[SOLVED] Sound Crackling Windows 8.1

[Rydher]

I'm not really sure what you need from me but any sound, music, games, etc playing through my speakers or headphones (used both front and rear audio jacks) has this annoying crackling sound. After reading solutions on here and other places it seems beyond my meager troubleshooting skills to solve. This is a fresh install of Windows 8.1, brand new PC with updated BIOS and every driver I could find. So unsure where to go from here I do have this from LatencyMon. Please help, thank you.

REPORTED DPCs
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DPC routines are part of the interrupt servicing dispatch mechanism and disable the possibility for a process to utilize the CPU while it is interrupted until the DPC has finished execution.
Highest DPC routine execution time (µs): 14739.410
Driver with highest DPC routine execution time: ndis.sys - Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS), Microsoft Corporation
Highest reported total DPC routine time (%): 0.051958
Driver with highest DPC total execution time: nvlddmkm.sys - NVIDIA Windows Kernel Mode Driver, Version 337.88 , NVIDIA Corporation
Total time spent in DPCs (%) 0.179271
DPC count (execution time <250 µs): 823942
DPC count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 500-999 µs): 4580
DPC count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 132
DPC count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 32
DPC count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0

 

[TomasD]

Dear,

To properly troubleshoot issues with high/frequent DPCs/IRPs, we require a XPERF trace. Please follow these steps to generate one:

1. Download Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows and run the setup.
2. Select Windows Performance Toolkit feature (all the others can be unchecked) and proceed with the download/installation.
3. Once the installation finishes, open an elevated Command Prompt by right-clicking on CMD.EXE shortcut in your start menu and selecting Run As Administrator from the context menu.
4. Type the following command, which will start tracing, in the Command Prompt window you just opened:
   

   xperf -on PROC_THREAD+LOADER+PROFILE+INTERRUPT+DPC+DRIVERS+POWER+IDLE_STATES -stackwalk Profile -BufferSize 1024 -MinBuffers 256 -MaxBuffers 256 -MaxFile 256 -FileMode Circular

   If you see a yellow warning "xperf: warning: This system is not fully configured for x64 stack tracing" after running the above command, please complete these extra steps (otherwise, proceed to the step #5):
   
   Read More:

   1. Run the following command which will stop the tracing:
      

      xperf -stop

   2. Run the following command to enable stack tracing (by disabling Paging Executive):
      

      REG ADD "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" -v DisablePagingExecutive -d 0x1 -t REG_DWORD -f

   3. Reboot the computer
   4. Once computer reboots, proceed from the step #3
   If you see a red error "xperf: error: NT Kernel Logger: A device attached to the system is not functioning. (0x1f)" after running the above command, please complete these extra steps (otherwise, proceed to the step #5):
   
   Read More:

   
   

   1. Run the following command to disable Driver Verifier, which causes the above error:
      

      verifier /reset

   2. Reboot the computer
   3. Once computer reboots, proceed from the step #3
   
   If you see a red error "xperf: error: NT Kernel Logger: Cannot create a file when that file already exists. (0xb7)", please do the following (otherwise, proceed to the step #5):
   
   Read More:

   
   Make sure you do not have any programs that captures ETW data already running. Some examples of these are:
   
   

   • Process Explorer
   • Process Hacker
   • Resource Monitor
   • Process Monitor
   • Latency Monitor
   • Another instance of XPERF or WPR
5. Perform some activities with your computer for few minutes, making sure the issues you reported are reproduced.
6. Run the following command, which will stop the tracing, in the command prompt window you already have opened:
   

   xperf -stop -d C:\CPU.etl

7. Compress file C:\CPU.etl
8. Upload the compressed file to a file sharing service (e.g. OneDrive or DropBox).
9. Share the download link here.

Thank you.

 

[Rydher]

Awesome, thank you so much. Here is the file.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y7j06e8gvvmzqzn/CPU.zip

 

[Rydher]

Just a bump to let you know I'm still here. :)

 

[TomasD]

Just a bump to let you know I'm still here. :)

Sorry for delay getting back to you.

Unfortunately, I cannot find anything to catch on in the trace. Could you please confirm you were playing audio and experiencing sound cracking during the capture?

 

[Rydher]

No worries, we are all busy people. :smile9:

Yes it was happening when I ran that trace. I was specifically using the streaming radio program that comes with Windows 8.1. I guess through Xbox Music? Either way I found something interesting because this crackling has been driving me nuts. When I run DPC Latency checker V1.3.0 the crackling static goes away. The moment I close the program it starts up again. Does that make any sense?

Should I run the trace again opening and closing the program? Thanks.

 

[Rydher]

Problem fixed. I have a Gigabyte X79-UP4 motherboard, so I went into the BIOS and changed these options. No idea which one did it, but at this point I don't really care.

No. of CPU cores enabled was set on Auto; changed to 6
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E) was set on Auto; changed to Disabled
C3 State Support was set on Auto; changed to Disabled
C6/C7 State Support was set on Auto; changed to Disabled

 

[TomasD]

Problem fixed. I have a Gigabyte X79-UP4 motherboard, so I went into the BIOS and changed these options. No idea which one did it, but at this point I don't really care.

No. of CPU cores enabled was set on Auto; changed to 6
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E) was set on Auto; changed to Disabled
C3 State Support was set on Auto; changed to Disabled
C6/C7 State Support was set on Auto; changed to Disabled

I'm really happy to hear to managed to solve the problem yourself. This is not the first time (e.g. the recent one) I'm seeing C-states configuration causing issues.

 

[souza.leandro]

Look for HPET option in BIOS. Disable it. :)

I'm not really sure what you need from me but any sound, music, games, etc playing through my speakers or headphones (used both front and rear audio jacks) has this annoying crackling sound. After reading solutions on here and other places it seems beyond my meager troubleshooting skills to solve. This is a fresh install of Windows 8.1, brand new PC with updated BIOS and every driver I could find. So unsure where to go from here I do have this from LatencyMon. Please help, thank you.

REPORTED DPCs
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DPC routines are part of the interrupt servicing dispatch mechanism and disable the possibility for a process to utilize the CPU while it is interrupted until the DPC has finished execution.
Highest DPC routine execution time (µs): 14739.410
Driver with highest DPC routine execution time: ndis.sys - Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS), Microsoft Corporation
Highest reported total DPC routine time (%): 0.051958
Driver with highest DPC total execution time: nvlddmkm.sys - NVIDIA Windows Kernel Mode Driver, Version 337.88 , NVIDIA Corporation
Total time spent in DPCs (%) 0.179271
DPC count (execution time <250 µs): 823942
DPC count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 500-999 µs): 4580
DPC count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 132
DPC count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 32
DPC count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0