Audio Difficulties

Have turned this thing everywhich way but loose. Audio plays for a short period, then cuts out. It will play again if I restart, but once again, only for a short period. This is "SUPER" frustrating. I don't know enough about it to delve further. I recently retired and would like to diddle with audio projects. It's an older computer, I'd like to unintegrate my audio and video, but heck if I can't deal with this little problem perhaps I should hold-off. Anyone have any ideas. I'm disabled and computing may be my only out (recreation). Thanks for any help.


Belarc says:
Operating System System Model
Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600) Compaq Presario 06 DA236A-ABA 6420NX NA910 0n41411RE101CROSS
System Serial Number: MX30726765
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
1.80 gigahertz AMD Athlon XP
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD MS-6390 3.0
Serial Number: 3110939476
Bus Clock: 133 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 3.01 12/10/2002
Drives Memory Modules c,d
80.01 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
61.97 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

CyberDrv CW078D CD-R/RW [CD-ROM drive]
JLMS XJ-HD166S [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

ST380022A [Hard drive] (80.03 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 5KB0G451, rev 3.31, SMART Status: Healthy 752 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'A0' has 512 MB
Slot 'A1' has 256 MB
Local Drive Volumes

c: (NTFS on drive 0) 76.31 GB 61.63 GB free
d: (FAT32 on drive 0) 3.69 GB 337 MB free

Network Drives
None detected
Users (mouse over user name for details) Printers
local user accounts last logon
Administrator 11/27/2005 6:31:07 AM (admin)
Steve 4/23/2006 9:46:33 AM (admin)
local system accounts
Guest never
HelpAssistant never
SUPPORT_388945a0 never


Marks a disabled account; Marks a locked account hp psc 2100 series on USB001
Microsoft Office Document Image Writer Driver on Microsoft Document Imaging Writer Port:

Controllers Display
Standard floppy disk controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
VIA Bus Master IDE Controller S3 Graphics ProSavageDDR [Display adapter]
hp f1703 [Monitor] (17.1"vis, s/n CNK4310B2Z, July 2004)
Bus Adapters Multimedia
Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller (3x) Realtek AC'97 Audio for VIA (R) Audio Controller
Communications Other Devices
Agere Win Modem


RAS Async Adapter
VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter
primary Auto IP Address: 192.168.24.52 / 24
Gateway: 192.168.24.1
Dhcp Server: 192.168.24.1
Physical Address: 00:10C:9E:B2:48

Networking Dns Server: 192.168.24.1
Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
PS/2 Compatible Mouse
USB Root Hub (4x)
Virus Protection [Back to Top]
Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security Version 12.4.1015
Realtime File Scanning On

Missing Microsoft Security Hotfixes [Back to Top]

All required security hotfixes (using the 04/11/2006 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary) have been installed.

 

Hey, thanks for listening...reading...I finally "stumbled" on the culprit. It was an internal modem that was disabled. When enabled the audio came back. Does that make any sense? I was a ground radar technician in the USAF for 24 years, FM makes perfect sense to me, but if there is a computer related explanation....I'm listening.

 

Sounds like...no pun intended...one of your hardware installed components is using the same memory address or IRQ Address, at the same time, as another hardware installed component...this causes CONFLICTS with your Operating System memory configurations for each hardware component installed in your system...only ONE memory address can be assigned to each individual hardware component to use, for proper function...sometimes a soundcard can use the same hardware memory address as another component and must be changed or configured to an unused or FREE memory address...Find out which IRQ memory address your soundcard uses and change its memory address or the other hardware component that is using the SAME address to a different one...this should fix the problem...sometimes just removing the soundcard from the PCI slot (that is installed to presently) to a different PCI slot, will change the IRQ memory address automatically and fix your problem...I hope this helps

 

Thanks Doomster, I understand IRQ's on basic terms (A+ Cert./Hardware) Will I run into a conflict if I install a sound card into a spare PCI slot in my computer?, or will it configure itself when I install it?

 

Your motherboard should have assigned the memory address for the unused slot already, you just have to install your soundcard to the unused slot and try not to use a PCI slot that is next to an ISA slot (large black slot...usually the ISA slot and the PCI slot, next to each other, share the same memory IRQ address) if your motherboard has one.
I usually pick a PCI slot, furthest away from the power supply that is unused, away from other installed hardware components and usually don't have any problems afterwards. I hope this helps, good luck.

 

I'm on it, I'll post the results. It may be a while. I just retired and moved to Japan...money's a little tight til June. Thanks for the help.