Submitted by: Robert A.

Answer:

Robert, The "pops, snaps, and crackles" you experience during the playback of compact discs suggest a memory or system resources issue. Multimedia applications use an awful lot of resources, and when several programs don't play nice and try to take more than is allotted to them, bad things happen. The particular media player that you are using may be playing a role, too.

Let me illustrate the last point with a personal example: Years ago, I would routinely play music files or CDs while I browsed the Web, read e-mail, scanned my PC with Norton AntiVirus, or performed other resource-intensive tasks. Regardless of how many programs were running at the time, music playback was flawless as long as I used Windows Media Player (WMP), RealPlayer, or J. River's Media Jukebox. However, as soon as I opened my then-favorite application, Musicmatch Jukebox, the playback would be seriously sabotaged by both skipping and seemingly endless artifacts such as pops and cracks! The situation usually improved only after closing all other applications.

Clearly, the demands placed on my computer by the MusicMatch Jukebox led to conflicts related to the distribution of computer resources. Adding more memory helped, but I saw no reason to spend a lot of energy (and money) trying to solve the issue when other applications already in my computer performed better and allowed me to have multiple programs running simultaneously. Thus, I stopped using MusicMatch Jukebox, despite its considerable strengths.

If you haven't already, play a CD using a different media player. (iTunes would be an excellent choice, but you can visit Download.com for other popular choices.) If the problem is not reproduced with the new application, the problem likely lies with your default media player. Updating to the latest release of the player or reinstalling it to repair corrupt files may solve the problem. The troubleshooting steps discussed below might help, too.

If the issue persists even after you try different media players, start thinking "memory." This is particularly true if your computer has less than 512 MB of RAM and/or has an older processor. Make no mistake, even machines with powerful processors and plenty of memory are not necessarily immune to this problem. Firewalls, antivirus and antispyware software, and operating system components running silently in the background can and do place a heavy burden on system resources. (Spyware would be another consideration, so don't neglect scanning your PC for it!) Adding memory will improve overall performance noticeably, not just during music playback. But let's try a few other tricks first.

Interestingly, you did not mention having any problems playing music files like mp3s - something which, in this day of age, I have to assume you do. And if the issue is indeed limited to CD playback, your next troubleshooting step should be cleaning your optical drive's lens, as debris and dust may be at the root of the problem. You can find inexpensive CD lens cleaners at most electronics and computer stores, as well as office supply retailers like Staples. They are essentially CDs with thin, delicate brushes attached to their playing surface. As the disc spins during playback, the brushes sweep away contaminants off your lens.

However, if the "pops, snaps, and crackles" also occurs during the playback of digital files stored in your computer, you might be dealing with either hardware or software issues - or both. Before investing in new memory, there are several things you can try to optimize the media player/optical drive interaction:


Rule Out a Corrupt or Outdated Driver

Driver problems will prevent your optical drive and media software from communicating as they should. This leads to performance issues.
1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop (or Start Menu, if applicable), and select Properties from the list..
2. On the System Properties box, select the Hardware tab.
3. Click on the Device Manager radio button. The Device Manager box will open, listing the components that make up your system.
4. Your optical drive will be listed under DVD/CD-ROM Drives. Expand this field and find your drive.
5. Highlight and right-click your drive, then select Properties.
6. Verify that the device is working properly. (If a message states differently, click the Troubleshoot button to find out what is wrong and how to correct it. Addressing this issue might be all that's needed to solve your problem.)
7. Select the Driver tab, and click Update Driver. Windows will try to determine whether a new driver is available. You can always visit your drive's manufacturer's website and check for the latest driver version there.
8. If necessary, download and install the new driver.
9. Exit all dialog boxes, and restart your computer.
10. Play a CD to determine if the issue has been solved.

Optimize Audio Playback

The following steps apply to Windows Media Player 11 (Beta) and earlier versions of the player. If you do not use WMP, please refer to your particular software's help files to determine how to optimize audio playback. (It would be impossible to discuss every popular media player here!) The goal is to select those options that enhance playback and sound quality, and compensate for problems present in the digital data.

1. Open Windows Media Player and click on Options.
2. Select the Devices tab on the Options dialog box.
3. Select your CD Player from the list, then click the Properties radio button.
4. In the drive's Properties box, select Digital under Playback.
5. Check the "Use Error Correction" box.
6. Press OK to exit.
7. Play a CD to determine if the issue has been solved.


If none of the above troubleshooting steps solve the problem, it might be time to add memory. At this point, you should also consider the possibility that your optical drive might be failing. The good news is that the price of CD burners and DVD players has fallen considerably, so an upgrade might be significantly more affordable than you suspect.

Hope you find these suggestions useful!

Best wishes.

Submitted by: Miguel K. of Columbus, Ohio