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Question

What could be causing this issue ?

Sep 1, 2015 7:16AM PDT

This issue started months ago. It's something that affects Video & Audio streams on the internet : youtube & facebook videos only load for 5-10 seconds then freeze/buffer endlessly.
Thought it was a Software issue , so I tried to fix it myself : Changed browsers , Reinstalled Adobe Shockwave , Reinstalled Java , Used HTML5 , Disabled Hardware Acceleration , even Reformat Windows 7. Nothing worked , so I thought it's not a software issue.
Thought it might be an ISP issue so I changed DNS server to google public DNS. Not an ISP issue. (Note : My internet speed is 1000Mb/s , not slow connection problem !)
Thought the problem might be my router , but devices on Wi-Fi don't have this issue , and I also connected my laptop to my router (LAN) and it doesn't have this issue either. It's not my router.

Then it was pretty clear ... it's a hardware issue , or so I think. My question is : What hardware piece could be causing this issue , so I know to replace it ? I suspect it's the Motherboard.

Note : Had this issue for months , too lazy to fix it. Last month it fixed by itself somehow , but came back yesterday.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
1 gigabit internet? That's rare!
Sep 1, 2015 7:25AM PDT

Most folk I see make that claim are reporting the speed of the PC's connection to the router and not their internet speeds. Let's hear more about your ISP.

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Romanian Interent
Sep 1, 2015 7:46AM PDT

Romania is a country where internet speed is more developed than healthcare or education.
My ISP is called RCS & RDS. Here's a connection test I took just now : Not as fast as usual , but close enough.

The internet infrastructure is "fresh" here , so for an 1000Mb/s broadband speed you only pay 15Eu/month.

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Clarification Request
We have a lot of posts so far but litte is known about PC.
Sep 1, 2015 11:02AM PDT

I have the motherboard but no version or BIOS rev.
We have Windows 7 but a fresh install can lag for weeks as Microsoft downloads stuff.

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Answer
Why do you think it's your PC?
Sep 1, 2015 8:13AM PDT

What if the streaming source is overloaded?

Does it happen in Linux too?

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It only happens on my PC
Sep 1, 2015 8:24AM PDT

I tried everything software-wise , even reformatted my Windows and it fixed nothing , so I don't think it's software.
Other devices connected to my Internet ( Smartphone connected to WiFi , Laptop connected to Router(Lan) ) don't have this issue.
Only my PC does. And I suspect my motherboard because it was a pretty cheap one.
I don't have Linux installed , I only use Windows on it.

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You can put Linux on a DVD & boot up with it.
Sep 1, 2015 8:32AM PDT

As a diagnostic tool, you can get Mint Linux, put it on a DVD, and boot it up and running in 3 minutes without having to install anything. I use it when I want to see whether something's hardware or software or at times when Windows doesn't want to let me delete something. You can download the ISO for Mint Linux from here:
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php .
`
Good luck.
P.S. I sure envy that gigabit download speed you have! Happy

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Linux works fine
Sep 1, 2015 10:17AM PDT

Thanks for the tip! I've done it and Linux works fine indeed.
So I guess it must be a windows issue (not software , but OS)

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I see the Linux test boot USB/DVD is covered.
Sep 1, 2015 8:37AM PDT

You wrote you wiped and did over. I don't want to repeat how to install Windows then drivers and apps. You tell me your steps so I can see what I see missing.

I find a lot of folk can't install Windows or rather what we do after we install Windows today. It's not as if much changed since 1995 on this area. That is, I don't think Microsoft has made any headway there.

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The Install
Sep 1, 2015 8:52AM PDT

I have 3 partitions :
C: has Windows and Program Files
D: has work documents & files (no programs installed)
Z: has Games (only games installed)

Booted up my Windows 7 dvd , completely wiped C of everything it had. Instaleld windows on C. Installed drivers for motherboard & graphics card. Installed basic software : Chrome , Skype , WinRar , ...
As soon as I installed chrome I checked to see if the problem was still there. It was.

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There will be some slowdown due to partitions.
Sep 1, 2015 8:54AM PDT

That's been well discussed and folk make that choice and pay the price.

As to the Installed drivers for motherboard and graphics, that's too vague. Tell a little more. Where the drivers come from. Windows Update?

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DVD I have recieved on purchasing the hardware.
Sep 1, 2015 9:00AM PDT

Motherboard and graphics card each came with a Driver DVD. Also I update the graphics card's driver through it's own software ( Nvidia Geforce ). The motherboard has no updated drivers.

