Playing music, computer freezes and Admin Event errors

[highstream]

My caution is about the time involved and the result. I've been using Windows since Win 95 (or before), and have never seen a Windows install or reinstall of any kind that left everything in place, including third party programs.

Version not so simple. I'm running Windows 8 Pro with Media Pack (why the latter I don't know, since I've never used it). However, I originally ordered the Win 8 CD, received a product key for Media Pack the next day, and upgraded to Pro three weeks later, all before installing anything. Presumably, I downloaded and installed Pro and followed the directions for activating MP. In terms of CDs, I have the original 8 (x32 and x64), a backup Pro CD and another backup that shows both Pro and Media Pack product keys. Figure that's the one to try.

 

[XweAponX]

Well, you'll have to use the same disk, and add the media pack back in, the Key should be good, but you'll have to do a phone activation. I've also been using MS products since before Windows, I've never lost any programs due to an in place install. But I always use In Place Install as a last result. I would not want you to do it unless your problems are so severe it makes your system unstable.

I only do it if the OS is suffering extreme problems, and your problem is with an SQL server that Foobar either uses or stores data in. Maybe if you found out which SQL server it is, and re-install it. It may be included with the Foobar Installer, and you may be able to isolate it and run a re-install of it.

Just remember, if you stick the wrong disk in the system, and start the "upgrade" - it may just tell you the disk can't be used.

 

[highstream]

Thanks for the info. Did the repair install and it worked ok, once I unloaded the Media Pack. I haven't done the Win updates yet, but looking at Admin Events, nothing has changed, all the same errors on startup. Oh well...I did learn something.

 

[XweAponX]

Well, the next step would be a refresh, which WOULD remove any installed desktop programs. It is supposed to keep your personal data files and documents. It will keep any Metro apps. But there was a guy posting yesterday, who claims to have lost all of his personal files. I think it was because he had a recovery partition, and it booted to that after a system reboot, and wiped his system drive, reinstalling the original state of his OS.

If you do not have a recovery partition, you can try a Windows Refresh, but only if you have all of your data files and installers all backed up on a different drive. A Refresh is allegedly supposed to make Windows 8 "as new". I am loathe to suggest it after what happened to this poor guy the other day, but if it stops the errors, it may be a viable fix. You'll Have to have all of your programs installers saved and lined up ready to re-install all of them.

I'll go as far as you want with you on this, as long as you have all your important data backed up, we can try it. Because the next step after a refresh is a restore, and that's a complete wipe of all user data and desktop programs. And after a restore, there is a full wipe and re-install.

Actually there is a DISM command line that may fix some things, let me find it.

 

[XweAponX]

OK here it is - Try DISM

http://www.eightforums.com/general-...all-issue-my-windows-8-laptop.html#post260283

It's Post #6

Here's the DISM tutorial:

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26512-dism-fixing-component-store-corruption-windows-8-a.html

If that helps give David Bailey a rep point, he's been suggesting that fix to a few people and it seems to have worked for a few. Brink, sorry for the double post..

 

[highstream]

Thanks for the DISM suggestion. I'll give it a try. As for anything beyond that, I did reinstalls of very kinds with Win 7, so it's not foreign territory. At this point, I'm going to put your generous offer on hold and wait until the situation becomes unbearable, which currently it isn't.

 

[XweAponX]

I really like that Jplay program, But I agree there are no controls for it, but it is a nice player, despite it's price tag of 100 bucks euro. I'll get myself familiar with Foobar. I don't really mess around with Players, I use VLC for watching Video, but when I wanna listen to music, I use my iPhone which has what I want in it, pop it into my dock. The reason I suggest the DISM command is because it seems to work for problems that SFC cannot touch.

Good Luck!

 

[caperjack]

it has been said many time on this forum that sfc /scannow should be run at least 3 time when trying to fix system file errors /

 

[highstream]

JPlay with foobar will give a chance to control volume on the fly (I added Ctrl-+/- keystrokes in Prefs), hear what JPlay can really do with the ASIO/JPlay driver, as well as allow you to test the different JPlay engines. Assuming reasonably decent equipment, of course. If you have questions, its developers monitor their forum closely. OTOH, be warned that telling anyone at foobar you're using JPlay may get you visitors in the middle of the night...

Btw, did you see this article yesterday: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/garden/the-new-audio-geeks.html. I'm finding Spotify free pretty decent, the occasional short spoken ad not bothersome.

caperjack, I did two or three scannow runs before the in-place refresh, but none since. Thanks for that info.

 

[highstream]

After running sfc/scannow three times with the same result, I turned to DISM, but neither the CBS nor DISM log shows any errors. On reboot, Admin Events still shows the same six errors I listed earlier. Oh well... Thanks,

 

[XweAponX]

Well, next step, show us your ASIO configuration and maybe we can find the optimal settings. How sophisticated is your USB audio device? It looks like a high-end audio device, and as with all audio devices, you just have to play with the settings until you get peak performance.

