Hey guys. Just got a new laptop around 3 weeks ago, here are the specs :

Packard Bell Easynote S4802

Intel Pentium M 725A Processor 1.6GHz
400 MHz FSB
2 MB Cache
512 MB RAM
50 GB Hard Drive
DVD ReWriter Drive
15.4" Widescreen Display
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
128 MB Intel 915GM shared graphics

I've used about 20gb of space already, recording my cd collection to the laptop through windows media player. Everything seemed to be going fine, but last week, randomly, when i tried to play any song, the song would stutter slowly for the first 10-20 seconds, it'd then play alright but stutter every now and then throughout the song. This happens with every type of audio, whether playing a cd or having my library on shuffle, even happens with the windows tune that plays on startup. Would there be anyway to fix this? I was thinking about buying a new soundcard, if that's the problem.

Thanks, in advance.

Hi, and welcome to ItsAllPC.

The problem sounds more like a hardware issue to me... - If the laptop is brand new this will be covered in the manufacturer's warranty, provided is hasn't been dropped. - Im think it could be a dodgey connection to one/all of the speakers....

Using windows media player, set the balance to only come out of one speaker, then the other - to check if this is happening in both speakers... If its only happening to one speaker then you know its dodgey wiring, if its happening to both speakers it could either be the sound card or the wiring at fault.

Good Luck.

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Thanks for your welcome, and the advice midimoto

I did what you said, but it doesn't seem to be the speakers. I think it's either a problem with the memory or the soundcard. it' something that you'd expect if you opened a few big programs at once, like the song playing at a really slow speed with a bit of stuttering through it. I think i'm gonna burn my music database onto a DVD disc, or two, and then return to a system restore point a while ago. Or even reboot my computer.

All advice is still appreciated though..

Ah...

Have you tried using an up-to-date Virus / Spyware scanner?

With 512MB ram its unlikely that this is the problem. Hit CTRL + ALt + DEL, and click on the Processes tab, go to View then Select Columns, check the box next to "Virtual Memory Size" and click ok. Take a quick look at the numbers and if its nowhere near 512MB then you can be sure you don't need a ram upgrade...

If it IS near 512MB when the laptop is supposed to be at idle then you probably have a Virus, Spyware or Adware infection

The chances are a System restore won't make a blind bit of difference, but it's worth a go... Or yes, you could try a format...ÂÂ!

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I Beat Anorexia.

If I have helped you, please consider donating a little cash to Cancer Research UK

You're right; it could very well be the soundcard hardware or driver issue. But before you jump to conclusions...

You need to check to see if a process is stealing your CPU time. If you have 512 MB of RAM, obviously, this wouldn't be a lack of memory problem. However, if the CPU is constantly bombarded with new instructions, it may be causing your sound processing to go on-hold. You can do this by (once again) pressing, Bill's famous buttons, ctrl-alt-del, and clicking on the processes tab. Scroll through the list and see if anything is causing your CPU usage meter to rise, besides your wanted applications, such as wmplayer.exe (Windows Media Player) or possibly explorer.exe (Windows shell). Don't be alarmed if System idle is the highest one. That is normal.

If the CPU usage seems to be fine, play your files in another media player, like winamp or something. If it still stutters, and nothing above fixed it, update the drivers. AHH!!! {Becoming a crazed madman} Burn! BURN! BURRN!

Ahem... sorry.

Actually, to tell you the truth, it is unlikely that the hardware is at fault. Especially if the laptop is new! But, with all that considered, it is possible. To this day, the computer that I'm using now, ever since having a close call to a direct lightning strike, has a faulty sound card that produces terrible sound. But it doesn't stutter, just has an annoyingly loud static overlay to the sound. The fact that the sound only stutters, leads me to believe that your power is being stolen by another app. Or, as midimoto said, a faulty connection to the speakers.

Just my 3/4 of a cent. :-\

If you find an app that is doing a good job of using CPU time, report it here.

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