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OK, let's dive into that motherboard.
Sep 1, 2015 9:04AM PDT
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ASRock B75M-DGS
Sep 1, 2015 9:15AM PDT

It's an ASRock B75M-DGS

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And which version is that? V2.0?
Sep 1, 2015 10:26AM PDT
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Drivers
Sep 1, 2015 10:47AM PDT

Scanned for updates with the Intel Driver Update Utility and it returned " no drivers were detected for your product ". Reinstalled the LAN driver from the website but nothing changed.

I guess that doesn't matter anymore though , since I did the Linux DVD boot thing and it works fine there. I suppose it's a windows problem ? Or could it still be a driver problem ?

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I'll disagree it's a Windows problem
Sep 1, 2015 11:00AM PDT

After working such Windows NT 3 days you may find folk that think that but here I can't seem to put a pin on why your PC is doing this.

Remember I only know what you share. If you installed anything other than what's in this discussion and even then I may not guess that TwoTimer Shield is installed (example, not a real product yet.)

If you feel it's some Windows and hardware issue you could try a PCI Ethernet card.

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streaming source overloaded
Sep 1, 2015 8:26AM PDT

Also streaming source can't be overloaded for months straight. Youtube , Twitch , Facebook ... and why only on my PC and not on my other devices.

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Answer
Linux works
Sep 1, 2015 10:15AM PDT

As suggested I did the Linux DVD boot and it works fine there !
So I guess it's a problem with the windows itself then ? Since when I reformat it , the first thing I did was checking if I still had the issue on Chrome (without installing anything else) and it was still there.

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Answer
sounds like a "flash" problem to me
Sep 2, 2015 3:44AM PDT

This was using IE? Load Chrome and/or Firefox and try it, see if the same happens. Also install the latest flash to IE.

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Tried multiple browsers
Sep 2, 2015 11:37AM PDT

Of course I tried multiple browsers. Chrome is the worst with this issue , where videos simply freeze. Opera and Firefox are a bit better , but still a lot of buffering when it shouldn't be.
Basically , instead of constantly loading the video they wait until you reach the end of the buffered video , and then they buffer more. So you can't watch a video without it constantly buffering/freezing every 10-15s , that being the best scenario.

Haven't tried IE and I don't intend to

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Answer
If it's Flash indeed ...
Sep 2, 2015 4:10AM PDT

what happens if you disable hardware accelleration in Flash? Might make a difference.

Kees

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Been there done that
Sep 2, 2015 11:37AM PDT

Already done that (wrote in main post) , nothing changed

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Answer
From the top.
Sep 2, 2015 11:51AM PDT

Let's hear more about this PC. I take it works on Linux used to work in Windows but what's not stock?

That is, is there ANY USB things plugged in? Did anyone install drivers for mice? Torrent user?

I'm looking for any clue to follow. Drop a HIJACKTHIS LOG for me to pick over too.

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Details
Sep 2, 2015 12:40PM PDT

Didn't know USBs were relevant. I have a USB hub connected to PC (in which I connect mouse & phone cable) , webcam & keyboard connected straight to PC and that's it.
Mouse has no drivers. I am a torrent user , but I keep utorrent closed unless I download something.

Hijackthis log is uploaded here : Dropbox link

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what "phone" cable?
Sep 2, 2015 6:42PM PDT

Is this also hooked for dialup using an USB modem? Or is this a USB VOIP type phone? If the latter, why is it not hooked direct to the router instead?

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USB recharge
Sep 3, 2015 12:02AM PDT

No no , it's my smartphone's USB cable. I use it to recharge from my PC sometimes , if I need it close.

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Groove
Sep 2, 2015 7:04PM PDT

You could rename this file and see if anything improves. If not then rename it back, it's a "browser helper object" used in IE.

GROOVEEX.DLL rename to GROOVEEX.DL_

I also see you using a torrent application. Those can cause problems.

[uTorrent] "C:\Users\Vali\AppData\Roaming\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe" /MINIMIZED

Some had problems with Advanced System Care program.

Google Link


Nothing exceptional in the log jumps out at me.

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more to check
Sep 2, 2015 7:11PM PDT
http://www.file.info/windows/piconstartup_exe.html

may be able to turn off in msconfig to see if it's a problem.

Also, going back to the "phone", unplug it to test and see if it's causing a problem. Since it's also an audio device, it could be tied into your problem.
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That's TWO STRIKES.
Sep 3, 2015 8:01AM PDT

I must step away as TORRENT users show up with the newest root kits and infections plus DOS attacks. You also have some USB thing plugged in and that can cause odd issues. Tests would be without either but for torrents the issues can plague them for months.

Good luck but I leave you now that I know torrents were used.

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Windows reformat
Sep 3, 2015 8:14AM PDT

Torrents can be the issue even after a full windows wipe & reformat ? Because I did that , and the issue was still there.