System Freeze and Audio Problem

Anonymous

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

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102 answers

Anonymous

2020-06-04T16:49:05+00:00

Just a brief recap on my issues. I first encountered the problem on my previous system, a home build using an Asus Z87 motherboard. It started life as a Windows 7 machine but I allowed it to update. No immediate problems until I started to get crashes where eventually I could not reboot.

I assumed I had a failing disk and replaced it with a new disk and a clean install. It did not cure my crashes, which I eventually tracked down to an intermittent memory card. Looking at my notes, it appears I fitted the new disk in October 2018.

However, immediately on the clean install, this new issue of stuttering audio and system freezes started, the freezes never being released on this computer, having left it in that state once while I had lunch and read a magazine and over an hour later, it was still in the same frozen state.

I concluded that the hardware was getting past its best and decided to replace it, this time finding a reasonably priced ready built system that met my needs. That was about six months ago.

The sound stutter and system freezes began within the first week. I struggled for a while, thinking it may be associated with something I had installed. I gave in about three month ago now and did a reinstall, keeping my existing data.

I have a list of programs and that on new install, I usually go down that list and install everything before I really start using the machine. This time I did not rush to install everything, but on a minimal install, but the problem was back within a few days on a minimal install. I looked at updates in those few days and rolled them back. No really obvious differences, the problem was still there.

I believe there is something in there that is blocking, not allowing other things to run, hence the freeze, or in less serious cases, just interferes with everything such that the audio cannot get the time it needs causing the stutter.

Stutter is always coincident with peaks in CPU load which is often, though not always, coincident with a flurry of activity on Ethernet.

Sometimes the increase in load appears to be triggered by my activity, e.g. switching between active windows, but I can be taking lunch in an adjacent room with audio playing through Bluetooth and the system can freeze. Going to the computer then shows the activity spike that usually accompanies the problem.

With stutter, I can see the activity around 100% for a number of seconds. With a freeze I see a very narrow peak, suggesting that monitoring has been unable to continue due to being totally blocked.

A friend who has observed my problem reports he sees unexplained peaks in CPU activity but has never experienced a freeze.

There now seems to be an increasing number of people reporting issues of this nature. It would appear to me there is a serious problem in Windows 10 which has been there for a clean install since at least October 2018 and is not related to any update since then.
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Anonymous

2020-06-04T18:34:11+00:00

While I am still testing hardware I am really thinking this is a Windows problem. I am running Windows 10 version 1909 which is fully updated. Also I get this problem just playing Solitaire which is connected to the internet but I don't need to be watching video with or without music. I have not been playing any serious games because of this problem. I have tried Installing my extra programs very slowly and testing between them to see if they have caused this but so far they seem to not make a difference. Just out of hand are you using WIFI or LAN to connect to the internet ? Perhaps this is caused by the way each is handled by windows.
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Anonymous

2020-06-04T19:56:49+00:00

Ok LAN and WIFI both cause same problem if it's even them at all.
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Anonymous

2020-06-04T21:24:55+00:00

My computer is wired directly to the ISP supplied router, which also does wireless for the home. The router also connects to the switch which handles the other wired devices in the home.

I did wonder if it was specifically this model of router (Pace supplied by AT&T) as I am not happy with it. I had a previous one replaced because it lost internet connection so frequently (several times a day), but I still get occasional problems and reboots with the current one.
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Anonymous

2020-06-05T16:06:33+00:00

I have 3 PC's in my home. 2 are wired and 1 is wireless. Only 1 has this problem. I'm using Verizon as my ISP and the router came from them also. I am not sure if the other 2 computers are on the same exact version of windows 10 as I am since 1 is mainly used by my wife and the other by my son. I keep mine up to date constantly. Mine I have tried both wired and wireless as my motherboard has both built in. It seems like since we all have different systems but mostly the same problem it must be software related somehow. It's possible we have some sort of virus but I have tried 2 different antivirus software programs and also ,Malwarebytes along with a USB external antivirus/antimalware device running off a DOS boot-up. Anyone else have any Ideas ?
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