W2000 Sound playing too fast

[Rabadubdub]

Hi y'all, I'm new here so I hope I've picked the right people to ask..

(I should tell you it's my buddy's system and, he's not online).

The Problem:

As the title suggests, ALL sound is playing about 10% too fast, regardless of video file, cda, mp3 or software used..

The System:

Compaq DeskPro P733 system; originally shipped with W98se, now fresh install of W2000 Pro (by someone else).

Intel PIII 733Mhz cpu

256MB pc133Ram

CDROM and CDRW - no DVD

There is both an unused Modem and Ethernet NIC. (disabled after fault found))

The sound is by way of embedded Intel 82801AA audio controller. I've updated the chipset drivers, and the O/S offline with SP4 and hotfix Rollup1 v2. He's not online at the moment.

I got all the drivers I could from the compaq website page dedicated to this model, but only sound update was for embedded Creative SB128 - none for Intel audio!!

The problem is there no matter which software is used to play sounds and, is same whether video-sound from file or just audio from cd-rom, and in different programs.

DirectX (9c) diagnostics (dxdiag) says that hardware buffering not possible, so problem with Midi-Mapper and MS GM Wavetable synth in direct sound tests.

The system was originally W98se now full W2000 installed. Problem wasn't there under 98se.

Nothing else stuck out as wrong setting apart from the curious two items on IRQ17 and 19..?! (max 15, surely?) No SCSI items.

..and AC97 resources on addresses 200F and 204F.

According to Ref guide, settings should be standard:

base I/O - 220h

FM synth - 388-38Bh

Interupt - IRQ5

DMA - Channel1

Couldn't find these settings anywhere in device manager/ sound, etc., devices. I don't know how I could have missed it if it is in there somewhere.

The fact that it's playing about 10% faster suggests that the common sample rate of 44.1KHz is being output at 48KHz (or is it MHz?).. but as it doesn't matter which software is used, I'm at a loss as to where the output setting can be.

I'm new to W2000 myself, so any help appreciated.

Rab

ps-I've copied most of this from my post in PC Q&A forum

[Mijzelf]

Strange sound issues are sometimes solved by lowering the hardware acceleration for sound with dxdiag.

[teamster1975]

I've come across this before with a QDI motherboard.

The intel drivers double the sound frequency, I installed SoundMAX drivers and problem solved.

http://www.qdigrp.com/qdisite/driver/utili...d/ad1881Wdm.zip

Regards,

Matt

[Rabadubdub]

Thanks for the info guys..

Mijzelf - I had thought of that, but reducing H/W Acceleration didn't seem to have any effect, unfortunately.

Matt - The Audio Sub-system uses the AD1885 Audio Codec apparently, whereas your link is for the 1881, and I'm reluctant to install something I'm not certain will work with this specific codec/controller combo on someone else's machine.. tho' not sure even that will address the playback speed error.. and as it's not a QDI board (my own is) think that one may be tweaked accordingly. I think there was some mention of SoundMax software in documentation somewhere. Need to go over them again to check that out.

A contributer on another site suggested it was RealTek based codec, but haven't verified that.

It's a pig that Compaq insist on re-labelling everything as a "Compaq Part" making it difficult for identification of original manufacturers of Mboard, etc., tho' I have got the diagram, and a bit more info, if any of this helps..

".. AC97 Audio Controller is a PCI device (31/ch5) integrated into 82801 ICH component with 16bit PCM output @ 48Khz and ACPI Power Management

-and-

"all control functions are controlled by software over the PCI bus through the Audio Controller.. Control Data and Audio streams are transferred between Controller and Codec over AC97 LinkBus."

-and-

"the Sample Rate Generator may be set upto 48Khz"... but no mention of how to access the settings!

Also came across a section which discussed APIC vs 8259 Mode Maskable interrupt handling - I don't fully understand where this may affect things but, as APIC mode allows for up to 24 IRQs, it is probably responsible for strange (to me) IRQ No.s 17 and 19, mentioned earlier.

Do any gurus there think changing to 8259 mode might just be all that's needed or, is there definitely driver issues which need addressed first anyway?

Sorry about the saga but, as the guy is not pc-literate at all, and stays a bit away, trying to cover as many angles in one sitting as poss.

Thanks for your patience.

Rab

Edited June 8, 2007 by Rabadubdub

[Rabadubdub]

Just had a thought of major importance, probably.. the W2000 is running on a Fat32 system NOT NTFS..

D'oh!!

So.. who wants to be first to say "Aah! That explains everything! ..now here's what you do..", then?

Rab

ps-I run Millennium

Edited June 8, 2007 by Rabadubdub

[teamster1975]

I found a link to the AD1885 driver on driverguide; Win2K version!!

http://members.driverguide.com/driver/deta...?driverid=53425

It's an analogue devices codec.

Matt

Edited June 8, 2007 by teamster1975

[Rabadubdub]

That's great, Matt, ..the perfect solution by the looks of it.

I've used that site so often it could have been my first port of call.

I also found this precise question answered on HP/Compaq forum search here -

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/...threadId=320807

I really am getting sloppy in my old age.

I think the AD1885 will be the first solution and, if not successful, looks like Menheer Postma's advice from the compaq forum should do it.

I'll report the success or otherwise next week - have to go away for the weekend.

Thanks for everyone's help

Rab

[Rabadubdub]

Well I finally got back to the machine (he's a hard man to pin down) and I did get it fixed:

I upgraded the BIOS first (had a corrupted ntdetect.com file preventing boot from floppy, so had to repair-install w2k again), reinstalled SP4 and Rollup1v2, then uninstalled the audio controller and installed the AD1885 driver and, again reinstalled DirectX 9.

Hey Presto! All singing, all dancing SoundMax system.. at the right speed!

Closure.

Thanks for your help, guys.. here and at pcqanda.

Rab