Several persistent annoyances: Experts help me out!

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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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I have a few annoyances that I thought I would throw out to the experts for help! My XP/Linux box is running super stable, but these things are just irritating to me:

1) While my CD-ROM is running, my sound is choppy... Otherwise it is fine... for instance, if I have an MP3 playing and the CD-ROM starts spinning, I get bad choppiness in the sound. I tried to reinstall WinXP as a "Standard PC" with no ACPI (as his been suggested to me), but it hung on installation with this option each time. I HAD to select ACPI to get it to install. Also, I get occasional popping when certain apps start if the CD-ROM is running (for instance, when I get an IM the sound is crackly).

2) I no longer am able to do voice/video/file shares on MSN messenger. Each time I try to connect with another person/computer, it will eventually not work and say it is "disconnected" or some such thing. I suspect that it may be because I am running through a Wireless router (Linksys), but I am stoopid enuff to not know much about networking and how to resolve this.

3) I also have a laptop on my wireless network that can't seem to do file shares with my desktop. They can't find each other on the network, although I have managed to get the printer shared from my desktop box and the notebook is able to print remotely (although that sometimes doesn't work as well).

4) How long does it take to install things these days? For instance, it took about 20-25 minutes for MS Flight Sim 2002 to install on my machine...? maybe that is acceptable, but it seems really slow. I have a 52X CD-ROM and a 7200RPM HD installed. I used to be able to check the DMA status of my drives in control panel, but that seems to have gone away in XP. Do you think that I am not running things the right way, or am I just being impatient.

As usual, thanks for your help!
 
P

Psychoholic

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
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<< 1) While my CD-ROM is running, my sound is choppy... Otherwise it is fine... for instance, if I have an MP3 playing and the CD-ROM starts spinning, I get bad choppiness in the sound. I tried to reinstall WinXP as a "Standard PC" with no ACPI (as his been suggested to me), but it hung on installation with this option each time. I HAD to select ACPI to get it to install. Also, I get occasional popping when certain apps start if the CD-ROM is running (for instance, when I get an IM the sound is crackly). >>


Open up options for Media Player. Go to the devices tab, and select the device you're using. Then select Properties. Set Playback to Analog.



<< 2) I no longer am able to do voice/video/file shares on MSN messenger. Each time I try to connect with another person/computer, it will eventually not work and say it is "disconnected" or some such thing. I suspect that it may be because I am running through a Wireless router (Linksys), but I am stoopid enuff to not know much about networking and how to resolve this. >>


Can't help you here, I don't use messenger.



<< ) I also have a laptop on my wireless network that can't seem to do file shares with my desktop. They can't find each other on the network, although I have managed to get the printer shared from my desktop box and the notebook is able to print remotely (although that sometimes doesn't work as well). >>


Sharing Files/Printers between WinNT/Win2K and Win9x/ME



<< 4) How long does it take to install things these days? For instance, it took about 20-25 minutes for MS Flight Sim 2002 to install on my machine...? maybe that is acceptable, but it seems really slow. I have a 52X CD-ROM and a 7200RPM HD installed. I used to be able to check the DMA status of my drives in control panel, but that seems to have gone away in XP. Do you think that I am not running things the right way, or am I just being impatient. >>


Sounds like a DMA problem. You check it the same way as you do in W2K. Device Manager, then right click on the primary or secondary controller and select Properties. It's on the Advanced Settings tab.
Enabling DMA on hard drives and CDROMs
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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On #1: That didn't change anything... Also, system noises (not just MP3s, but the random bings and boings of Windows) are crackly while the CD is going.

On #3: I will take a close look at that FAQ. Thank you!

On #4: It appeared that half of my devices were in PIO mode and half in UDMA if available. I changed them all to UDMA if available. I'll see what happens and report back!

Thanks for the help.
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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Wow! Yes, enabling the DMA in the controllers fixed the speed issue! I can't believe I forgot where to do that at and was looking at the drives themselves! Also, it appears that enabling DMA has also solved the crackly problem... at least for now. I will report back for sure later after I put this through the wringer! Thanks again!
 
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Psychoholic

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
2,704
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76


<< Also, it appears that enabling DMA has also solved the crackly problem... at least for now. >>


DMA should take care of the crackling too. I misread your original post as it only happens when your listening to something on the CD-ROM. The PIO mode was killing that as well.
 
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Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
0
I haven't really messed with wireless routers but standard cable/DSL routers usually have a firewall built in. You should be able to tell the router to let traffic on certain ports through (like the ones MSN Messenger uses). I think Messenger uses TCP ports 6891-6900 for file transfers. Of course, if your router doesn't have a firewall the problem is elsewhere.
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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Yes, I believe that is the problem... where in Messenger do I find where certain things happen (voice, data transfers, etc.) so that I can get through this firewall?
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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My router uses NAT for security (and also to get around @Home's 1 IP per address). I've written to Linksys to see if they have a workaround.
 
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Warin

Senior member
Sep 6, 2001
270
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0
I've got a friend using a Linksys (non wireless) router for connection sharing on roadrunner. We've never been able to get the darn thing to allow outgoing file transfers (though I can send files to her easily), or any MSN Messenger/Netmeeting chat/video. We've done everything Linksys has suggested and nothing seems to work. So when we want to do NM, she throws her notebook directly onto the cablemodem for the duration.

If you ever get it to work, PM me with how.

Thanks
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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That doesn't bode well for me then as I'm using a Linksys wireless router. I checked their FAQs and there doesn't seem to be any information on this... I did send them an email, so if they come up with something that works, I'll certainly post...
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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Thanks... actually, I looked at that earlier also. There is about a 1 in 347 chance that I can translate that page into a workable solution for my situation.

Hopefully, someone can dumb down a solution that I can actually implement without screwing up something else!
 
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Trashman

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2000
2,040
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as much as I liked MSN Messenger's interface, I gave up tryin to get it to work, file transfers and stuff....I started to use Yahoo...file transfers and voice works without any problems with my linksys.
 
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GoldMember

Banned
Jan 13, 2002
454
0
0
About the long time to install MS FS2K2 .. you might need to update your motherboards 4in1 drivers.. or it's DMA drivers.. I have a RAID 0 setup and it sucked horribly until I updated the RAID controllers drivers.. I mean.. worse then 5400 RPM RAID 0 setup.. now it scores above ATA-100 7200RPM RAID 0.. and I'm 7200RPM ATA-66 RAID 0 :)
 
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michaelsaxon

Golden Member
Dec 1, 2000
1,235
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0
I got the long install times problem fixed... only one I'm still working through is the Messenger one.

Yes, my documentation does say how to open ports... is it as easy as that?
 
H

Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
0
It should be. That MS article has the ports listed that need to be open for file transfers. It's TCP ports 6891-6900. You may have to tell it the internal IP of your machine (Start>Run>cmd>ipconfig), but other than that it should work.
 
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TheWart

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 2000
5,219
1
76
i could be in left field, but was there not a windowsupdate fix for sharing video/audio in messenger, and for firewall/network compatibility?
 
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