[lumpyc]

I've got two audio issues with my laptop that I hope you can help me resolve:

 

1) audio playback cuts out if I put the volume too loud or the output is too loud. That is, if the actual speaker output is too loud, rather than playing any sound it cuts out entirely (sometimes with short garbled sounds but mostly silence). If I turn the volume down low enough, I can then hear the audio again. I'd like the speakers to play loudly and not clip.

 

2) audio volume adjustment resets under a variety of circumstances (it goes to a much higher volume). This happens if I commence playing a video or audio source on a website (including when I unpause a YouTube video, even after only briefly pausing it), start a computer game or playback video in a non-browser program. It's like it doesn't remember what the volume setting I've set for it is, so I find myself constantly pressing the volume up/down button once when playback starts to 'remind' it to reset the volume to the level I want. I'd like the laptop to 'remember' the audio volume I set.

 

Laptop is a Dell Precision M2800. I got it 2nd hand and it had this issue since I got it, but didn't notice until a while into having it. I've lived with it so far but would love to fix it. This laptop has dedicated volume up/down/mute buttons, which appear to interact with no issue in Windows 10.

 

Please let me know what further information you'd like to help diagnose it.

 

Thanks in advance.

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Please download

https://www.bleeping...ad/minitoolbox/

 save it to your desktop and right click and run as admin

Checkmark the following checkboxes:

• Flush DNS
• Report IE Proxy Settings
• Report FF Proxy Settings
• List content of Hosts
• List IP configuration
• List Winsock Entries
• List last 10 Event Viewer Errors
• List Installed Programs
• List Devices
• List Users, Partitions and Memory size.
• List Minidump Files

Click Go and post the result (Result.txt). A copy of MTB.txt will be saved in the same directory the tool is run.

 

[RKinner]

Please download

https://www.bleeping...ad/minitoolbox/

 save it to your desktop and right click and run as admin

Checkmark the following checkboxes:

• Flush DNS
• Report IE Proxy Settings
• Report FF Proxy Settings
• List content of Hosts
• List IP configuration
• List Winsock Entries
• List last 10 Event Viewer Errors
• List Installed Programs
• List Devices
• List Users, Partitions and Memory size.
• List Minidump Files

Click Go and post the result (Result.txt). A copy of MTB.txt will be saved in the same directory the tool is run.

 

[lumpyc]

Thanks so much for your response. I'm concerned about posting information on the following (and also struggling to understand the relevance to a sound issue):

• Flush DNS
• Report IE Proxy Settings
• Report FF Proxy Settings
• List content of Hosts
• List IP configuration
• List Winsock Entries

 

So I have posted the results without these boxes checked - hope that's ok =)

Attached Files

•  MTB.txt   21.75KB   195 downloads

[RKinner]

Don't think there's anything sensitive but we can live without them.

 

Uninstall Bonjour since it seems to be causing errors.  If you install iTunes you will get a new copy if you really need it but most don't.

 

You have remnants of Avast and MBAM that did not get uninstalled.  Open an Elevated Command Prompt:

 

http://www.howtogeek...-in-windows-10/

 

Type:

sc  delete  MBAMChameleon

 

hit Enter

type:

sc  delete  AvastWscReporter

 

hit Enter

 

Type:

mkdir  C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\TileDataLayer

hit Enter

Type:

mkdir  C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\TileDataLayer\Database

Hit Enter.

 If any line gives an error let me know.

 

If the above lines all work that should clear most of your errors.

 

 

Now let's see if it's  slow:

 

 

Multiple replies are OK.  Best to post a log as you get it.

Get Process Explorer

https://live.sysinte...com/procexp.exe

Save it to your desktop then run it (Vista or Win7+ - right click and Run As Administrator).  

View, Select Column, check Verified Signer, OK
Options, Verify Image Signatures


Click twice on the CPU column header  to sort things by CPU usage with the big hitters at the top.  

Wait a full minute then:

File, Save As, Save.  Note the file name.   Open the file  on your desktop and copy and paste the text to a reply.


Copy the next 2 lines:

TASKLIST /SVC  > \junk.txt
notepad \junk.txt

Open an Elevated Command Prompt:
Win 7: Start, All Programs, Accessories then right click on Command Prompt and Run as Administrator
Win 8: http://www.eightforu...indows-8-a.html
win 10: http://www.howtogeek...-in-windows-10/

Right click and Paste (or Edit then Paste) and the copied lines should appear.
Hit Enter if notepad does not open.  Copy and paste the text from notepad into a reply.


