Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

[SegundoBob]

I use Windows 2000 Version 5.00.2195 with Service Pack 5 on a computer with 512MB of RAM. Most of the time and under most circumstances dBpower AMP (version 9.a? You should have a help|about menu.) works very well for me. But I suffer unpredictable system hangs that require a hardware reboot. That is, the cursor doesn't respond and Ctrl-Alt-Del does not respond.

I have not suffered any system hangs associated with any other program on my system--only with dBpower AMP.

Unpredictably when I start Microsoft-Money (both version 2002 and 2004) while dBpower AMP is playing music, the system hangs.

At least sometimes (perhaps every time) when I start NoteTab Light version 4.92 or MobileDB-PC version 3.02 while dBpower AMP is playing music, the system hangs.

URL for NoteTab Light http://www.notetab.com/ntl.php

URL for MobileDB-PC http://www.handmark.com/products/detail.php?id=1

The following are brief notes I made immediately after several of these hangs:

2004/03/04 Th
I had dBpower Amp playing music when I started NoteTab Light. The system immediately crashed and I had to hit the reboot button.

2004/02/25 W 15:35

I had dBpower Amp playing music when I started MobileDB-PC. The system immediately crashed and I had to hit the reboot button.

2004/01/20 T 16:00

I was playing music using dbPowerAmp when I ran MobileDB-PC. Clicking on a MobileDB-PC data base file was the last thing I was able to do. The system locked and would not respond to anything. So I rebooted.

2004/01/??

For the first time since doubling the RAM in the back computer from 256MB to 512MB, the system hung when I started Microsoft-Money while dbPowerAMP was playing music. The system doesn't hang every time I start Microsoft-Money while playing music with dbPowerAMP.

[Spoon]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

Just to be clear you are talking about dAP (audio player) as apposed to dMC (Music Converter) which is 9a.

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

Just to be clear you are talking about dAP (audio player) as apposed to dMC (Music Converter) which is 9a.

Yes, my problem is with dAP (audio player). Sorry for the confusion.

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

Yesterday I noticed that only one of my two computers suffers from my dAP problems. Both computers run Windows 2000 version 5.00.2195 Service Pack 4. Both computers have 512MB of RAM. But the computers differ in hardware and installed applications. I have no idea why one computer suffers from dAP problems and the other one does not.

Sorry I can't tell you how to predictably cause the problem.

[Spoon]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

First look to update any sound card drivers, then perhaps dAP Options Menu >> Amp and set the output to the other option.

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

There are no updates available for my sound card driver. Changing the dAP output from WAVE to DIRECTX had no effect on my problem.

Since I was checking for updates, I downloaded and installed several. The only update of possible interest was a DIRECTX update which drastically changed the "driver details" for my sound card driver. But this update had no effect on my problem.

Eliminating all the driver parts that were changed by the DIRECTX update and all the driver parts that are the same on both my computer systems, leaves one file as the probable source of my problems: adm8820.sys (Microsoft version 5.00.2169.1). My driver is identified as Aureal Vortex 8820 Audio (WDM).

I have been testing by starting dAP and then starting NoteTab Light. This has hung my system about 28 times out of 30.

If I start NoteTab Light and then start dAP, no hang occurs.

[Unregistered]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

There are no updates available for my sound card driver. Changing the dAP output from WAVE to DIRECTX had no effect on my problem.

Since I was checking for updates, I downloaded and installed several. The only update of possible interest was a DIRECTX update which drastically changed the "driver details" for my sound card driver. But this update had no effect on my problem.

Eliminating all the driver parts that were changed by the DIRECTX update and all the driver parts that are the same on both my computer systems, leaves one file as the probable source of my problems: adm8820.sys (Microsoft version 5.00.2169.1). My driver is identified as Aureal Vortex 8820 Audio (WDM).

I have been testing by starting dAP and then starting NoteTab Light. This has hung my system about 28 times out of 30.

If I start NoteTab Light and then start dAP, no hang occurs.

This is off the wall, but you could have bad RAM (hardware) in your computer. Spoon's software might be taxing it beyond what you normally do.

Here is a utility to test your RAM...

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Mti

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

Thanks. My DRAM is fine.

Any suggestions, Spoon?

[Spoon]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

Make sure any gapless or crossfade option is off.

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

In the "Multiplayer" submenu both the Crossfade box and the Gapless check-boxes are blank.

[Spoon]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

What are your audio files, mp3, wma?

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

My files are 90% .APE and 10% .MP3

[ChaOsMinsTreL]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

Hmm i seemed to have the same problem a long time ago and it was my cpu, my bro had to reseat it. Try installing the dMC. If it crashes in the middle of the installation then its a cpu problem. Also try converting some stuff, it should freeze eventually. Any other hangs that you notice?

[SegundoBob]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

I can install DMC without hanging. I have converted a great many files without hanging. I have not suffered any system hangs other than the dAP (audio player) hangs that this thread concerns.

Does anyone know how my sound card driver (Aureal Vortex 8820 Audio (WDM)) interacts with NoteTab Light and Microsoft-Money? And why does starting dAP first (that is, starting my sound card driver first) and NoteTab Light second hang, but starting NoteTab Light first and dAP second NOT hang?

[Spoon]

Re: Windows 2000 unpredictable hangs requiring reboot

The only difference would be the ram location the programs are using. Not that they should conflict (in Win2000 no program can access the memory of another program).

Try looking at Page File size / location