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
    2020-12-02T16:25:17+00:00

    Yep, just built my new pc and noticing this when playing games. Freezes the game for a few seconds, sometimes crashes it and there is almost a crackling sound for a second over the audio. 

    I am actually running AMD 5800x so guess its also affecting AMD users too.

    Tried a few solutions listed here (downloaded driver booster, changed to performance in power management) but still happening. Glad I stumbled upon this thread because I was about to buy a new PSU thinking it was spiking or something causing the issue but it seems not. 

    Any updates would be greatly appreciated!

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-12-02T20:18:42+00:00

    My computer was doing the same thing everyone in this thread seems to be struggling with. I applied a fix back in... March or April and haven't had the issue since then. Microsoft keeps emailing me about replies to this thread for some reason, so I figure it's a sign to share my fix and maybe it'll help with some headaches.

    All I did was open "Power and Sleep Settings" on Windows 10, "Additional power settings", my plan is set to "High Performance" but I imagine this works with whatever power plan you've selected. Go into "Change plan settings" for your selected plan, "Change advanced power settings", then open the tabs "Hard disk" - "Turn off hard disk after" - set the number to something high so the hard disk rarely turns off. Mine is set to 3000 minutes, but I turn my computer off every night so it never reaches 3000.

    In short, what was causing this problem for me was the hard disk turning off randomly and that would cause the stutter and sound card hiccups I was getting. Hopefully this helps at least some others on this thread.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-12-03T19:26:01+00:00

    I have tried to increase that value, though I suspect that a reboot may be necessary which I haven't had the opportunity to do at the moment. I had previously reported that Ethernet activity seemed to be involved in the problem and made an interesting observation about an hour ago when on a Skype call with someone.

    As well as the freeze, I have been getting audio stutter which I assume to be a short duration freeze.

    This stutter problem has been an issue during this and most previous calls, however, on this occasion as I would switch windows as we looked at different things during the call, stutter was bad in one particular case. We also communicate by email and I was consulting one of these emails when the stutter become almost constant.

    I use a Yahoo email account for this communication and view it via the browser. As part of viewing this email account on a browser, there are constant ads flashing up on the right hand side of the email panel. The stutter appeared to be synchronised the changes in these ads, further implicating Ethernet activity.

    If I brought to the front a page or window with no such changing content, no stutter.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-12-23T19:03:37+00:00

    Hi, i've been having this issue too, sometimes it happens when i start the laptop, but it triggers the most when i plug/unplug mi earphones and when i join a discord call, the whole laptop stutters and lags for a minute to 3 or 4, i already removed and installed the audio drivers but it seems to keep happening, can someone please help me?

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-12-23T21:22:15+00:00

    Not to seem dumb but should we assume you have tried the earphones elsewhere and also tried different ones on your laptop?

    Second question does it go away after a few minutes or show up intermittently.

    last question does it do the same with and without the earphones?

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