Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: 6/23/06 Playing CDs on PC is all snap, crackle, and pop!

Answer:

Robert, The "pops, snaps, and crackles" you experience during the playback of compact discs suggest a memory or system resources issue. Multimedia applications use an awful lot of resources, and when several programs don't play nice and try to take more than is allotted to them, bad things happen. The particular media player that you are using may be playing a role, too.

Let me illustrate the last point with a personal example: Years ago, I would routinely play music files or CDs while I browsed the Web, read e-mail, scanned my PC with Norton AntiVirus, or performed other resource-intensive tasks. Regardless of how many programs were running at the time, music playback was flawless as long as I used Windows Media Player (WMP), RealPlayer, or J. River's Media Jukebox. However, as soon as I opened my then-favorite application, Musicmatch Jukebox, the playback would be seriously sabotaged by both skipping and seemingly endless artifacts such as pops and cracks! The situation usually improved only after closing all other applications.

Clearly, the demands placed on my computer by the MusicMatch Jukebox led to conflicts related to the distribution of computer resources. Adding more memory helped, but I saw no reason to spend a lot of energy (and money) trying to solve the issue when other applications already in my computer performed better and allowed me to have multiple programs running simultaneously. Thus, I stopped using MusicMatch Jukebox, despite its considerable strengths.

If you haven't already, play a CD using a different media player. (iTunes would be an excellent choice, but you can visit Download.com for other popular choices.) If the problem is not reproduced with the new application, the problem likely lies with your default media player. Updating to the latest release of the player or reinstalling it to repair corrupt files may solve the problem. The troubleshooting steps discussed below might help, too.

If the issue persists even after you try different media players, start thinking "memory." This is particularly true if your computer has less than 512 MB of RAM and/or has an older processor. Make no mistake, even machines with powerful processors and plenty of memory are not necessarily immune to this problem. Firewalls, antivirus and antispyware software, and operating system components running silently in the background can and do place a heavy burden on system resources. (Spyware would be another consideration, so don't neglect scanning your PC for it!) Adding memory will improve overall performance noticeably, not just during music playback. But let's try a few other tricks first.

Interestingly, you did not mention having any problems playing music files like mp3s - something which, in this day of age, I have to assume you do. And if the issue is indeed limited to CD playback, your next troubleshooting step should be cleaning your optical drive's lens, as debris and dust may be at the root of the problem. You can find inexpensive CD lens cleaners at most electronics and computer stores, as well as office supply retailers like Staples. They are essentially CDs with thin, delicate brushes attached to their playing surface. As the disc spins during playback, the brushes sweep away contaminants off your lens.

However, if the "pops, snaps, and crackles" also occurs during the playback of digital files stored in your computer, you might be dealing with either hardware or software issues - or both. Before investing in new memory, there are several things you can try to optimize the media player/optical drive interaction:


Rule Out a Corrupt or Outdated Driver

Driver problems will prevent your optical drive and media software from communicating as they should. This leads to performance issues.
1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop (or Start Menu, if applicable), and select Properties from the list..
2. On the System Properties box, select the Hardware tab.
3. Click on the Device Manager radio button. The Device Manager box will open, listing the components that make up your system.
4. Your optical drive will be listed under DVD/CD-ROM Drives. Expand this field and find your drive.
5. Highlight and right-click your drive, then select Properties.
6. Verify that the device is working properly. (If a message states differently, click the Troubleshoot button to find out what is wrong and how to correct it. Addressing this issue might be all that's needed to solve your problem.)
7. Select the Driver tab, and click Update Driver. Windows will try to determine whether a new driver is available. You can always visit your drive's manufacturer's website and check for the latest driver version there.
8. If necessary, download and install the new driver.
9. Exit all dialog boxes, and restart your computer.
10. Play a CD to determine if the issue has been solved.

Optimize Audio Playback

The following steps apply to Windows Media Player 11 (Beta) and earlier versions of the player. If you do not use WMP, please refer to your particular software's help files to determine how to optimize audio playback. (It would be impossible to discuss every popular media player here!) The goal is to select those options that enhance playback and sound quality, and compensate for problems present in the digital data.

1. Open Windows Media Player and click on Options.
2. Select the Devices tab on the Options dialog box.
3. Select your CD Player from the list, then click the Properties radio button.
4. In the drive's Properties box, select Digital under Playback.
5. Check the "Use Error Correction" box.
6. Press OK to exit.
7. Play a CD to determine if the issue has been solved.


