Help with Windows XP ACPI!!!

Ok, here is the basic situation...

All of my music (mp3, games, streams, etc) stutters during playback. I don't know why or when this started occurring.

This is my system:

Windows XP Home
P4 3.0gHz
2GB RAM
10k RPM hard drive
Sound Blaster 5.1 PCI sound card
Latest drivers
3GB page file, only 277MB used
2-4% CPU usage at any given time
Sound card on IRQ 18 with SATA hard drive controller

This is what I have done to try to combat the problem:

1) Defrag
2) Download the newest drivers for everything
3) Try different program (WMP, RealPlayer, iTunes, etc)
4) Move the file to different hard drive
5) Scan for spyware using Hijackthis, Ad Aware, Spy Sweeper, and MS Defender
6) Move the PCI card to a different slot (won't work because of ACPI)

So as a last resort I changed the driver for "Computer" in the device manager to "Standard PC." It tells me I need to restart the computer afterwards.

When I restart the computer it starts up Windows and presumably starts reinstalling drivers (in addition to telling me Windows needs to be re-activated).

After it is done, it tells me to restart the computer to finish everything.

OK - HERE IS WHERE THE PROBLEM BEGINS!!!

At this point I have two options (I have tried both with the same results):

1) Restart the computer, which locks up on the Windows XP black screen (eventually the green squares just stop moving and never start up again). Trying to start in safe mode does not work either. The only way I can get back into Windows is to choose last known good configuration, which leads me in a loop of going back to Windows, reinstalling all drivers, and asking me to reboot, etc....going back in a circle.

2) Choose no to restarting the computer and play my music. Now the SB card is on IRQ 11 and NO SKIPPING AT ALL!!!

So my questions are:

1) How can I make the computer work with Standard PC enabled, or

2) What else can I do or program can I use to move the IRQ of the Sound Card or SATA controller, or otherwise fix this annoying problem?

My stipulations are:

1) No complete re-install of Windows

Any help that fixes this problem could eventually end up in some sort of PayPal payment for you. This is how pissed I am right now.

 

Sorry man, please see original post.

 

Just a bit harsh Matth3w on zbd21, remember that most of us have been were you are now, and yea it's a bummer, but were all here just trying to help. I also agree that zbd21 could have read your original post just a little more, having said that, the one thing that "Stands out" is the fact of not be able to start Windows, which is a "Typical Virus" problem, and running Hi-Jack and the others listed does not mean that you do not have one.

You just might want to place a post with your Hi-Jack files in "Malware" and see what the gang there figure.

That was my original thought on reading your post, but could offer nothing more then or now, and was hoping somebody would have another possibility.
All the best and let us know what happens.

 

Well, I already went through the SpyWare removal process in the thread over there. I had already done 99.99% of it before I even posted the question.

Somehow, I can't get past the fact that it is on the same IRQ as the hard drive.

 

Yea that one has me stumped too, have you looked in the BIOS for the ability to change either the HD or the Sound Card been awhile for me changing anything in BIOS, but if memory serves me right you can change the IRQ for the HD there anyways.

 

You have to do a repair install to properly use a standard pc hal.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299340

Its actually normal for all pci devices to share the same IRQ, its the design of ACPI. Of course if your hardware doesn't properly support it...

 

This link, maybe?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313022

 

Not true, that is a myth. If you update the driver and choose your own location you can change without re-installing.

 

No, for two reasons:

1) This happened with my onboard sound card, which was replaced just yesterday with the SB one to try to resolve the problem.

2) I do get audio playback...it just somewhat sucks.

 

Ok. Its not like I worked for Microsoft for four years on Windows XP and watched people break their machines that way. Of course, I probably wasnt someone who sat in with phone meetings with MS team leads explicitly telling us not to change the HAL via Device manager due to problems it can cause.

I guess what I said was a myth...say, how is changing the HAL via Device Manager working out for you?

 

It didn't fix the problem, but it works just as good as the ACPI.

 

Ok let me add my 2 cents to all of this. First off changing your HAL without reinstalling or doing a repair install can be done and is rather simple. But due to the fact that it can screw up your system rather easy it is not recommended. Secound do you have HT enabled ? If so I believe the correct HAL you need is ACPI Multiprocessor PC. If its not enabled I beileve ACPI Uniprocessor. I do know that the "Standerd PC" does not work on most modern PCs (I could be wrong but this is what I have noticed working on other systems). I also have noticed that soundblaster cards are very picky about what PCI slot thare in. What HAL are you running now ? What HAL were you originaly running ? Perhaps once you have the correct HAL installed you can get it to work in another slot? Just to get this straight. Your problem (ultimatly) is laging or poor sound quality right ?

 

I have tried ACPI Multiproc and Standard PC settings. The problem started before I even ordered the SB card so it's not that either.

 

Maybe give ACPI Uniprocessor or Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC a go ? The sound problem was in the onboard soundcard as well ? Have you tryed another speaker settup or perhaps headphones?

 

If it doesn't boot, as your first post indicated, then it doesn't work just as good. LKG isn't a fix, its a workaround for something you broke. This is why changing the HAL via Device Manager isnt reccomended. Also note: Choosing Last Known Good Configuration mostly reverts changes to service start/stop states, and drivers. So you should still be using a standard HAL. However, if you gotta use LKG to boot, you have a faulty driver on the system. LKG does not rename any files back, or restore files. Changing the HAL is replacing hal.dll with a completely different file.

@Ace
Yes, you can change it that way, I never said otherwise. Thank you for stipulating its not the reccomended meothod because it can screw things up Thats what I was saying all along.

At any rate, I think a misunderstanding of ACPI is the reason why the original poster is trying to change his HAL.

Unless you have shoddy hardware that doesn't support a 6 year old standard...its not the problem.

 

Im thinking poor creative drivers are to blame when it comes down to it. I have had headache after headache from them :hammer....