MP3 skipping when playing?

I can't seem to figure this out. It has been a while since I listened to music on my computer at home, but if I try to, it skips.

It has worked before with no hardware changes since. It is just a Realtek97 generic on board sound card.

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

1) Defrag
2) Download the newest Realtek audio drivers
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

This is my system:

Windows XP Home
P4 3.0gHz
2GB RAM
10k RPM hard drive
Generic sound card (on board)
Latest drivers
3GB page file, only 277MB used
2-4% CPU usage at any given time

 

Check your processes to make sure you don't have any resource hungry programs running in the back ground. If you are downloading music to your 'puter, it's possible the download caused the skips. Do you get skips from a ripped CD?

 

as I said, CPU usage and paging file usage is minimum. say, maybe 100 megs used at any given time to include outlook and firefox.

I know it isnt the MP3. Not only do they work in my laptop, both of my ipods, in my car, etc...they worked on here before. I haven't downloaded a new mp3 in over 6 months.

 

Try reading through this thread and see if anything there might help you
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=120864

 

well i have a sound blaster live 5.1 on the way from ebay (just a coincidence i had ordered it a few days ago), we will see if that solves the problem.

 

Good luck

 

any other suggestions?

 

new sound card did nothing. must be software related.