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
    2021-01-21T16:41:07+00:00

    This solved it for me!! Thanks for your answer!

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-01-29T02:17:34+00:00

    I have the same issue.

    5 second freeze, Realtek usually pops up and tells me I installed an audio device ( i didn't), occasionally the screen turns off for a moment and occasionally Radeon Software pops up a warning about a crash.

    This has been going on for several months. My partner got me a new graphics card as we thought the issue may be the card being old and under powered. It is a much better graphics card, but hasn't solved this particular issue!

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