Windows 7 Music playback lagging/scratching

[Piet]

Hi guys,

I bought an Acer Aspire 5750G laptop in October 2011, it's running Windows 7 Home Premium 64x.

The music playback (in iTunes and Windows Media Player) is lagging and scratching, it sounds almost like the old gramophone getting stuck and then resuming. It usually scratches for up to 2 seconds, and it happens about every 10 seconds of playback. It gets worse when I unplug the laptop, and when I have several applications open.

I've uninstalled and updated sound drivers, graphics drivers, chipset drivers, SATA drivers. I then sent the machine back to Acer, believing it was a hardware issue. They returned it (after 3 weeks!), denying any hardware error. They suggested I update the bios and reload the operating system. I've done both, but still have the problem.

Extra programs I've loaded since operating system reload:
-Avast antivirus (free version)
-Mozilla Thunderbird
-Google chrome
-Revo Uninstaller
-iTunes
-Vodafone Mobile Connect

Please help me!

Regards,

Piet

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Piet, I'm sorry to hear about the audio playback issues you're experiencing on your Acer Aspire 5750G laptop. It's frustrating when troubleshooting steps don't seem to resolve the problem. Let's try a few more steps to address the lagging and scratching sound issue:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

1. Check Power Settings:
   • Make sure your power plan settings are optimized for performance. Sometimes, power-saving features can interfere with audio playback.
   []Disable Enhancements:
   • Disable audio enhancements in Windows to see if it improves the playback.
     • Right-click on the speaker icon in the system tray.
     • Select "Playback devices," then right-click on the default playback device and choose "Properties."
     • Go to the "Enhancements" tab and check "Disable all enhancements."
     • Click "OK" to apply the changes.
   []Check DPC Latency:
   • Use tools like LatencyMon to check for DPC latency issues that could be causing audio problems.
   []Optimize Startup Programs:
   • Disable unnecessary startup programs to reduce system load.
     • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
     • Go to the "Startup" tab and disable programs that aren't essential.
   []Update BIOS and Drivers:
   • Ensure you have the latest BIOS version and drivers installed. Check Acer's support website for any updates specific to your laptop model.
   []Check for Background Processes:
   • Make sure no heavy background processes are running that could be affecting system performance.
   []Try Safe Mode:
   • Boot your laptop into Safe Mode and check if the issue persists. If it doesn't, it could indicate a third-party software conflict.

     Additional Suggestions:​

     • Consider checking the Event Viewer for any error messages related to sound or hardware.
     • Run a thorough antivirus scan to rule out malware issues.
     • Test the audio playback with headphones to see if the issue is related to the laptop speakers.
     After trying these steps, if the issue persists, please let me know, and we can explore additional solutions.