If none of the above troubleshooting steps solve the problem, it might be time to add memory. At this point, you should also consider the possibility that your optical drive might be failing. The good news is that the price of CD burners and DVD players has fallen considerably, so an upgrade might be significantly more affordable than you suspect.

Hope you find these suggestions useful!

Best wishes.

Submitted by: Miguel K. of Columbus, Ohio

This is the first time a read something regarding this issue.
As a matter a fact, I also had this problem (thought I was the only one...) when playing MP3 music files in Windows Media Player.
I noticed it in the very first day I bought my Pavilion notebook. In fact, this was enough to make me return the product to the seller and have a new one.
I realized that if I played me MP3 files in Winamp, those "pops, snaps, and crackles" just desapeared!
I can state that this fenomenum occured eventually because my WMP 9 wasn't so that good, because nowadays I play those same files in WMP 10 without a scratch.
Concerning equipment specifications my computer can handle with ease all audio playback, so the main reason behind all this is concerned with software maulfunction.

HP Pavilion Pentium 4 3,2 Mhz
512 Mb RAM

I used to get this problem on my PC when i burned CD's on my Pc. The problem i had basically was my PC was being overworked. It never affected me as i convert my Cd into the itunes format at the highest quality. When i brought i brand new top of the rang CD rom drive the problem stopped. I advise buting a new CD rom drive you dont have to blow the bank you can get very good cd rom drives for a very resonable price. ebuyer.com is a very cheap website i advise you check it out

This sounds like a VERY CHEAP computer with only 128 megs of memory and running XP ! The scourge of the O/S's almost as bad as what ME was ! . . You need a good CD-Rom or DVD-Rom that's fast and a GOOD sound card ! These on board sound things are an AFTER THOUGHT by the mother board makers and generally put out a bad quallity sound
First thing to check is the amount of memory and add a lot to it the more the better ! I run 2 gig's . . I bought my mother board on what and how much it would hold
( it has 4 slots can go to 4 gig ) Then check the age CD-Rom or DVD-Rom you have it could be giving you signals of going out . . and last of all check the sound card !

1. Dirty line A/C. This is a big problem In Dallas/Fort Worth. Old Transformers and lines can cause a lot of problems. Put an APC Battery backup on line. This can solve a lot of problems and save your computer too.
2. Bad or cheap power supplys. I see this a lot too.
3. Unshielded speakers. Some older speakers can cause problems.
4. Dirty Computer. I see this all the time. Take all the slot cards and clean the slots with electrical contact cleaner.
5. Old Modems. Hardware based modems can start to buzz.
Pull out your slot cards one at a time, re-boot and check.
6.With Creative software, Check your Line in setting. If nothing is connected to it, turn the volume to 0.
7. I\0 conflicts, Put your sound card in a different slot.

Miguel suggest the problem may be a bad driver, than goes on to discuss how to update the CD/DVD Drive's drivers. If this problem doesn't just occur with CDs and occurs with MP3, WMA, web audio or other sound source playback you should update the Sound card/chip drivers instead.

The update process will be the same as he described for the CD/DVD Drive, except it can be updated from the hardware tab of Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel. Select your sound card from the list and click the Properties Button. When the Properties dialog is displayed, select the Driver tab and then click Update Driver (pretty obvious).

Answer:

Hi, Robert, let's see if we can take the Rice Krispies out of your CD. First, let me say, since I don't have any idea what your computer may be or consist of, I will assume XP and all other standard options.

Let's start by tackling what may be a simpler issue, software. Depending on what you use to play your music, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc...each may play music differently and cause distortion. Some will put out bass better than others, which if the speakers are standard PC speakers, will often cause distortion and noise. Try different software and see if it makes a difference, turn down the bass a bit if possible. If this solves it, this may be a good indication you need better speakers.

