choppy sound on DELL Dimension 3000

[fugiware]

Hello, this is my first post here.

My problem started about two weeks ago on my computer. I've had this computer for about six months and it was perfect before whatever happened, happened. The sound while listening to music (both in WMP and on a web based player), playing a video game and even just the welcome noise is laggy, distorted and barely tolerable. The video is also messed up, when I watch something (in addittion to the sound prob.) it often goes into slow motion and just stops, then starts again.

I tried reinstalling the sound card drivers and some other stuff.

Here's my specs or something (copied from DXDIAG)

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 7/7/2006, 15:17:59
Machine name: FUGIWARE007
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: Dimension 3000
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A02
Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.40GHz
Memory: 510MB RAM
Page File: 371MB used, 873MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2572&SUBSYS_019D1028&REV_02
Display Memory: 96.0 MB
Current Mode: 1152 x 864 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Dell E173FP
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.4396 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 9/20/2005 09:52:38, 36990 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ialmnt5.sys
Mini VDD Date: 9/20/2005 10:00:54, 1302332 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-6632-11CF-B462-9721A3C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x2572
SubSys ID: 0x019D1028
Revision ID: 0x0002
Revision ID: 0x0002
Video Accel:
Deinterlace Caps: n/a
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Not Available
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: SoundMAX Digital Audio (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24D5&SUBSYS_019D1028&REV_02
Manufacturer ID: 65535
Product ID: 65535
Type: Emulated
Driver Name:
Driver Version:
Driver Attributes:
WHQL Logo'd:
Date and Size:
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Analog Devices
HW Accel Level: Emulation Only
Cap Flags: 0x2F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: SoundMAX Digital Audio
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: smwdm.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.5246 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 1/27/2005 15:31:06, 260352 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xCCC

-----------
DirectMusic
-----------
DLS Path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\drivers\GM.DLS
DLS Version: 1.00.0016.0002
Acceleration: n/a
Ports: Microsoft Synthesizer, Software (Not Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal, Default Port
SoundMAX Digital Audio, Software (Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal
Microsoft MIDI Mapper [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
Registry: OK
Test Result: Not run



All help would be greatly appreciated as this computer was and still is my main media thingy. I'm so lonely.

[bookworm]

Originally Posted by fugiware

Hello, this is my first post here.

My problem started about two weeks ago on my computer. I've had this computer for about six months and it was perfect before whatever happened, happened. The sound while listening to music (both in WMP and on a web based player), playing a video game and even just the welcome noise is laggy, distorted and barely tolerable. The video is also messed up, when I watch something (in addittion to the sound prob.) it often goes into slow motion and just stops, then starts again.

I tried reinstalling the sound card drivers and some other stuff.

Here's my specs or something (copied from DXDIAG)

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 7/7/2006, 15:17:59
Machine name: FUGIWARE007
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: Dimension 3000
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A02
Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.40GHz
Memory: 510MB RAM
Page File: 371MB used, 873MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2572&SUBSYS_019D1028&REV_02
Display Memory: 96.0 MB
Current Mode: 1152 x 864 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Dell E173FP
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.4396 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 9/20/2005 09:52:38, 36990 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ialmnt5.sys
Mini VDD Date: 9/20/2005 10:00:54, 1302332 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-6632-11CF-B462-9721A3C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x2572
SubSys ID: 0x019D1028
Revision ID: 0x0002
Revision ID: 0x0002
Video Accel:
Deinterlace Caps: n/a
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Not Available
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: SoundMAX Digital Audio (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24D5&SUBSYS_019D1028&REV_02
Manufacturer ID: 65535
Product ID: 65535
Type: Emulated
Driver Name:
Driver Version:
Driver Attributes:
WHQL Logo'd:
Date and Size:
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Analog Devices
HW Accel Level: Emulation Only
Cap Flags: 0x2F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: SoundMAX Digital Audio
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: smwdm.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.5246 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 1/27/2005 15:31:06, 260352 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xCCC

-----------
DirectMusic
-----------
DLS Path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\drivers\GM.DLS
DLS Version: 1.00.0016.0002
Acceleration: n/a
Ports: Microsoft Synthesizer, Software (Not Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal, Default Port
SoundMAX Digital Audio, Software (Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal
Microsoft MIDI Mapper [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
Registry: OK
Test Result: Not run



All help would be greatly appreciated as this computer was and still is my main media thingy. I'm so lonely.

Do you have a System Restore Point you can restore to before this happened. Check Device manager for any yellow 1 or ? marks showing up against anything.

Hope this helps

[invernez]

I'll start off by saying I have the same problem but no REAL solution. As far as I know this happens with Dell Dimension 3000 Desktops. Bookworm's solution will work for a time being but eventualy will go back and you'll find yourself system restoring WAY too often. I have no idea why this reoccurs. I've only found a few cases of this on the internet:

http://www.grohol.com/computers/dell.htm(there are losts of posts so search for the phrase "I PURCHASED A DELL DIMENSION 3000" to see a similar situation.