Get the free version of Speccy:

http://www.filehippo...ownload_speccy/ 

(Look in the upper right for the Download
Latest Version button  - Do NOT press the large Start Download button on the upper left!)  
Download, Save and Install it.  Tell it you do not need CCLEANER.    Run Speccy.  When it finishes (the little icon in the bottom left will stop moving),
File, Save as Text File,  (to your desktop) note the name it gives. OK.  Open the file in notepad and delete the line that gives the serial number of your Operating System.  
(It will be near the top,  10-20  lines down.) Save the file.  Attach the file to your next post.  Attaching the log is the best option as it is too big for the forum.  Attaching is a multi step process.

First click on More Reply Options
Then scroll down to where you see
Choose File and click on it.  Point it at the file and hit Open.
Now click on Attach this file.


Latency Monitor:

Go to

http://www.resplendence.com/downloads

Scroll down to

System Monitoring Tools

and then find

LatencyMon 6.70 (or it may be a higher number if they update)

Click on Download free home edition

Save it then right click and Run As Admin.  It will install and then start the program.  
It will tell you to click on the Start button but there isn't one.  
Instead click on the green arrowhead (looks like a Play button).   Let it run for at least 20 seconds.  Then hit the red box to stop it.

Edit, Copy Report text to Clipboard then move to a REPLY and Ctrl + v to paste the text into a reply.  


Click on the Drivers Tab.  Click on the column header for "Total execution (ms)" once or twice until the biggest numbers are at the top of the column then take a screen shot (save as type jpg) and attach it.  
Click on the Processes tab then click on the  "Hard Pagefaults" column header once or twice until the big numbers are at the top of the column.  Take a screen shot (save as type jpg) and attach it.

[lumpyc]

Hi RKinner,

 

Sorry for the delay, and thanks for your patience.

 

Bonjour uninstalled.
All command lines worked fine.

Files attached, along with a bonus screenshot taken earlier of the "offending" CPU hog. Not sure if that is related, but at least it is audio-based...

 

Thanks again for your time.

Attached Thumbnails

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Attached Files

•  2021-01-08 Registry (procexp).txt   28.47KB   196 downloads
•  2021-01-08 Speccy redacted.txt   179.58KB   567 downloads
•  2021-01-08 tasklist.txt   39.47KB   186 downloads
•  2021-01-08 latencymon.txt   8.64KB   180 downloads

[RKinner]

Process Explorer reports that CCC.exe is using 1/4 of your CPU power

 

CCC.exe 24.46 121,020 K 62,456 K 18480 Catalyst Control Center: Host application Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Verified) Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

You probably need either a newer version or a reinstall of the 

 

AMD Catalyst Install Manager 

 

https://www.amd.com/...faq/ccc-install

 

If there is no new version see if running the setup program on the same page where it says:

 

How to Install AMD Catalyst™ Drivers in a Windows® 10 Based System

will help.

 

Also Speccy says it is running hot.  Speccy often gets this wrong so let's get a second opinion:

 

Run Speedfan to monitor your temps in real time:

 

 

 

http://www.filehippo...nload_speedfan/

 

Download, save and Install it (Win 7+ or Vista right click and Run As Admin.) then run it (Win 7+ or Vista right click and Run As Admin.).

 

It will tell you your temps in real time tho the default is to show the hard drive temp in the systray.  You can change it:  Hit Configure then click on the highest temp and check Show in tray.  

Win 10 hides icons by default so: Settings, Personalization,  Taskbar, Select which Icons appear on Taskbar,  then turn Speedfan ON.

With no other programs running what is the highest temp you see?  Run an anti-virus scan, play one of your games or watch a video for at least 5 minutes.  What is the highest temp now?

 

 

We don't really want it to go over about 65 C under load.  If it does it usually means either the fan is defective (speedfan should tell you your fan speed so you can see if it is running) or (most likely) the interface between the fan and the heatsink is clogged with dust. The best fix for a clogged heatsink is to remove the fan (not the heatsink or heatpipe) and vacuum out the heatsink.  However on some PCs this is major surgery.  Sometimes you can blow air backwards through the exhaust vent while vacuuming at the input vent and if you are lucky it may clear the heatsink.  Don't do it too long as the fan may overrev.