Moving on to another issue, dirt. Your cd player has a lens and through this the laser strikes the pits and lands which make up the data on the cd. Now, if that lens becomes dirty, the lens scatters the laser, perhaps enough to not play a cd at all or will create the noises you have been experiencing. Ah, there is a solution, for a few dollars, you can buy a laser lens cleaner just about anywhere electronics are sold. The disk will typically come with tiny brushes attached to a cd\dvd special disk, that when inserted, spins up and wipes away dust and dirt from the lens. What if it's too dirty to play you ask? No problem, many have a certain way to insert the disk so the brushes go across the lens possibly cleaning it off enough to allow the disk to play and continue with a thorough cleaning. In the case there is too much build up from home or outdoor pollutants, the CD player may in fact need to be taken apart to be cleaned by someone who is skilled enough or licensed to do so.

Another problem and more serious is the laser itself. While they can last for a long time, they do wear out. If this happens, the laser will no longer function to read a disk correctly and eventually at all. In that case, it's time to buy another. Luckily CD\dvd drives are getting cheaper all the time and even the cheaper ones may last a long time. Other problems with the drive may occur as well but as with the laser which is most common, the drive is typically replaced.


On to the pc. There is a lot depending on your computer itself. Your speakers play a big part along with your sound card and software you use. The speakers put out your sound which is fairly obvious. If the speakers can't handle sound very well or are older speakers, they do create distortion and can snap , crackle, pop, typically due to the amplifiers no longer working correctly. The best thing to do in this case is to replace the speakers with a better\newer brand of speaker and there are many types and brands to choose form. Another issue with the speaker amplifiers is they pick up other EMI (electro magnetic interference) noise. If you turn on a fan, or some electrical appliance, the older \cheap amplifiers will cause the speakers to hiss, pop, etc...as they pick up on noise. The best solution in this case is to once again, replace the speakers. A dirty or loose connection to the speaker port or bad\bare speaker wires can also cause interference.

Now that the speakers are out of the way, let's discuss your sound card. If you have no sound card, you probably have onboard also called integrated sound which is a sound port connected directly to the motherboard and uses an onboard\integrated chip to control your sound. This is not typically the best sound option to have and many prefer a sound card. The onboard typically does not handle sound very well and can cause a lot of distortion and other noises when playing music. Also the onboard takes your system resources to run as where a sound card comes with it's own. I for one have not had a problem with onboard sound as far as noise goes, but many have. How do you know if you have onboard? Well, taking off the side cover on the pc or however the case may open, and looking to see if your sound port is connected to the motherboard or if it's a card plugged into a PCI slot. That said, the obvious and best way to go would be to get a sound card if you don't have one. There are many to choose from and can range from 9.99 on the cheaper end and up. (note: some pcs come with a sound card and onboard like the hp pavilion 512 w for example) so if you have more than one sound port, this could be why.

To go off this last paragraph, you may have a sound card or integrated sound issue. Typically with the integrated sound, the drivers required to run it may need updating. If updated properly and to the newest working drivers possible but still having these issues, then going to a sound card would once again be the best option. If you have a sound card already, the drivers issue may still apply. As sound technology grows, the drivers may need updating to keep the sound card running properly with your software\players. You may in fact have a sound card that is simply bad and needs replacing or if it is older and can no longer get proper drivers to keep it current.

A few basics to review, clean the cd rom, update your drivers for your sound card, or onboard, testing the sound card with a good set of speakers is a good way to see if it is indeed the card and\or speakers both and If you use a set of speakers you know work well, and still get this noise, or test the speakers on another pc and they work, is a good indication of an integrated or sound card issue. Also, a high EMI can cause distortion even in a good set of speakers and they should be kept away from high EMI devices.

Well Robert, I hope this helps you with your issue and you can eventually enjoy clear sound.

Submitted by: Paul K. of Gladstone, Michigan

Your statement is FALSE. Pc speakers with bad amplifiers WILL do this.
And YES I have heard this on radio, etc...from bad wiring\blown speaker.


1) However, if you suspect a speaker problem, test with headphones. The problem should not be heard with headphones.


Fine to test with headphones but problems can arise through each port individually and this may not always tell you. Not saying you can't but if it's the speaker port and you don't hear it on headphones, you may assume the speakers and replace them to find it's the port. That's why I say to try a known good pair.


2) If you suspect a CD problem test with other sound sources like MP3s, WMAs or web based audio. The problem should go away. Furthermore if it's a dirty laser or defective CD drive it will have an even bigger problem reading data cds.


I believe I mentioned all this.


3) If you suspect drivers test with other sound sources like MP3s or web based audio. The problem should not go away.


Refer to number 2.




You say most onboard sound chips do not create problems for most users? You obviously don't google or help in forums much.

