Stereo Tool
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Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
https://forums.stereotool.com/viewtopic.php?t=5040		 Page 4 of 6
Author:  HadYourPhil [ Mon Dec 16, 2013 7:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
One issue here is time constraints. When I log in to my ST computer, (which is new, built from scratch in August), I see a frozen ST screen and there is no audio. Both in November and last Saturday, there was no response from any clicking on ST commands, etc. So, I rebooted the computer. And in both cases, Stereo Tool came back on, working fine, with the only anomaly being the preset selected is not the one I am using. And no, I didn't see any of the errors I saw in November, although since I didn't save any screen shots then, I can't be 100% sure. I sent you what I thought were pertinent screen shots from the recent episode. Do you need to see any more?

New custom-built industrial PC rack mounted in a server and microwave transmitter room. All low-wattage stuff, well grounded.

My computer has:
A Corsair Nova 2 SSHD
Intel Core .7-3770 3.4ghz CPU
3.5 gigs of total physical memory, with the maximum virtual memory being 6.9 gigs. I am running Windows 7 32 bit.
Author:  hvz [ Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
O, you can still login remotely! That changes things - a lot!

But I'm still confused. Just for clarity, I'm trying to find out what's going on, which should be one of these:
1. Stereo Tool hangs. In that case, closing or killing and then restarting it should fix the issue. No Windows restart needed.
2. Sound card driver in error situation. In that case, restarting Stereo Tool might not help and you might need to restart Windows. Or not.
3. The whole PC is locked up, and does not respond to anything anymore. Can be caused by hardware or OS/driver errors.

Now:
Quote:
I was unable to restart Stereo Tool without rebooting the computer. The screen was frozen and discolored. No commands could be given (no buttons pushed).
Was this on a remote login - and if so, were you already logged in when it happened? Or was this directly at the pc? I originally read this as 'the whole pc is dead' - but again, if you could still log in then it wasn't. And those buttons, was that buttons in Stereo Tool or anything in Windows? (I expect that you have at least tried the red X to close the window? And potentially to start a Task Manager?).

I originally read this as situation '3' but if this was via a remote login - and you could still log in AFTER the audio stopped - it looks like it could also be 1 (or 2). So, please clarify what happened exactly.
Quote:
As you know, Stereo Tool's on screen display is very colorful. When the program was frozen, everything was more greyscale than color. The computer is in a climate controlled room that never gets over 74 degrees F. and it has a large internal fan.
That sounds like a hangup inside Stereo Tool (either due to a bug in Stereo Tool or a sound card driver error), but Windows 7 normally shows a popup when you try to close a program that hangs (after a few seconds). And you said that you couldn't stop Stereo Tool so it cannot have been that.
Quote:
I think Phil is saying the computer just freezes (locks) and only a reboot will get it working again.Sounds like a driver issue.
But that doesn't explain that he can still log in.


You also wrote a few times that you weren't 100% sure of what you did anymore, that really makes it hard to figure out what happened... :(
Also the '41' error that you saw in your Windows error logs before really indicates a hardware (power) issue. Which might even have caused this new crash without being logged (you never know what happens when the system hangs).


Potential causes:
1. This would be either a bug in Stereo Tool or a bug in the sound card driver. Since I'm not getting other complaints like this, my guess would be the sound card driver.
2. Definitely the sound card driver.
3. Hardware or drivers, but not Stereo Tool


You never answered if you're using ASIO or non-ASIO for the sound card, switching might help (my experience with other sound cards such as the ESI Juli@ is that ASIO has less issues than normal I/O).


Phil, please try to answer things as precisely as possible... You know those diagrams where you have to answer a lot of questions and end up at a solution? If you give the wrong answer even just once, you end up at a different solution!
Author:  HadYourPhil [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
I had a detailed answer here and LOST IT! #$@%&^!!

I was able to log in via my computer to Remote Desktop to VNC, so I was two computers away! I logged in after I was told that the station was off the air. I had to minimize the ST screen to get a Start button/menu, so it seemed overall like Windows was OK.

I checked for any reference to ASIO in the M-Audio Audiophile 192 manual, and searched the site, but nothing referring to ASIO came up regarding that card. It's inputs are 1/4" TRS jacks and the output is a BNC connector I put in place of one of the 1/4" output jacks.

The Event ID 129 is intriguing as that one wasn't there the first time, IIRC. The IT guy was out today, so we can go over everything tomorrow. In the meantime, the dull-by-comparison Optimod 8300 is on...

And I still can't get Stereo Tool to reboot with the correct preset. Minor, compared to lockup.
Author:  HadYourPhil [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 3:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
Event 129 in this case is related to Windows time service...

Think we are still going to try another SSD.
Author:  Edgar [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
Quote:
Smells like ssd/hdd and/or PSU.
- Don't use Kingston SSDs!
What's the problem of a Kingston SSD? In our ST computer I use one and is running since September this year. Maybe that is a too short period to know it's reliability.
Author:  oldiesstation [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
Some ssd have early failure rates, Kingston may be one. I really like the new Sandisk Extreme II.Samsung and Intel seem to be reliable as well. Phil, I don't think it's a windows issue. more like an audio card driver SSD or PS..I've had issues with M-Audio drivers, swapped the card out for a Marian. I had an IDE drive that some some reason acted up at 7 day intervals,weird, must have hit a bad sector.I would reboot the
drive and sure enough about 7 days later it acted up again.Changed drives, no problem since.Hope you get
your problem solved.
Author:  hvz [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
Quote:
Event 129 in this case is related to Windows time service...

Think we are still going to try another SSD.
But it's not an error, right? Warning are usually (usually...) not really an issue. Also, Stereo Tool doesn't access the harddisk at all (unless you let it dynamically read RDS texts).
Author:  hvz [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
Quote:
Some ssd have early failure rates, Kingston may be one. I really like the new Sandisk Extreme II.Samsung and Intel seem to be reliable as well. Phil, I don't think it's a windows issue. more like an audio card driver SSD or PS..I've had issues with M-Audio drivers, swapped the card out for a Marian. I had an IDE drive that some some reason acted up at 7 day intervals,weird, must have hit a bad sector.I would reboot the
drive and sure enough about 7 days later it acted up again.Changed drives, no problem since.Hope you get
your problem solved.
What kind of driver issues were those? Are they similar to what Phil is seeing?
Author:  oldiesstation [ Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
It was on a computer playing zara radio not being used for audio processing.Zara would just suddenly start
scrolling songs, no audio .Weird..Do a reboot, about a week later the cycle repeated.changed HD,no further issues.If ST is not accessing Phils ssd, i think he's having a driver issue or maybe PS.
Author:  hvz [ Wed Dec 18, 2013 2:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Computer lockup. Running version 7.24
http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/ma ... UG_EN1.pdf

This one, right? It definitely does mention ASIO... Try enabling it, this circumvents a lot of driver stuff and it gives you a lower latency (and potentially also better audio quality, although if things were setup correctly nothing will change with that).
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