Also, on one of my Windows 8 systems I have almost 66,000 error messages in the applications log. I have to keep clearing the logs out once a week. But the system is not degraded at all, it's this one Bonjour service error, but my Bonjour works perfect, I've using it in VLC Streamer, VLC Remote and Mobile Mouse Pro. The SQM error I saw in your original post had to do with a test file being uploaded and failing. But if the program which depends on the SQL server is running fin,e I would just ignore it.

I had read somewhere I could install Pro Tools 8 or 9 with ASIO4all, and be able to run it. I tried it, but it didn't work. I run Pro Tools 6.4 with a Digi 001 on my DAW, it has it's own ASIO panel. I've got extra drivers to allow the DIGI to be seen in Windows Media Player and I use that sometimes to listen to mixes. But that's the extant of my ASIO experience. It sounds to me like you know what you are doing with your own system. I'd play with the settings, it may be a buffering setting being set too low. I have my Digi buffers set to the highest size possible and I haven't had a crash for years.

 

[highstream]

Not sure what you mean by ASIO configuration, but screenshot attached from foobar.

My foobar forum thread about sound cutout in the first 20-25 seconds with CDs got responses about buffer size. Foobar's buffer length default is 1000ms. Testing with both ASIO/JPlay and the Amanero device setting, but I found the threshhold for ending cutouts was 700-800ms, depending on a few factors (mine's now set at 800ms). Some recommended 1500ms and be done with it. But there's a catch there, as the foobar Wiki points out:

"High buffer sizes offer stronger protection against glitches but introduce side effects such as long delay between changing DSP settings (eg. adjusting equalizer bands) and changes in sound output." (I don't use DSP)

For me, higher buffer lengths mean when I stop, pause, change volume, move the play location, etc., there are delays, shorter or longer depending on the buffer size. With their volume control, the delay becomes impossible to deal with. Since the cutouts were occurring in the first 25 seconds, I think my real problem had to do with the interplay of CD/DVD player (Plextor, supposedly the best), foobar and maybe Win 8. One of Audioengine's engineers wrote me that cutout had been reported by others using Win 8 and their dac, without foobar or JPlay). One of JPlay's developers also weighed in, in the opposite direction for buffer length:

"first of all foobar buffer of 500ms is too much – it may well be the reason for 'delay' you see – if you can't get foobar working with smaller then 5sec buffer something is terribly wrong…."

They base that on what they have heard from users on the forums and privately. I couldn't find anything on the forums to support that, though.

 

[XweAponX]

Isn't there a settings panel for Jplay running in the taskbar? You'll want to set the buffers are high as you can. My Digi has a DAE Playback Buffer, I have it set at level four, the second highest setting. When I had it set at the default setting, it would crash constantly.

 

[highstream]

JPlay buffer settings haven't shown any effect on this issue, more previously on general computer use.

 

[XweAponX]

Then it would be in the panel you made the image of, look for any buffer settings. Cos that's what the Crash during Playback sounds like. You should use the 64 bit drivers with high priority, you are in a 64 bit system right?

OK - I just installed Foobar 2000, there is a setting for Buffer Size. Try increasing it until the playback stops freezing. It's in the Playback settings under Output, "Increase Buffer Length" - Bring that up to about twice that of default.

 

[highstream]

At 800ms, the cutouts are gone while the freezes, assuming they are related, remain random and more or less frequent, i.e., none today, two yesterday, none the day before, one the day before, then seven the day before that, and none the day before that (13 hours of foobar play). And that assumes that all freezes are related to by foobar, which I know is not the case. For example, there were two yesterday that appeared related to mouse batteries running out; there have been occasional ISP internet dropouts for quite some time, which was hopefully fixed systemwide Wed night; and occasionally a website, perhaps a video or javascript that Opera Presto version can't handle, causes some.

So sure, I could lengthen the buffer, but that would likely be a long-term test while in the meantime the higher buffer (above 800 ms here) would increasingly make foobar harder to use, to the point - somewhere between 1200-1500ms - where it becomes effectively impossible.

 

[XweAponX]

Yah you just have to find the settings where it works the best. The Foobar forums ought to be helpful for that, what you need is input from people who use the same audio device.

 

[highstream]

Not an open, friendly place:

JPLAY Responds: An Open Letter | AudioStream
What is foobar's position on Jplay? - Hydrogenaudio Forums (link removed but point clear)

 

[XweAponX]

I had heard that, sorry to say. I fiddled with my settings and I think I found the best buffer length, about 2200ms. It will differ for your device, you may be able to use a huge value in there. With my Digi, the values are all preset into the ASIO panel, there are only 4 to 5 settings for Buffer size for recording and playback. Recording is what really uses up the buffer, but I like to keep it high for playback too.

 

[highstream]

With JPlay, I've come to suspect the different engines handle buffer length differently. According to developer Josef, the "differences are in memory management and (for ultra) network synchronisation." Somewhere in the forums he says Xtream is the most demanding on computer processing. Just did a quick search on the JPlay forum for "engine" and found others experiencing similar issues and wondering about buffer settings with foobar and other players.