Paul

Answer:

Robert, Its going to be impossible to be absolutely certain what is going on without either hearing this or seeing the PC, but we can make some well educated guesses as to what is happening.

There are two ways to play a music CD on a PC, analog and digital.

In analog playback, the optical (CD-ROM) drive itself decodes the CD into analog audio and the audio is fed over a cable from the drive to the sound card as an analog audio signal (the analog signal is the same signal that you hear using the drives front panel headphone jack if your drive has such a jack, and indeed such a jack (if present) would allow you to test the CD drives analog audio channel quickly and easily).

In digital playback, the audio files on the CD are read as digital computer DATA files over the IDE port (just like any other computer file), and the sound card and playback software convert those files into a Wave signal for playing through [by] the sound card.

We also need to consider a third possibility that you didnt mention, namely that this has nothing to do with CD playback and that in fact all sounds played on your computer have the artifacts that you mention. This can be ruled out by getting an MP3 file that you know to be clean and seeing that it plays properly on your computer. The normal Windows sounds are too short and the clicks and pops, even if they are occurring, might not happen while playing a short ding or beep. You want a sound file several minutes long to test this. If you hear the clicks and pops while playing such a file, then the problem is a more general unrelated to CD playback. Sound cards use both interrupts and DMA. Consequently, computer configuration issues unrelated to the audio system can cause problems in sound reproduction, but trying to troubleshoot this, if it is your problem, would be beyond the scope of this response. Also, see the comments in the next-to-last paragraph of this response, the problem might simply be coming from an unused but unmated channel of the sound mixer.

If you are using analog playback, it is possible for the analog audio cable from the optical drive to the sound card (or motherboard) to pick up electrical noise from inside the PC. This could cause what you are experiencing. While you could replace the cable (use a shielded cable if you are not doing so already) or experiment with rerouting it, the inside of a PC is an electrically noisy environment, and a better solution would be to switch to digital playback. Digital playback will generally provide a cleaner sound than audio playback (and, also, for ripping it can be faster, a LOT faster, 16 to 52 times faster).

Exactly how you select digital vs. analog playback varies by media player ... for example, its slightly different in Windows Media Player, Winamp and Music Match (and even in different versions of each). Also, it depends to some degree on your operating system (Windows 98, 2000 and XP are all slightly different). So lets take Windows XP and Windows Media player as an example.

First, you must enable digital audio playback from the drive. This is prerequisite, it doesnt select digital playback, but if you dont do it, you CANT select digital playback. This is a per-drive setting in Control panel. To make this setting in Windows XP, go to Control Panel / System / Hardware / Device Manager, expand CD/DVD-ROM drives (click the small + sign), select the drive in question, right click, properties, then select the Properties tab, and be certain that the box that says Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM drive is checked. Do this for each optical drive that you plan to use for CD playback OR RIPPING. The exact location of the setting for other versions of Windows is similar but will be slightly different.

Second, to select digital audio in Windows Media Player (WMP) (These exact instructions are for WMP 10): Open Windows media player (you will have to fully expand media player so that you have the menu bar visible). Select Tools / Options, then the Devices tab. From the list of drives, select the drive(s) in question, then click Properties. You will see two choices of either digital or analog playback, one for playing the CD, one for ripping (extracting) the CD (as you might do to convert the CDs music tracks into MP3s for an MP3 player). Also, you will see a checkbox to use or not use error correction. The exact procedure here will be different if you are using a different player (Winamp, Music Match, etc.) or even if you are using a different version of Windows Media Player, but in general there is an options or preferences or settings menu somewhere, and somewhere within that (deeply buried, in some cases) there is a checkbox to select digital or audio playback.

An additional possibility that we need to consider is this: When you listen to sounds (audio) on your computer, you are not hearing a single device, you are hearing whatever mix of devices you have selected in the system mixer. Double-Click the volume [speaker] icon in the system tray (lower right by the clock), and you will see the playback mixer [if there is no speaker icon, go to Control Panel / Sounds and Audio Devices, and check the box that says Place Volume Icon in the task bar]. On my computer, I have Wave, Midi Synth, Line In, Auxiliary, CD-Audio; yours may be different (and if you click Options / Properties, you will be able to control which mixers are present). [By the way, analog playback comes through the CD-Audio slider control, digital playback comes through the Wave slider control.]

