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Author Topic: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?  (Read 20099 times)

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pattybrew

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    Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
    « on: August 21, 2016, 12:57:47 PM »
    I have gotten quite a bit of speed on this old machine, Windows XP Sp3 Dell. Now I need to work on getting the sound corrected. Do I need updated Codecs to stop the choppy sound, voice? Are Realtec HD Audio Codecs recommended for this machine?
    And if I install it is there anything I have to do for them to be the one Windows chooses to use?

    DaveLembke



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    Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
    « Reply #1 on: August 21, 2016, 01:17:25 PM »
    Quote
    I have gotten quite a bit of speed on this old machine, Windows XP Sp3 Dell. Now I need to work on getting the sound corrected.

    Is this a clean install?   What model dell is this? How are the system temps? How much RAM and what CPU as well?

    pattybrew

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      Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
      « Reply #2 on: August 21, 2016, 01:31:30 PM »
      Sorry I forgot to add that.
      Dell Demension 4700  Intel(R)
      Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
      2.50 GB of RAM

      Perhaps I just need a more current Audio Driver like the Realtec AC'97 Audio.
      And no it is not a clean install.

      pattybrew

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        Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
        « Reply #3 on: August 21, 2016, 01:58:52 PM »
        I suppose a Codec is the same as a driver?
        I am looking at my Audio Codec Properties and found several listed.
        here is the order
        Microsoft GSM 6.10 Audio Codec is now #1. I exchanged it with an old Windows Media Audio Codec that is now in #2 place
        3 . Indeo audio software
        4  Microsoft CCITT G.711 Audio codec
        5  Microsoft ADPCM Audio Codec
        6  IMA ADPCM Audio C
        7  Fraunhofer llS MPEG layer-3 Codec
        8  Microsoft PCM Converter
        9  DSP Group TrueSpeech Audio C
        10 msg 723.acm
        11 Sipro Lab Telecom Audio C

        Can I delete any of these? or should I work each one up to #1 sopt to see which works best? Also do I need to restart after changing the position of each one?
        Actually for now the Microsoft GSM is working much better than the Windows Media yet there is still a little bit of choppy sound but very little and not consistent.



        DaveLembke



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        Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
        « Reply #4 on: August 21, 2016, 05:25:38 PM »
        Using the original Dell Audio driver for the 4700 with XP should work without issues. If it has issues then you might have a hardware failure occurring. Is this a fresh clean build or are you fixing an old build? Additionally are you just playing MP3 files or are you playing video in which audio is choppy with video?

        http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/dimension-4700/drivers

        pattybrew

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          Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
          « Reply #5 on: August 21, 2016, 06:13:31 PM »
          Using the original Dell Audio driver for the 4700 with XP should work without issues. If it has issues then you might have a hardware failure occurring. Is this a fresh clean build or are you fixing an old build? Additionally are you just playing MP3 files or are you playing video in which audio is choppy with video?

          http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/dimension-4700/drivers

          It is the original build from I think 2005. I use it for bill paying and playing Webkinz games.
          « Last Edit: August 21, 2016, 07:14:42 PM by pattybrew »

          pattybrew

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            Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
            « Reply #6 on: August 21, 2016, 07:24:49 PM »
            WOW, wish I had found this link eyons ago. I have all downloaded now the work is to be done. I downloaded the list of install order and subscribed to updates from Dell. I just pray that I don't mess up when downloading them and don't install any out of order.
            Thank you so very much DaveLembke. I have searched and searched all over internet and even used my Dell Diagnosis disk which listed all the hardware, drivers etc and it never let me know there were any updated drivers, etc other than was on the disk.
            Again I thank you very much.  I will let you know how I do when finished. It probably take me a few days as the downloaded one are numbers only so I will have to search on the list that is in email as I have never been able to get my new HP printer to work from this machine so could not print the list. If I have a problem I can  us my HP laptop to print from the email.

            DaveLembke



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            Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
            « Reply #7 on: August 22, 2016, 06:12:11 AM »
            Best of luck with this and if you have the Dell System Recovery or Restore Disc, I would consider backing up your important data to a cloud storage or external hard drive and then wiping the system clean and installing clean. 11 years for a system to run and software added and maybe removed. Malware maybe detected and removed is a long time for a home computer to be without a clean rebuild.

            Myself I try to reinstall fresh clean build to my computers that I use all the time after about 1 or 2 years of use, as for after 2 years of use, I have likely uninstalled so much software that the registry is a mess. My last main system I ran for 3 years because I wasnt able to locate some software I bought to rebuild it fresh without losing software with drivers for a video capture device. My solution in the end was to swap out the entire drive set and set them off to the side labelled not to format them that they go to the specific system as a set, and install 2 other hard drives. So that if I needed to video capture, I can just install the old build 2 hard drives again and be able to do that. The systems minor quirks I had with the 3 year old operating system build ( 3 years since its clean install ) were all gone with the clean install to different hard drives making the system feel like new again.

            The good thing here is that you should be able to just backup all important data, and then reinstall the system clean from factory with the disc, and then perform a bunch of security updates to bring you to Windows XP SP3 fully patched, then reinstall printer driver and then be all set. *** BUT dont go through with this until you are sure all your important data is backed up externally to a external hard drive or a cloud storage online like google drive as well as all important software you use, you have the Discs and Keys for them to reinstall them and activate them on a clean build.

