System Freeze and Audio Problem

Anonymous
2020-02-11T18:37:30+00:00

I have just purchased a new computer but as i installed programs, a problem was introduced. I think I had seen the same problem on my previous computer, but that is a long story!

The effect is that the computer freezes for about 5 seconds and then continues. Associated with that is a message from the Realtek Audio informing me I have just plugged a device into the audio input. It does not require there to be any audio playing at the time this happens, though if there is audio, then that either goes silent or issues what can best be described as a buzz until the system resumes. The audio can also go into a state which i can only describe as like a stutter, where maybe it freezes for a few milliseconds at a time over a period of about 5 seconds. Sometimes this produces the Realtek message, though not always.

It seems that sometimes this can be triggered by activity, e.g calling a new web page in the browser. Often on returning to the machine after a period away, where the screen has blanked, waking the system up causes the Realtek message, but no obvious freezing of operation.

But the problem can also occur when the machine is not being used. I can be in the next room eating lunch and hear the audio freeze for the period associated with the problem.

With the new system, I started by sequentially installing the programs I required. This was a processed performed over several days as I was also working on the machine as well. Among the programs I had always installed was OpenOffice, I had been using this since it was first available, though I think generally LibreOffice now does better. But as I installed OpenOffice after several days without a problem, I heard the quality of the sound change and the problem started. On average, the problem manifests itself about once an hour, so i think the initial trouble free period up to the installation of OpenOffice identifies the culprit, but uninstalling it did not help. Windows repair tool claims to identify a problem and to have repaired it, requiring a reboot, but the problem still returns, so something somewhere is damaged. Google does nothing but confuse attempts to find the Realtek drivers which could be reinstalled.

I don't know where to go. I can't believe I am the only person suffering from this problem, yet I cannot find reference to such a problem on Google. So this is my last ditch effort to solve the problem before resorting to a clean install.

Regards, Paul Dixon

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-03-13T15:55:26+00:00

    James as someone who has worked closely professionally in the Microsoft space without getting into detail I can assure you that your last sentence is the exact issue. Question I have for you is those 2 systems are they using the same generation processor and motherboard. As someone who is also in the IT field I know you understand that a difference in generation of the same motherboard or processor can have different chipsets which can cause all kinds of slightly different issues in identically built systems. What I suspect is that this issue is probably affecting only specific chipsets that wasn't accounted for in the coding of the update I mentioned as I have 6 other Windows 10 systems in my home but only my gaming system is affected by this issue. Which also posses the question of is it really a Windows OS update developmental issue or a Manufacturer issue which I have no doubt the Windows 10 development team is tracking. But since this issue is not critical system failure issue I know for a fact its not a high priority for them.

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-03-13T14:20:07+00:00

    Thank you for posting this. Until now I thought it was happening solely on Intel based systems running Windows 10 and that the corruption was based on a conflict between drivers. I had not thought thought that AMD based systems were also affected. It does make sense now that we see AMD systems are also having this issue that it is clearly a Microsoft caused problem. The question still remains as to why it only affects random setups. As I have stated in earlier posts I built 2 identical Intel based computers at the same time with both running Windows 10 home version. Both have been in constant use in the same household since 2019 but only 1 of them has had this problem.  Both are set to automatic updates and have been on the same version of Windows.  After many reinstalls of Windows the one affected finally became stable for about 4 months or so until it started failing the new Windows updates this year. I have tried several "fixes" such as the Windows update troubleshooter and a few which run from the Windows admin powershell command line interface. I have also made sure that the correct Windows services needed were started and running while I tried to run the updates. Meanwhile the second computer keeps running without these issues. Having worked in and with IT since 1983 I have seen many things but I am not a expert on software development. At this point it really would be useful to us if we could get some sort of response from Microsoft as to why their "updates" are causing these type of issues and what they know as to how to correct them but even though we know they are aware of this and have even seen this thread, they refuse to comment.  Perhaps they are just stalling until such time as a new version of Windows finally becomes a reality as they simply do not know how to fix it without rewriting the entire core.

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-03-13T04:44:40+00:00

    This issue is not only an Intel issue it is also affecting AMD chipset and products as well. I am running AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, B550 Aorus Pro AC Gaming Motherboard with full AMD Chipset. Razor Naga mouse and Razor Keyboard. My audio is ran through onboard audio using Reltek driver with Windows 10 Pro version 20H2. 

    I am experiencing an issue similar to all of you  keyboard and mouse response will stutter for 3-5 seconds sometimes producing an audible beep which is the same sound for when sticky keys is enabled but doesn't always occur with the stutter. Issue happens when browsing the internet, gaming, or having no applications running at all. Like all of you my issue started in March of 2020 with the Windows update KB4534132. Windows has been factory reset, clean installed with nothing other than required hardware drivers installed. Yet issue reoccurs every single time after that windows update was reinstalled.

    Rolling the Update back and reinstalling the hardware drivers fixes the issue for a time until the update is force installed again. I have been in IT for over a decade and I can tell the difference between a installed software issue and a blatant Windows update issue and this is a Windows 10 update issue. Something in that update is corrupting Windows 10 driver functionality and everything I have tried to get around this update has failed since you can't stop specific updates from installing unless they are optional updates which this one is not. This issue is really annoying especially when playing mmo games that depend on split second device input. I have monitored my system with both process and performance monitoring and unlike some of you I am not seeing 100% spikes only a 5% to 10% spike in CPU usage which is never over 45% CPU usage and 35% memory usage while running graphic intensive games.

    Changing the Power Scheme has no affect on this issue what so ever as like I have stated this is a corruption on the Windows OS level that is not being addressed. Mainly because of how random it happens and the wide spread number of configurations and devices that are affected. I have found countless forums with people reporting similar issues but all have the same underlying issue of of a 2-5 second stutter or freeze for input devices and no known fix for this issue yet.

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-02-24T17:10:17+00:00

    Hi, I'm using a brand new Lenovo note PC with Realtek Audio driver (08/25/2020, 6.0.9013.1).

    I had the same issue as you all. Audio output repeated the same sound last playbacked about a few sec frequently. I don't know what causes this phenomenon , however it occurred especially when switching Firefox tabs. Recently, after this phenomenon, note PC was suddenly shutdown and won't boot Windows10.

    After some struggles, I recovered PC from malfunction and checked Event Viewer. HAL recorded the unintended shutdown but no info. about it.

    • 23:50:41 The previous system shutdown at 22:40:25 on 2021/02/22 was unexpected.

    I checked H/W with Lenovo Vantage diagnostic and no error was found. I thought the cause is Windows I/O subsystem and refreshed Windows10 in note PC hoping Windows10 configures the proper setting for my PC. Now, my note PC is running well. But, I'm worrying that the phenomenon comes back.

    I believe this issue is derived from Windows10, but no evidence...

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  5. Anonymous
    2021-02-01T15:30:07+00:00

    I have the same issues with Paul.

    My Windows keep freezeing around 1 year, in 2018-2019 I have no problem, then 2020- to now always have problem with Sound and Freeze. So much struggle with this issue.

    It always unplugged plugged pop-up from Realtek then freezeing, sometimes freeze on web, sometimes freeze on Game, sometimes freeze on desktop. It's so much random.

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