The clicks and pops that you are hearing may not be coming from the optical drive at all (regardless of whether you are using digital or audio playback), but might be coming from an entirely different channel. For example, if the clicks and pops are coming from an otherwise unused Line In source that is not muted, you will hear them. Consequently, you may be able to resolve your issue by either muting or turning down some of the other channels besides the Wave or CD-ROM channel that the CD playback is coming through. [Note that if you mute or turn down the Wave channel, you wont hear normal system sounds.] One thing to try would be muting all channels other than Wave and CD-Audio and seeing if the problem goes away (and if you are using digital playback, also mute the CD-Audio channel (which is only for analog CD playback) as well).

Hopefully, these suggestions will allow you to resolve this matter.

Submitted by: Barry W. of North Canton, Ohio

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Answer:

Hi Robert. Unfortunately, the problem that you're inquiring about could be caused by any number of issues. First and foremost, if you have an older computer, your computer could be overwhelmed by having to process the audio in addition to whatever else you are running. You might want to check your CPU usage and memory usage while trying to play a CD. In Windows XP, you can do this by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and then, depending on your version and/or your settings, clicking on the "Task Manager" button of the window that appears. When Task Manager appears, click on the "Performance" tab. Look at the CPU Usage and PF (PageFile/Memory) Usage. If either of these seems really high, you might have a problem. You can check which applications/processes are using the most memory/pagefile and/or CPU by clicking on the "Processes" tab and clicking on the column that you want the processes to be sorted by.

If this does not indicate any issues, you might next want to make sure that you have the most up-to-date media player software and the newest stable driver for your sound card. You can do this by going to the manufacturer's website and downloading the newest stuff for each thing.

If you don't know what kind of sound card you have, you can click on Start --> Control Panel --> System. For Windows XP, you then have to click on the "Hardware" tab and then click on Device Manager. For older versions of Windows, you can just click on the "Device Manager" tab. Next, click on the "+" symbol next to "Sound, video and game controllers" and then look for something that indicates the brand and/or model of your sound card. For example, the onboard sound module on my machine is shown as "Realtek AC'97 Audio". Once you find this, find the manufacturer's website or a driver supplying website and download the newest driver. Sometimes, if you can't find the driver elsewhere, you can disable the item in the Device Manager by right-clicking on it and clicking "Disable" and then confirming "Yes" and then going to the Windows Update page (Go to Internet Explorer, click on "Tools", then "Windows Update".

Often when a device is disabled, Windows Update will try to find the newest driver for the device and ask you if you want to install the new driver to fix any problems that you may have been experiencing that caused you to disable the device. But like I said, try to find the driver elsewhere first, as Windows does not ALWAYS have the newest drivers. If installing new software updates to your media player and installing new drivers for your hardware still does not solve the problem, there are still other issues that you can investigate.

A friend of mine does a lot of sound recording and was having a similar problem of clicking noises when playing back some of his recorded stuff. He figured out that it was his wireless network card interrupting the audio signal by taking attention from the processor occasionally. Although this may seem strange, if you have a wireless network card on your machine, you may want to try disabling it and then playing a CD.

If this solution still does not solve your issue, you probably should simply open up your machine and make sure that all of the cables from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM or whatever you are using to play the CDs are securely connected to the appropriate places. If you are unsure of where the disc player is supposed to be plugged into, you can probably visit the hardware manufacturer's website and find directions for installing it. Again, find the hardware manufacturer of the disc player just as you did for the sound card (Device Manager) except click on the "+" symbol for "DVD/CD-ROM Drives".

Also check for any damage to the cables and replace any damaged cables (the cables shouldn't be more than a few dollars to replace). One more thing to check is that the cables are a good distance away from other parts, especially the hard drive, as the magnetic interference of the hard drive can cause a lot of audio issues (mostly sound warping, but other issues have occurred). Once you're sure that all of the cables are connected correctly and securely and that none are damaged, the next solution that I have to offer is to upgrade the firmware of your CD/DVD drive. This procedure is not exactly for the faint of heart, so if you're uncomfortable with doing it, then you might want to just take your computer to a shop.

However, if you are willing to work a little, you can find directions for updating the firmware of the drive either at the manufacturer's website or search on Google for something to extent of "update cd-rom firmware". Finally, if none of these procedures seem to solve the problem, you might just have a faulty CD/DVD drive. Try multiple CDs in the drive and see if the problem is the same with all of them.