            BC_Programmer


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            Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
            « Reply #8 on: August 22, 2016, 06:44:51 AM »
            Where/what programs are you having issues with "choppy sound, voice?"?
            I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

            pattybrew

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              Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
              « Reply #9 on: August 22, 2016, 07:33:06 AM »
              Where/what programs are you having issues with "choppy sound, voice?"?

              I think DaveLembke has helped me. I believe a lot of problems will be solved as soon as I get all these new drivers installed.
              Thank you for your inquiry.  Machine has needed newer drivers for several years now and I think this is the answer.

              BC_Programmer


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              Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
              « Reply #10 on: August 22, 2016, 08:42:04 AM »
              Your description of the problem sounds like a performance issue, which is entirely expected for a Pentium 4 system. I've never seen Audio driver problems result in choppy audio- They either work, or they don't, has been my experience.

              I have a Pentium 4 system and I can cause "Choppy audio" by simply playing an MP3 file while using a web browser at the same time.

              Chances are this "webkinz" software that you use has been changed over the years and no longer runs well on Pentium-4 era systems.
              I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

              pattybrew

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                Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
                « Reply #11 on: August 22, 2016, 12:18:37 PM »
                Best of luck with this and if you have the Dell System Recovery or Restore Disc, I would consider backing up your important data to a cloud storage or external hard drive and then wiping the system clean and installing clean. 11 years for a system to run and software added and maybe removed. Malware maybe detected and removed is a long time for a home computer to be without a clean rebuild.

                Myself I try to reinstall fresh clean build to my computers that I use all the time after about 1 or 2 years of use, as for after 2 years of use, I have likely uninstalled so much software that the registry is a mess. My last main system I ran for 3 years because I wasnt able to locate some software I bought to rebuild it fresh without losing software with drivers for a video capture device. My solution in the end was to swap out the entire drive set and set them off to the side labelled not to format them that they go to the specific system as a set, and install 2 other hard drives. So that if I needed to video capture, I can just install the old build 2 hard drives again and be able to do that. The systems minor quirks I had with the 3 year old operating system build ( 3 years since its clean install ) were all gone with the clean install to different hard drives making the system feel like new again.

                The good thing here is that you should be able to just backup all important data, and then reinstall the system clean from factory with the disc, and then perform a bunch of security updates to bring you to Windows XP SP3 fully patched, then reinstall printer driver and then be all set. *** BUT dont go through with this until you are sure all your important data is backed up externally to a external hard drive or a cloud storage online like google drive as well as all important software you use, you have the Discs and Keys for them to reinstall them and activate them on a clean build.

                sIt had not been used for about 5 years after I was given a MAC  early 2008.  I had a new harddrive put in it a few months ago then it went out following a power outage. It was following this that I started trying to get the old xp  going again.
                I will try to set up cloud storage with google. I had started installing on CD's and got tired of picking and choosing. Most of programs on it I no longer use but have a lot of photos on it. That is mostly what I used it for (restoring and editing them) as a hobby for family.
                I am saving up for a refurbished Mac or used Mac notebook. Mac is my preference. Perhaps a friend will enjoy doing a clean rebuild. I run malwarebytes and Avast almost daily so there is no malware or viruses on it now.

                pattybrew

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                  Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
                  « Reply #12 on: August 22, 2016, 12:39:40 PM »
                  Your description of the problem sounds like a performance issue, which is entirely expected for a Pentium 4 system. I've never seen Audio driver problems result in choppy audio- They either work, or they don't, has been my experience.

                  I have a Pentium 4 system and I can cause "Choppy audio" by simply playing an MP3 file while using a web browser at the same time.

                  Chances are this "webkinz" software that you use has been changed over the years and no longer runs well on Pentium-4 era systems.
                  Yes it has been updated a lot since the last time I used this XP. But I think updated drives will make the machine function much better. All my driver are 1999. I really don't want to spend any money on it so for now I am just tinkering with it. The local tech does not want to have anything to do with it. It runs quietly
                  and fair except for being choppy audio and games. I can do banking just fine on it.
                  Thank you for your advice. I have some Windows 7 and 8 on it because I plugged the laptop into the same router to connect it with the ISP. I recently discovered that the , can't remember what it is called, the setting that shares another computer, it is not really sharin...OK it is the sync setting, was on so when I shut that off the laptop Notebook ( Windows 10 HP)ran much better once I realized what was happening.

                  plodr



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                    Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
                    « Reply #13 on: August 23, 2016, 04:40:33 PM »
                    I have two XP computers in the house. I have NEVER updated the drivers. Drivers only need updating if there is a specific problem AND the update log for the driver indicates it was released to correct a problem.

                    I doubt that your problem will be fixed by an updated audio driver.
                    Also don't grab a driver from a site that offers all kinds of drivers. The correct place to get a driver for a Dimension 4700 is from Dell.
                    http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/dimension-4700/drivers
                    there is one audio driver with a date of 2005 and it says optional under importance.

                    SuperDave

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                    Re: Sound is choppy on my XP SP3. Do I need newer Codecs?
                    « Reply #14 on: August 23, 2016, 07:50:29 PM »
                    You could try Fixit here.
                    Windows 8 and Windows 10 dual boot with two SSD's