Dell experts want to change faulty hardware or sound devicess but this does not help(I've been through the "back and forth" as they "guessed" everything). You know what helps? reinstalling Windows(Well at least for sometime). I put in my restoration CD in and ran the setup in windows. Click on upgrade and windows will install over itself WITHOUT losing your info. My suggestion is getting an external hard drive because you can never trust your computer.

TO THE EXPERTS READING THIS: The sound/video is Fine. The distortion is just a by-product of the real problem. The computer runs Extremely slow...startup is very annoying(you know the black screen when windows starts and that little blue line goes left to right under the logo? That goes left to right like 50 times before the computer starts as opposed to the 5-9 times it normally takes)....FYI This happens out of the blue. My computer is working fine then BAM! Problems! My computer is not bogged down with Spyware/malware. this happens if my computer is connected to the internet and when it isn't. It happens even if I down't download anything. It is not a direct result of software.(Haven't installed anything in Months). I've monitored updates to software I have now,....nothing seems to be in direct relation.

Dell has Failed. Dell's Technician that they sent to swap parts and trouble shoot have failed. Message board members across the net have failed. I will post the fix in every possible corner of the internet if someone knows of one.

[Miz]

I used to have that problem on older computers (back in the days of 266 and then 466) running 98. A disk defrag will often help but once the bogging down got serious, a reformat, reinstall was the only cure I found.

I still have a Dell 700 mhtz. It's used exclusively by my husband and he hasn't complained but, then, he doesn't care how slow it works.

[Arzo2000]

Originally Posted by invernez

Dell has Failed. Dell's Technician that they sent to swap parts and trouble shoot have failed. Message board members across the net have failed. I will post the fix in every possible corner of the internet if someone knows of one.

I have this EXACT SAME problem for about 3 months now and there is absolutely NO HELP at all on the internet on any forum or help discussion boards. It's really frustrating. I didnt even bother contacting Dell cause I know that wont help.

I figured out that for some reason if I dont minimize / maximize windows on my computer then the choppy sound / mouse doesnt happen (yet the system remains waaay slower than before the problem occurred). I just find it strange that by just minimizing any opened window, my mouse immediately gets choppy and if I was listening to music then the sound will get choppy as well.

But if I open new programs the sound gets choppy as well as the mouse.

Any solutions yet?!

[2bgreen]

I have the same symptom (choppy Audio) with my 1 month old Satellite P100. I have not found anything on the Support site but I tried the usual stuff. Un-installed the latest apps, tried several restore points but would get a 'restore incomplete message'. Registry cleaners... I do have some clues, when I run the Performance utility it shows a high rate of pages/sec (spike to 300) during the choppy part of the audio. I have tried to remove as many process as possible with no positive results. I believe the SATA disk access is taking priority over everything else. Still working on it.

[bptsax]

Guess what.... i have a dimension 3000 P4 3ghz 1Gb Ram - and I have exactly the same problem!
I have been over my proccesses and am not running any that are not needed. I have cleaned and defragged both my registry and disks. I have even removed all of the audio codecs and re-installed (along with the s/c driver).
It is weird as my audio and sometimes mouse/window choppyness happens even when cpu demand is very, very low. Has anyone tried installing a different sound card? If you have then please let me know!
The onboard video card is rubbbish as well (98mb which is weird) so maybe they are just bad components?
Let me know!

[snowmonkey]

Hi Parkk,

Thank you for sharing very good piece of information with us.

Cheers

[parkk]

I found this post and used the fix on my ide controller channels and it has evidently corrected the slow performance and choppy audio. I changed the settings a few minutes ago but all choppiness is gone and programs are running faster like it was new. I went into the ide primary and secondary channel and under advanced settings, it showed that both channels were running in pio mode (which I really have no idea about). I uninstalled both channels, rebooted, and after windows automatically reinstalled the channels, they were in ultra dma mode 5 (again, no clue) and all the choppiness is gone. According to the post below, windows downgrades the channel based on errors received. I have seen where some people have the choppiness come back. This is probably because windows is once again downgrading until it is at the slow mode of pio??

I also have a laptop running xp and have the same problem. I can't wait to see if that is the issue. (It is at home)

Hope this helps everyone. I have been ticked off at this issue for darn near a year and this seems to fix it.

Good luck!

problem solved
Hi again,

For your information, i finally found a solution for my skipping sound problem!The problem turns out to be an automatic 'feature' of Windows XP, as explained on this MS Windows Platform Development Web Site:

-----------
For repeated DMA errors.

Windows XP will turn off DMA mode for a device after encountering certain errors during data transfer operations. If more that six DMA transfer timeouts occur, Windows will turn off DMA and use only PIO mode on that device.