If this is the case, I would suggest you simply go buy a new CD-ROM from a local computer store for a small amount (usually around $10-20). If you use, or want to use, the drive for other purposes (such as DVD playback or CD/DVD backup) and are experiencing problems in these areas as well, then make sure you buy a drive that is capable of performing these tasks as well.

If you need something more than a standard CD-ROM, you can check out websites such as http://www.tigerdirect.com or http://www.newegg.com for good deals on CD/DVD burners and such, as retail stores tend to make them up quite a bit more than those sites do. As for brands, Plextor is supposed to be one of the best drive makers, so try to get one of theirs if you can (a lot of brand name drives such as Sony are actually Plextor drives with a Sony cover on them, but you can usually find this out by searching on Google for the model number of the drive). I hope this helps!!!

Submitted by: Kyle S.

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Answer:

First, Robert, you don't state what hardware or software you are using to play your CDs through. But here are some basics that may get you started in finding and/or fixing your problem. Do each step separately and in the sequence I have outlined for you.

First, make sure that all the cable connections IN your computer are CLEAN and SECURE.

Second, get a GOOD quality CD/DVD cleaner and follow its directions completely.

Third, IF you have a sound card you need to turn off the sound in your BIOS. The vagueness of your post shows that you will probably have to have this done by a professional. OR if you have the instruction book for your motherboard you can extremely meticulously and CAREFULLY start at the beginning of that book and go through it one step at a time until you find the setting governing your sound and turn it off.

Fourth, IF you do have that sound card and have the BIOS set correctly you need to install the drivers and software for the sound card. If you don't have a CD that came with your sound card you can download from this site a program called "Belarc Advisor". This program will tell you all the hardware and software you have installed in your computer. You can then go the site of the manufacturer of that sound card and download it's drivers and whatever software you want for it. You can then set your sound card's software the way you like.

I hope it doesn't come to what comes next in this list of things to do and it's probably unlikely, HOWEVER:

Fifth, IF you are running Windows and IF you have played any of the Sony BMG CDs with that rootkit on them last year on your computer, that may have opened up a whole other can of worms....LITERALLY! You can download from this site a program called "Rootkit Revealer" and then use it to see if you have been affected. If you find you have Sony's rootkit on your Windows computer, you can go to their website and download a tool to remove it.

Sixth, IF you do find and have to remove Sony's rootkit, THEN you need to clean up your computer from any malware that may have penetrated the holes that the rootkit had in it. UPDATE and run your antivirus. Then UPDATE and run your anti-spyware programs. If you don't have any of those I can suggest some.

"Avast Anti-virus" is a very powerful FREE anti-virus program. "Spybot Search & Destroy" with it's 'Tea Timer' found in the Advanced Mode coupled with "AdAware SE" are extremely thorough when used consecutively. Both are FREE. You can download all three of these programs from this site. I have experience with all three programs and like them all. But remember, NO anti-malware program is going to do you any good at all if not UPDATED constantly and USED frequently. I update and use mine DAILY. Can't be too careful.

Seventh, no matter what the outcome of steps Three through Six, and whether you have to use them or not, supposing you are running Windows, it would be a good idea to run ScanDisc and Defrag just for insurance. Just be sure to shut off all running programs while Defragging. Since this will include your anti-malware programs, it's a good idea to disconnect altogether from the internet while your programs are not running.

I hope this helps you solve your problems or, at least, gives you some ideas of your own to use.

Good Luck!

Submitted by: Julie A.

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Answer:

When asking if it could be software or hardware the answer is yes, it could be one or the other or both. The way to start is, work on the easiest solution and move towards the hardest solution. The simple start is checking the cables. If the jack for your speakers is not plugged in all the way, it could cause sound distortion. The next easiest thing would be speakers. If you have extra speakers or speakers you know work, try them instead of the ones currently hooked up to your computer.

The next simple solution is updating the drivers for your sound card. If it fixes the problem all it costs was a download. The quickest way to check for an updated driver is to run the windows updater. It should be in your start menu, or if you cant find it there, click start, choose run, and in the run window type wupdmgr.exe then click the OK button. If there is an updated driver, it should be in the optional updates.

