SOMEHOW WERE CORRUPTED AS THEY WERE SENT OUT TO WINDOWS USERS???

legacy7955 said:

Darryl,

Just for reference what would make this change things to solve the problem.
FYI I have not received any ms error messages about the msmpeng.exe file. Does that make a difference?
Also I have not experienced any excessive cpu usage in my new computer. .

I can't tell you why this change resolves the problem, I can only say that I observed that it does in W7 x64. I'm not aware of any similar issue in WXP. The issue is not related to excessive cpu usage nor are you likely to see any error message or logs in the event viewer. MS is aware of the issue but as yet, I don't know if there's a fix, though I did note that a new version of MSE went out recently. Maybe install that and see if it helps. Otherwise, try my steps. There's no harm in it. It makes no sense for the scanner to scan it's self, and that appears to be what is causing the problem. The same is true for Forefront.

For more on this, see the following:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msestart/thread/0519ba5e-f3d8-4caa-a193-01fea178aa4f