Audio/Video Stutter (Vista)

Wasn't too sure where to post this, sorry if I'm in the wrong section.

I'll keep this simple and short so you're not reading a page and a half.

Recently decided to go ahead and reformat my computer. It was just too bogged down and was getting upset with it and didn't have the time to fix each individual problem. Anyway, went ahead with the reformat, it all worked fine, updated to SP1, then SP2, got all the required Windows updates and whatnot, did all my driver installation for my video card and sound chip. Assumed the worst was over, clearly wasn't.

The Audio/Video seems to be stuttering pretty much everywhere. Be it MSN noises, steam noises, winamp playback, windows media player playback, video games, I've caught it stuttering a couple times at even the log-in screen for Windows Vista, sometimes the clicking noises stutter when browsing folders, and what not, think you get the point.

I've gone through the whole uninstall and reinstall drivers to make sure they're all properly installed, to no real accord. I was thinking it was the Hauppage WinTV-PVR-150 card I had in there that was just doing nothing but taking up space since it is classified as a audio/video controller, but even after removing that, I had no improvements.

At wit's end, hoping someone can help me out here :\

 

Build is HP Pavilion a6318f. The only thing custom is I put my own video card in here, which is an ATI Radeon HD 3850, as well as putting my own slave drive in as well. Haven't replaced the motherboard or anything.

I've attached the requested report file from Everest to this post.

Hopefully it helps. If you need anything more, feel free to ask.

 

Updated the BIOS, so here's a new report. Wasn't sure if it would change anything or not.

 

Alright. Removed ATI installation files, rebooted in safe-mode to run Driver Sweeper to remove the rest. Rebooted to normal mode (Could not install ATI in safe-mode). Installed ATI catalyst center in normal mode, rebooted.

Attached file "startup" showing processes that start up with Windows as CCleaner shows. None of these files stand out as being potentially harmful.

Audio/video stutter problem still persists.


Note: I was recommended by a friend to try installing the OS on a separate drive to see if the CD is bugged, but I used the same CD on my laptop, and the laptop runs fine. Was then recommended that it may be a harddrive problem and to install the OS on a different drive, so I've created a small partition on my slave drive at 30GB to test this eventually, should I attempt this to see if I get any better results?

 

Sorry, forgot to mention that. I did install the chipset first prior to everything else.

I'd re-attach the file, but I went for a gut feeling and reformatted on the same drive. After that, all I did was try to play a random song and it still did it, along with all video stuttering as well including the mouse kind of jerking around. As far as I know, it shouldn't be doing that on a fresh install. Installing a fresh OS on the slave drive now on it's 30GB partition to see if I get a different result. I'll edit or post again with results on how that rolls over when it's done since I'll be right here babysitting it for a bit.

I can't list everything on the startup list, but it was short. Maybe about 8 or 9 things. All I can remember is AVG, Ultramon, and MSN being on that list.

 

Alright. Installed on my slave drive on a separate partition, and it's audio/video is fine.

My new question is how useful is the main hard drive? I'd assume I can still install things like games and programs and whatnot in there, or at the very least just turn my slave drive into my primary drive, and make the old primary into the slave drive and migrate all my music and movies over there instead. Or is this drive now completely useless and will basically not function correctly enough to support installations?

 

Alright, it appears I was wrong.

The audio/video stutter is still present. I've gone through the previous steps already to save time and am now at the last request you've made to assist. The attached "startup" file shows what CCleaner sees.

I've also included a new "Report" file from Everest.

The only thing I have not done the same yet is the windows updates. They are currently installing.

Also, there are no yellow "!" in the device manager.

 

Sorry for the double post. I forgot to install the chipset. Updated "report" file attached.

And still, no yellow "!" in the device manager.

 

No change after the Windows Updates finished installing.

I've installed the SerialATA/IDE drivers you provided, and disabled all but Windows Defender from startup. Before installing, I just disabled everything but Windows Defender and tried, and no luck. Installed the file you provided, also, no luck.

I'm not too sure what two added icons you are speaking of. I see the one, which is Ultramon. Not a skinning application though. Using Ultramon as I run dual-monitors. Ultramon simply gives the second monitor the same things as the first monitor. ie: separate background image, running the same taskbar across both monitors.

 

Oh. those markings up top are from Ultramon. The one on the left expands the window across both monitors, the one on the right moves the window to the other monitor.

Tried switching to Aero, no luck.

Starting another reformat at this time, I'll post again when I've reinstalled the OS with regards to if it still does it after a fresh reformat with nothing on it or not, followed by after driver installations.

 

Alright. After an absolute fresh install, it's running fine. I haven't even installed Winamp or anything, just pure fresh install. Aside from installing my WUSB300N router adapter, what is the process of which I should begin installing things?

Obviously it'd be easier to install things one at a time to figure out what is doing it, so after each individual install I'll end up rebooting to determine if it's still fine or not. For the sake of only dealing with drivers only, I'm going to not bother installing Ultramon until everything else has been installed. Also for the sake of sanity and compliance, I'm not letting my blasphemous fingers touch the keyboard of my desktop until I get some kind of list, otherwise the past may repeat itself for the 8th time.

 

The basic security apps I use are just AVG Free and Ad-Aware. The only thing I really use my desktop for is gaming, doesn't often see Firefox. It's the laptop that gets the brute-force punishment from that, heh.

The only yellow mark is due to my video card. Says "standard VGA graphics adapter".

I haven't even installed basic security software, and it's stuttering again. The only thing that was installed was my Linksys Wireless-N USB Network Adapter, model WUSB300N. Unfortunately I can't use the restore point to triple-check that it was not stuttering before hand, since I created the restore point after the adapter was installed. If I have to reformat again to create a garaunteed working restore point I don't mind. Only takes about 10 minutes to reformat again.

 

Considering installing the Wireless-N adapter started the stutter, I went ahead and looked into this. Testing this solution, I'll post if it solved it, then hopefully future problems like this may be able to be solved with a simple adapter settings adjustment, heh.

http://forums.linksysbycisco.com/li...&thread.id=6567&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

 

Alright. Now I have to apologize for completely wasting your time, Halo.

The previously mentioned fix actually did fix it. I don't know how it even affects the audio and video, since I didn't (or wouldn't) at least think that something like a network adapter would affect the sound or graphics capabilities of a computer.

Again, I apologize Halo for the practically week-long trial and error just to found out it was something rather rudimentary that I was overlooking :\