Personally I have had mixed results letting windows updated my drivers. I prefer to update them myself, its all according to your comfort level. I would suggest only updating the sound driver if available. If you want to update the sound card yourself go to the device manager, for XP, click start, right click on My Computer, and left click on properties, then choose the hardware tab, and finally click the Device Manager button.

Once you are in the device manager, click the little box with a plus sign in it by the device called Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. There might be a number of thing listed, usually youre looking for the audio controller. Once you know the type of audio controller you have, you could Google the audio controller name. Personally, I try to find the manufacturer of the sound card, then go to their site and almost everyone has a support link that includes drivers. Once you get the drivers, any more there is usually a setup you can run that will take care of updating the drivers for you. If none of the above works, its probably time to consider hardware. The hardware fix would involve cracking open your computer. You should be able to get a sound card for around $30 all the way to $100 plus. If you have never installed anything, you might want to consider getting a friend who has to help you. Its not really that hard, but the first time for anything is a little confusing. Hope this helps.

Submitted by: Jeff B.

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Answer:

Robert,

There's a couple of possible issues that can cause this. The exact cause could come from a couple of sources.

1.) It could be an audio driver issue.
2.) It could be a conflicting bit of software
3.) It could be your Antvirus software.

1.) IF your computer has always done the skipping and pops and whistles bit it could be a driver issue. Check the manufacturer's web site for and update.

2.) It could be you've got a number of audio apps loading their stubs (i.e. Quicktime, Real Player, etc.. loading those nifty little tray icon gizmos). These stubs are supposed to make things faster but in reality they only suck up free memory and drain your computer of performance. Turn them off! Unfortunately, you can't remove them from Windows startup permanently without removing the entire application. Quicktime's little icon applet is notorious for it's almost viral behavior.

3.) Certain antvirus software packages tend to be notorious for slowing things down to a crawl and causing issues. Norton AV most certainly has a bad reputation for this. Consider that whenever you insert any kind of CD or DVD into your computer, the AV software jumps to attention and starts scanning the thing for viruses. This is normally a good thing. The hitch is when you start playing a track - or ripping to your MP3 player for that matter - your media player and your antivirus software is trying to both read the music/video files AND trying to scan for viruses at the same time. This can result in the pops and cracks you're experiencing.

So what to do about your antivirus making your life miserable? You can set your antivirus to NOT scan audio CDs. Of course, given the Sony rootkit fiasco of a few months back, that may NOT be a good idea.

You can try another antivirus app. Some behave less intrusively than others and require less overhead.

Or, the issue can be a combination of any or all of the above.

Submitted by: Pete Z.

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Answer:

The "popping" sounds many people get on computer drive usually come from the settings on their media players. Much of the time this distortion noise comes from "overdriving" the song. (Think of the sound a boom box makes when it is turned up too loud).

There are quite a few settings you can look at:

First be sure you have not blown the speakers attached to your computer. The quickest way to check this is to switch from speakers to headphones. If the distortion is present in the headphones the problem isn't with the speakers.

Next check the volume control settings on the computer screen. The volume and the wave should be somewhere around the midpoint. Any higher and the signal may distort a bit depending upon your speakers' power capacity.

Next check the settings on your media player. If you have your Equalizer set too high or set with too much bass you signal can distort. Windows media player comes with an surround sound add-on called "SRS-WOW" that, when combined with the graphic equalized nearly always distorts the signal and gives you a popping sound.

One last thing to consider is your sound card - the better the card the better the sound.

I hope it helps!

Submitted by: Steven N. of Memphis, Tennessee

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Answer:

Robert,

Do you hear the snaps and crackles while listening to other sounds on your computer, such as ones from videos or games? If so, the most likely cause of these problems is your sound card. Sometimes sound cards can break for various reasons, and from then on any sound coming out of them can be filled with extra noise. A slightly less likely cause for this problem could be your sound card driver, which may need to be updated at the manufacturer's site. However, if you hear the snaps and crackles only on CD's, it could indicate other problems. One could be that your CD drive is defective, or its connection is loose inside the computer. Also, it could be a problem involving the software you use to play CD's. Here is what I recommend doing to troubleshoot:

1. Play a full-screen game or play a video, and see if the problem occurs there, as if it does, you may need to replace your soundcard or update the drivers.
2. If your sound is fine in the other applications, try opening the CD in another program, and seeing if it plays well. If it does, the problem lies with your default CD-playing application.
3. If the sound has the same problem in these other CD-playing programs, but not in games/videos and such, then the problem most likely is your CD drive or its connection.

