Resolved Audio stutters when moving mouse.

The audio track on YouTube video clips, and on some non-YouTube audio only tracks, jitters/stutters when I move the mouse cursor and is even worse when I scroll the screen.

It's something which has started only recently but I can't associate it with any changes which I may have made to my system.

When I retrieve such a file from the Temporary Internet file folder, or play a downloaded clip or track, the audio seems to be unaffected.

Why do I get the annoying jitter when listening via the browser (IE8)?

My XP Home SP3 includes all critical updates.


Edit: I have just tried listening to a YouTube clip in Chrome and in Firefox with the same results.

 

Hi, Robert here, I just registered just to chime in on this, I got the very same problem on XP SP3 and it started just a few days ago. While watching Youtube videos and moving the mouse / scrolling I get stuttering sound. Using Firefox and Opera the problem is about the same (a little less in Opera) With Task Manager open I see enormous CPU spikes when moving the mouse / scrolling a Youtube window. The Audio jitter corresonds to these spikes. Never had an issue like that before. The problem is the same on vimeo actually it's worse there, cant watch vimeo videos at all anymore...
On this laptop the only thing I updated quite recently is the flash player and just now I tried the very latest version. It's not exactly the latest hardware but it was good enough for youtube until the other day. I suspect it's the flash players fault. I think some young gun with a big boom computer will never realize what bc bloatcode he just "released ". Is there a way to downgrade? I'll check that next.
-Robert

 

Did you try using Windows' "System Restore" to roll Windows back to a previous state when your computer was functioning correctly?

• Microsoft.com > System Restore > XP

System Restore helps you restore your computer's system files to an earlier point in time. It's a way to undo system changes to your computer without affecting your personal files, such as e-mail, documents, or photos.

Sometimes, the installation of a program or a driver can cause an unexpected change to your computer or cause Windows to behave unpredictably. Usually, uninstalling the program or driver corrects the problem. If uninstalling doesn't fix the problem, you can try restoring your computer's system to an earlier date when everything worked correctly.

 

Thank you Spyware Dr.

My system restore is disabled and even if, I wouldn't want to try that, things aint THAT bad.

I just found out (and observed recently when I put a clean new XP on another machine), that youtube videos played even before I installed a flash player (while vimeo videos still demanded I have to install a player).

I now removed the flash player from my system and while vimeo still asks for me to install a player, youtube videos do in fact play but horribly slow and stuttery (far worse than before and maxing out my cpu).

I right-clicked on the video just to find I am now "participating" in a "HTML5" Test. Wow, I'm glad I got chosen. - Didn't dive deeper into that.

Still trying to find a download for an older version of flash player that is just a few weeks or so old. Got one developer pack downloading as I type, allegedly with the player included.

I suspect the folks are messing with their player. I don't like that.



EDIT: Made a final post that has now to be checked by Admin before it appears below. Trying to add the info this way: Downgrading the flash player did the trick for youtube, butter smooth video and sound again, vimeo does not work for me at the moment but right now I don't care about that, point is it's the players fault (it's been the only thing changed on this system in months anyway)


EDIT 2:

Hi again,

I used this uninstaller:

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html

and then the exe installer from the 10.3.183.15 version downloadable here:

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html

Sorry, all I can do is put this here as an edit since my posts have to be reviewed by moderator first.

-Robert

 

Alright, I downgraded to flash player 10_3r183_15 from a developer package and voila youtube smooth as butter...

Vimeo instead won't run for me at the moment, in Firefox it does load the preview pic and nothing more. In Opera it goes further, asks me to click to activate but when I press the play button then it gives me info (with smooth scrolling and fading background image) that there was an error loading the video, so atm I'm not exactly sure whether maybe vimeo has an issue or blocked me out due to hammering certain links?

Anyway point proven, they're messin with the flash player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWTieCjUhVw

Cheers, I'm off this mission for now, just wanna watch stupid fail videos until my severe cold gets better *cough*
-Bob

 

Thank you Evan.

I installed the latest Flash player and noticed no difference. A search for updated audio drivers gave the "no better match found" message. But I'm not a believer in updating drivers if they have been working satisfactorily until now anyway. I don't see the sense in it.

Since I flush the restore points every now and then I don't know if I have one which would take me back very far, although I haven't tried yet.

Firehouse's posts are interesting. I shall have a search for older Flash versions and install if I find one.

 

Hi again,

I used this uninstaller:

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html

and then the exe installer from the 10.3.183.15 version downloadable here:

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html

-Robert

 

I installed an earlier version. Results in Firefox and Chrome are now normal but IE8 coughs up the message.

"The Adobe Flash Player or an HTML5 supported browser is required for video playback. Get the latest Flash Player. Learn more about upgrading to an HTML5 browser"

I shall now try uninstalling that version, following the instructions on the Flash web site, and reinstall the latest one.

 

I removed the older version of Flash, 10.3.183.11, and installed the latest version again. The audio stutters in all three browsers.

I had fairly recently installed Skype, but it wasn't allowed to start with Windows. I would start it with a shortcut. I thought, even though it wasn't running, that it might be having some effect, so I installed it too. But it hasn't made any difference.

I just uninstalled the latest Flash, so I don't have any version installed now. Audio still stutters in all three browsers.

Hmmm, what can I try now?

 

If I had the time right now I would try different older versions. They bring one out every other week, I'm hoping one of the recent ones will do the trick and work for vimeo.com as well...

Btw afaik IE needs another version of flash player as opposed to the flash version for plug-in based brwosers like Firefox or Opera.

Hope this helps, will try myself the following days.
-Robert

 

Thank you both for you responses.

Evan, the clean boot instructions don't include XP, and Use Original BOOT.INI is not greyed out when Selective Startup is selected. This is contrary to what the link says with regard to Vista or 7.

 

Hi guys, I've just signed up to report that I have this exact same problem and have experienced it for a few weeks now. Whenever I move the mouse whilst streaming a YouTube video (or worse still, scroll the page) the audio stutters quite badly

Interestingly I'm using XP SP3, too. I'm using Firefox primarily, but it also happens to a lesser extent on Chrome and Opera. I also have the latest Flash Player

I'm not great on computers so hope one of you are able to find a solution to this problem

Thanks,
James

 

I heard from a local guy today (also xp sp3) his problem started yesterday after giving in to update the flash player...

Only option seems to roll back manually (described above) or maybe report to Adobe and wait for them to fix it.

Like I mentioned before, after a rollback to an earlier version Youtube works fine again. Only Vimeo refuses to load videos, so something is still wrong. And Internet Explorer needs his own new install. There's a different flash player install for Internet Explorer and all the other plugin-based browsers.

I don't have the time atm to work on an absolute solution, maybe I'll leave it like that and try new flash player updates as they arrive...

 

Really? No trap? Cause that's a first! Usually people get bashed (don't know about here but usually any other forum does that) if the user didn't use search before etc...