Computer help needed: Intermittent buzzing/crackling sound

[deevergote]

While listening to music (Winamp) or watching videos (Windows Media) I get this annoying buzzing/crackling occasionally. It usually only lasts a few seconds, and I can hear everything underneath of it... However, since it happens with my music AND my video, I know it's not the files. It has to be something with the computer!

I don't think it's the wires, because I don't touch a thing and it goes on and off... a bad wire would only cause problems if it were touched, no?

I have minimal programs running in the backgroud (I have a gig of ddr ram anyway, so that shouldn't be an issue)

Does anyone have any clue what it might be? Here's my setup:

Windows 2000
AMD Athlon XP umm... I forget... like 1.8ghz I think. (got bait-and-switched when I bought it, and I can't remember what I got suckered into!)
1gig DDR ram
Creative Soundblaster soundcard... an older model (bought new in 2001 I think)
Simple 2 piece harman/kardon speakers, a year old.





Also, while you computer gurus are looking... I can't seem to stay online without resetting my cable modem every few minutes. The lights on the modem seem to show that it's working fine, but without a reset every now and then it just kicks me off. I feel like I'm back in my AOL days! Any suggestions there would be great too! I'm about to take this stupid modem (Terayon TJ715x) back to Comcast!

[Accord R33]

do you have your cell phone near? even in your pocket, it can create interference in the speakers. and it does it every few min. depending on the phone.

as for the modem deal, is this a new modem and/or service? if you dont register your MAC address with comcast they tend to send kill signals out to stop unauthorized use of their network...like routers (which is against comcast policy)

[deevergote]

It WAS working with my router just fine. The troubles started since I disconnected the router though, oddly!

As for my phone, I've already put it upstairs. I know that cell phone interference sound all too well! I often forget and put it next to my clock radio when I go to bed... yeah... that's a nice sound to wake up to! It does sort of sound like that though. Not with the same sort of pattern, but the way it comes in and goes out is similar. Could my router (wireless) be interfering? That's still plugged in next to the computer. I'm going to unplug that and see... shouldn't be it, but who knows?

[wlfpck]

first i think you might have the athlon xp 2000+ or the 2100+

my old comp is running the 1900+ and it sits at a nice 1.67 ghz

Could it be your hard drive. Because my friend had this weird problem too. It turned out to be a certain portion on the hard drive was screwed up. Everytime he tries to acesss the data in that sector, the disk would hum and make this loud clicking noise.

[chile]

sound card, maybe?

[deevergote]

It's definitely a through-the-program sound... not a hardware sound.

I suppose it could be the soundcard, but I don't know how to find out... other than buying another one!

Actually, I think I may be running through the onboard sound ports... I'll have to try re-installing the drivers for the sound card and hooking that up properly.

[accordaffair]

Like accord r33 said, its your cell phone. Happens to me all the time. Just try to keep your cell as far from the computer as you can. Strong cell interference jiggles the monitor picture as well if its too close. I thought about setting my phone in an aluminum foil shell while I'm on the computer..but I thought that might prevent me from recieving calls as well....

not like anyone calls me but still...

[AccordAnimal]

Like accord r33 said, its your cell phone. Happens to me all the time. Just try to keep your cell as far from the computer as you can. Strong cell interference jiggles the monitor picture as well if its too close. I thought about setting my phone in an aluminum foil shell while I'm on the computer..but I thought that might prevent me from recieving calls as well....

not like anyone calls me but still...

How do we know for sure it's the cell phone? It could vary likly be your sound card, but first isolate it.

[accordaffair]

I know, for me, it is my cell phone. Every so often it sends/recieves some signal. Maybe to check for voicemail, I don't know what. If I pull the cell phone away, it fades away. If I put the cell phone closer, it gets worse. That's how I know in my case.

Deevers case may be different, but I'm confident it is the same, because it sounds like me describing the problem before I found out what it was.

Note: It also does it to unshielded TV speakers, home theatre, etc.

[accordaffair]

Additionally, I would get a motorola surfboard cable modem from walmart. Can't go wrong with these if you ask me.

I have wireless G in the house, I haven't noticed it interfering with any of our speakers, but I'm unsure about it.

[Mealsy]

Deevergote already said his phone was placed away from the computer. wlfpck might be onto something. When does the sound start?/Is it always the same program?

[starchland]

possibly a grounding issue maybe?

[93CB7]

For the disconnection problem; have you tried doing a ipconfig/release ipconfig/renew?

[chessboxer]

do you have a video cable running as an audio cable and vice versa? i know that i had a video cable running where an audio cable was supposed to and i got that interference issue. i can imagine that the same is done when its an audio cable in a video cables place.
probably not, but its always worth a shot.

[AccordAnimal]

Give us an update Deev