Hope this helps!

Submitted by: William J. of Concord, Massachusetts

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Answer:

Robert,

There are a number of possible causes for this problem, one place to look is what sound card you have? Is it an integrated sound card (that is, is it part of the actual mother board), or is it an added sound card that plugs in to a PCI slot on the mother board.

Are you running other Apps at the same time, if so which ones as some to use a lot more resources than others. How much memory do you have, 256 mb or higher is more acceptable, 512mb is a lot better. What CPU are you running.

The pops an cracks etc can be caused by other aps taking more resources than normal and thus basically starting and stopping the Disk / sound suddenly.

Try running a cleaning disk in the ROM but for my money check your resources first. Id even have a look inside the case and make sure that the leads into the ROM are intact at both the ROM and the motherboard. Then try extra memory, or if you have the $$$ and have a spare PCI slot try adding a sound card with its own dedicated memory.

I have until recently had 512mb ram and have an integrated motherboard but haven't had that problem arise, so possibly start with memory bring it up to 512, if you already have that see if you can borrow another CD ROM before buying one if that sounds better then you have found the cause.

Do these in any order you choose.

Hope this info is useful, Regards Keith

Submitted by: Keith A.

Hi, Robert-
All the answers Ive read are OK , but the matter is "compare" ,you must try a mp3-CD played on the same player you tried your Cd Audio , if it is fine ,I will recomend the same explained by Edward S,however try with WinAmp player and try not leave another program working at the back.
Sometimes other programs interfere on CD playing and is very disgusting.
Hope this helps-

Building on what Christopher S. of Chicago said:
In addition to the connection for your speakers, also check the connections for line-in and microphone. If, for example, you have a line-in device plugged into microphone by accident, or vice versa, this can cause intermittent buzzes, clicks, hisses in playback over your speakers.

Well, I'm a musician (drummer at my church) and one thing I hate is annoying static...and blasting bass music from other peoples cars... ;o( Anyway I have a Mac with iTunes, but if I had that problem (which thankfully I don't) I would first check the EQ settings, (if your software has any)...with iTunes there are some settings that purposefully sound a lot lika a cheap AM radio, ''small speakers'' is one that comes to mind, complete with static. Then there are others that royally kick butt. I custom made one to bring out the clarity of the high-hats, and other cymbals while still retaining the blended drum, guitar, bass and vocal mix.

Oh BTW I can run Adobe Illustrator CS2, PhotoShop CS2, Safari and iTunes simultaneously with no drop out of any sort! :o) grafixrj

I used a CD/DVD DiscWasher cleaner on my older HP machine, and immediately thereafter, I began to hear the snap, crackle, pop, whenever I tried to play some CD music. I believe that this particular disc cleaner did some damage to my CD/DVD burner drive. I tried just about everything I could think of to get the drive back into working order. I checked out many tech websites to research what could be done, but nothing worked. Eventually, the drive refused to work at all. Because it was the only computer I had at the time, I bought an external CD/DVD drive. I just didn't want to invest any more time with the defective drive.

Just recently, and because, optical drives are so inexpensive, I bought another CD/DVD burner drive to replace the defective drive. With all the rebates that I got, it really cost me just shipping and handling, about $20. I swapped the defective drive with the new one in about 30 minutes, and it worked perfectly. It was also an upgrade to the older one, much faster.

So, I believe that some disc cleaners may be the cause of damaging optical drives. At least, in my case, I have no doubts about it.

May i suggest narrowing down to the issue. Ask yourself the following questions: -
Was ur computer always like that?
Did you made any changes to the machine like software or hardware updates?

Try system restore


I had a similiar experience after I upgraded directx on my machine. There's no way to rell back to a previous version of directx. so i had to reformat and reinstall.

varun21 @ gmail .com

CD players usually have interpolation so when errors are detected you don't get pops.

For a PC you need at least 2 of:
clean discs
good software
a good CD drive

I generally rip my CDs to hard drive rather than play them directly. But I will assume that CD drives that are good for extracting audio are good for playing CDs in real time; so look here to find what drives are good:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=45551

As for software, experiment to see what works best.

I personally use a Plextor Premium and Pextools which works well for less money.