Strange Hangups

[Sjaak]

Okay i'm gonna need some help here. Since i've had my P4c800-e (two months) i'm having weird hangups in windows. Symptoms:

- Music (WMP10) stuttering for about ~5 seconds, then continuing as normal
- Windows freezes, returns to normal after a few seconds
- VLC media player crashes after a few minuts regardless of what (type of) file is being played
- Games (BF2, Far Cry) freezing

I have not found a pattern in the occurances, except that i suspect it to be sound (hardware / driver) related, because of the VLC thing. All my drivers and such are up to date, running XP prof SP1.

Generally, the system is (prime, 3dmark and game) stabile, so it must be software related. I've never had this before so if anyone could enlighten me...

[Sjaak]

*poke*

[ghettocomp]

Let me Guess...Windows 2000?

[Sjaak]

Let me Guess...Windows 2000?

XP pro sp1

[ghettocomp]

I only asked because I have been getting the same problem, it is very aggravating.
It was really bad at one point so I ended up completely reformatting the drive and
the problem went away. I believe that it probably was some spyware that was
undetectable, but could not track it down. The reason I felt it to be spyware is that
when my system would stop working for a few moments the network lights were running
like mad! I checked/followed the addresses where connections were
made only to find the 'tracert' and 'Pings' only would show as nothing there.

I also am interested in finding out what this problem is. Surely there are others having the
same thing happening.

[Sjaak]

What are your full system specs?

As said, i am suspecting my onboard sound card/drivers on the p4c800-e dlx.

[ghettocomp]

Bummer... I'm at work right now... MSI K7T266 Pro 2A, onboard sound, VIA Apollo KT266 chipset, 512MB DDR, and slightly OC'd to 1.622Ghz... Im pretty sure about the chipset. After certain service pack updates from Micro$haft, I began to have those problems.

[Sjaak]

Hmz, when you get home, could you tell me what onboard sound exactly, and what drivers?

I'm gonna check for any unknown installed programs and processes...just to be sure.

[ghettocomp]

will do..

I have a suspicion that this spyware, If it is, can cloak itself very well. I have heard of something almost like a rootkit that does that.

[Sjaak]

*looks guilty*

You know, i haven't ran virus scan or ad aware for two and a half months

[ghettocomp]

like this for spyware--> :santa:

:p

[Sjaak]

Ad aware found only 40 bad things..one form of Alexia (which is an active spyware program), but i have no idea if that may have caused the slowness. Virusscan running now...at 30% still clean as a whistle.

[Dreamstalker]

I've had WMP stuttering/pausing as well; scans come up clean except for a few bits of adware that always seem to slip through. I'm running XP Home SP2.