In this case, the user cannot turn on DMA for this device. The only option for the user who wants to enable DMA mode is to uninstall and reinstall the device.

Windows XP downgrades the Ultra DMA transfer mode after receiving more than six CRC errors. Whenever possible, the operating system will step down one UDMA mode at a time (from UDMA mode 4 to UDMA mode 3, and so on).
------------

So I uninstalled the Secondary IDE channel and rebooted. Windows XP reinstalled the IDE drivers and redetected the Cd-rom drives. The drives came back to UDMA Mode 2 with no choppy sound anymore!

A+
Frank

[Arzo2000]

I read some where that changing your hard drive will solve the problem. So I went and bought myself a new 200GB and moved an existing image over to the new drive and VIOLA! The choppy mouse and distorted sound is gone plus the system is back to normal speed and performance.

It might not be the cheapest way to solve the problem, so try out parkk's fix first if all else fails.

[TankGirl18]

Parkk, I don't know who or where you are. But I hope life brings you everything you'll ever need or hope for. You're a life saver. Your solution DOES work. And regardless of whether the problem persists in the future, this is a lot quicker than any other methods I've tried. I was honestly starting to price new hard drives. You saved me money, time and hair . I can't thank you enough. I've gone through switching towers but the problem continued exactly two weeks after I changed them, so I knew it would have to be something in much more detail, and you found it. Thank you so much Parkk. And for those with similar problems, definitely check out Parkk's thread on this subject. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[ParkUrALifeSavr]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY, I have got to be the happiest frigggennnn guy on this forum. Park you truly are a lifesaver, i honestly was about two seconds away from reformatting my whole system due to the the slow performance and choppy sound on my laptop. Thank god for people like you that actually have something to contribute in todays crazy online community. btw like my member ID, i had to register just to post this message You made my week.............

[brody01]

I have a dimension 3000 as well.
When I called Dell support they had me uninstall the primary IDE then re-start the CPU....all is fine.
However, the choppy sound returns in a day or so.
Have this happened to someone else????
The Dell technician suggested that if that didn't work I should probably replace the sound card.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Cheers.

[Peanutx]

Originally Posted by parkk

I found this post and used the fix on my ide controller channels and it has evidently corrected the slow performance and choppy audio. I changed the settings a few minutes ago but all choppiness is gone and programs are running faster like it was new. I went into the ide primary and secondary channel and under advanced settings, it showed that both channels were running in pio mode (which I really have no idea about). I uninstalled both channels, rebooted, and after windows automatically reinstalled the channels, they were in ultra dma mode 5 (again, no clue) and all the choppiness is gone. According to the post below, windows downgrades the channel based on errors received. I have seen where some people have the choppiness come back. This is probably because windows is once again downgrading until it is at the slow mode of pio??

I also have a laptop running xp and have the same problem. I can't wait to see if that is the issue. (It is at home)

Hope this helps everyone. I have been ticked off at this issue for darn near a year and this seems to fix it.

Good luck!

problem solved
Hi again,

For your information, i finally found a solution for my skipping sound problem!The problem turns out to be an automatic 'feature' of Windows XP, as explained on this MS Windows Platform Development Web Site:

-----------
For repeated DMA errors.

Windows XP will turn off DMA mode for a device after encountering certain errors during data transfer operations. If more that six DMA transfer timeouts occur, Windows will turn off DMA and use only PIO mode on that device.

In this case, the user cannot turn on DMA for this device. The only option for the user who wants to enable DMA mode is to uninstall and reinstall the device.

Windows XP downgrades the Ultra DMA transfer mode after receiving more than six CRC errors. Whenever possible, the operating system will step down one UDMA mode at a time (from UDMA mode 4 to UDMA mode 3, and so on).
------------

So I uninstalled the Secondary IDE channel and rebooted. Windows XP reinstalled the IDE drivers and redetected the Cd-rom drives. The drives came back to UDMA Mode 2 with no choppy sound anymore!

A+
Frank

I have dell laptop running on windows xp,but Im dumb when it comes to this stuff,can anyone explaine to me how to do that stuff he typed?I have no idea what an ide is or how to edit the channels or anything.

My computer worked just fine when I first got it,then when somone in my family shut it down by just hitting the switch,it got this damned choppy sound that slows down movies,games,and music.please anyone help.

[kman]

This is my first post to this forum but not the first time I have found the forum very helpful. After futile attempts to deal with this thru Dell l finally found the solution recomended by parkk. Sure enough my settings had degraded to the PIO mode. After unistalling and letting the system reinstall, the primary channel returned to ultrad dma 5. For the first time in months I could actually stand to listen to the audio coming out.

I am concerned that this may not be a permenant fix and was wondering if the solution posted by Arzo2000 (complete hard drive replacement) held up.

Thank you parkk.