Sound Glitches, Slowdown After Update

[Mvega]

It's a laptop, I don't believe I'll find any driver updates. There's 11 gigs free on the 60 gig C: drive.

No residents running -- I keep a tight ship, turn off all of these stealth programs as the pop up. Never had any problem with this computer (or any of my other computers).

Just had a weird event -- the screen suddenly turned a bluish/purple (I'm colorblind), sort of like the blue of the windows welcome screen. Coincidence?

[CraigB]

What sound card is installed in the system eg( realtek ) ?
Also have you run a removal tool to eliminate the leftovers of any earlyer and preinstalled factory av's http://singularlabs.com/uninstallers/security-software/

[ady4um]

Whether updated drivers, or reinstalling anew the latest drivers available, could help. Generally, you should be able to find the relevant drivers in the manufacturer's web site, where the exact model of laptop is (maybe in some "old models" section or alike).

About the 11GB free space of 60GB, that is less than 20%. Windows has the tendency of start working in some different ways when you have less than 30% of free space.

For example, if you were to have 1 partition of 500GB with 100GB of free space, it would still be 20%. So even if 100GB is a lot, it is still 20%.

This is how Windows works, and for you to make it work correctly with "so little free space"  is not so simple.

So try anyway updating (or refreshing) the drivers from the manufacturer's web site, and try making some additional free space.

[Mvega]

Well, this is all a lot of work -- reconfiguring my entire system, which works perfectly fine without Avast (and worked fine before the latest 'update') -- just to get Avast to behave itself.

I can't blame Avast so much -- computers have moved on a lot since I bought this one. But at this point, I think the solution is to look for an antivirus that doesn't take over my entire system (until I get around to replacing this computer). I used to use AVG, until that turned into bloatware. I'm afraid Avast is going the same route.

[Lisandro]

I used to use AVG, until that turned into bloatware. I'm afraid Avast is going the same route.

Why? Just because your system reject it?
Difficult to say as you insist on keeping the old SP2...

[ady4um]

Please run the removal utility specific for old AVG so to delete any remnants.

[Mvega]

I used to use AVG, until that turned into bloatware. I'm afraid Avast is going the same route.

Why? Just because your system reject it?
Difficult to say as you insist on keeping the old SP2...

You haven't been reading: I've done the SP3 update. This didn't really help much -- my computer remains slow. If I turn off Avast, my computer behaves normally.

It is possible that my computer is the only computer in the world having trouble with the latest version of Avast. But I doubt it. I suspect this version has a bug in it that is masked by faster processors and larger memory of newer systems.

[ady4um]

We can't say if avast has a bug "just" for the behaviour seen in your system.

For example, if some remnant of previous security tools is still causing some conflict with your current avast, then who is really causing this? Is it avast, or the remnants? In such case, disabling avast's shields you see the same effect, but avast may not be the culprit.

Some other situations similar to that one are possible. Don't get me wrong; it is still possible that avast has a bug. The point is that we need to find out where exactly the real culprit is located, instead of just showing some general consequences.

The removal utilities for older security tools that were already uninstalled was already suggested. A clean up of all your previous versions of avast was also suggested. If you want to report about these steps, we will try to continue with you narrowing down the source of problem.

[Mvega]

After two weeks of fussing with this computer, I've found the problem:

Windows somehow got switched into PIO mode. I was able to find a script to fix the registry here: http://winhlp.com/tools/resetdma.vbs

I don't know if Avast caused this -- perhaps it is merely a coincidence that Avast shut itself down (and prompted me to update) on the same day Windows decided it was time to go into PIO mode.

I like Avast (right now I have AVG installed) but I'll wait for a new version to come out before trying it again.

[ady4um]

Avast has nothing to do with the mode of your storage ports; not in the BIOS nor in your OS. At most, avast was indirectly (and unintentionally) *showing* you the problem, but was not the source of it.

JFYI, before reinstalling avast (whenever you do), uninstall any other security tool and run the respective removal utility (http://singularlabs.com/uninstallers/security-software/) under Windows Safe Mode. This will reduce conflicts between security tools.

[Mvega]

Windows will go into PIO mode automatically after a certain number of disc access events it reads as errors (I believe the number is six). This seems to happen with bad CDs/DVDs especially.

I don't see how Avast could have been responsible for this either -- I'd assumed it was, because the problems started after the update.

I still think it's strange that 1) Avast turned itself off and 2) the sound icon disappeared from the taskbar -- at the same time Windows switched to PIO mode.

If nothing else, I've spent the last few days cleaning up my computer, it's running as fast as it did when it was brand new (four years ago).

[ady4um]

The DMA mode could be deactivated (changed to PIO mode), but that is not for filesystem problems. You should review your cable connections to your storage ports. You could even try the HDD manufacturer's tool for hardware checking.

The clicking and the sound icon is probably because the PIO mode. It may have been using the same resources that the sound card was trying to use. When your storage works in DMA mode, the conflict (with resources) stops, and the clicking too.

BTW, HDD physical problems can have "clicking" sounds too, but they are clearly different from sounds coming from the OS (or the sound card). They clearly come from the HDD itself.

[YoKenny]

Please read:
DMA reverts to PIO
http://winhlp.com/node/10