Windows 10 audio clicks,pops,stutters. storport latency issues? HELP?

Hello. I really need some help please. Any time i try to play a video online or off i get stutters in playback. Ive been everywhere i can for help but cant get any guidance. Can anyone here help please?

I will do all i can to provide whatever info you might need. I'm technically challenged so if you could walk me through fixing this I'd really appreciate it. I'll even name my first child after you if you can help fix this.

Ive a dell e6400 that i got secondhand on ebay. i have the spec information here:

http://speccy.piriform.com/results/I...woj2hxEh6vgnFz

the latency monitor report says:

CONCLUSION
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
Your system appears to be having trouble handling real-time audio and other tasks. You are likely to experience buffer underruns appearing as drop outs, clicks or pops. One or more DPC routines that belong to a driver running in your system appear to be executing for too long. One problem may be related to power management, disable CPU throttling settings in Control Panel and BIOS setup. Check for BIOS updates.
LatencyMon has been analyzing your system for 0:00:40 (h:mm:ss) on all processors.


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
SYSTEM INFORMATION
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
Computer name: DESKTOP-DELLE64
OS version: Windows 10 , 10.0, build: 17134 (x86)
Hardware: Latitude E6400 , Dell Inc., 0H635N
CPU: GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P8700 @ 2.53GHz
Logical processors: 2
Processor groups: 1
RAM: 3535 MB total


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
CPU SPEED
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
Reported CPU speed: 2527 MHz

Note: reported execution times may be calculated based on a fixed reported CPU speed. Disable variable speed settings like Intel Speed Step and AMD Cool N Quiet in the BIOS setup for more accurate results.


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
MEASURED INTERRUPT TO USER PROCESS LATENCIES
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
The interrupt to process latency reflects the measured interval that a usermode process needed to respond to a hardware request from the moment the interrupt service routine started execution. This includes the scheduling and execution of a DPC routine, the signaling of an event and the waking up of a usermode thread from an idle wait state in response to that event.

Highest measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 101082.107938
Average measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 89.756145

Highest measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 101041.180399
Average measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 83.088860


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
REPORTED ISRs
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
Interrupt service routines are routines installed by the OS and device drivers that execute in response to a hardware interrupt signal.

Highest ISR routine execution time (µs): 75.703205
Driver with highest ISR routine execution time: USBPORT.SYS - USB 1.1 & 2.0 Port Driver, Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total ISR routine time (%): 0.003668
Driver with highest ISR total time: USBPORT.SYS - USB 1.1 & 2.0 Port Driver, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in ISRs (%) 0.003668

ISR count (execution time <250 µs): 515
ISR count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 500-999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
REPORTED DPCs
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
DPC routines are part of the interrupt servicing dispatch mechanism and disable the possibility for a process to utilize the CPU while it is interrupted until the DPC has finished execution.

Highest DPC routine execution time (µs): 101049.620103
Driver with highest DPC routine execution time: storport.sys - Microsoft Storage Port Driver, Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total DPC routine time (%): 0.531893
Driver with highest DPC total execution time: storport.sys - Microsoft Storage Port Driver, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in DPCs (%) 0.611457

DPC count (execution time <250 µs): 11997
DPC count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 500-999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
REPORTED HARD PAGEFAULTS
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
Hard pagefaults are events that get triggered by making use of virtual memory that is not resident in RAM but backed by a memory mapped file on disk. The process of resolving the hard pagefault requires reading in the memory from disk while the process is interrupted and blocked from execution.

NOTE: some processes were hit by hard pagefaults. If these were programs producing audio, they are likely to interrupt the audio stream resulting in dropouts, clicks and pops. Check the Processes tab to see which programs were hit.

Process with highest pagefault count: msmpeng.exe

Total number of hard pagefaults 37
Hard pagefault count of hardest hit process: 37
Number of processes hit: 1


____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
PER CPU DATA
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
CPU 0 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.374667
CPU 0 ISR highest execution time (µs): 75.703205
CPU 0 ISR total execution time (s): 0.002970
CPU 0 ISR count: 515
CPU 0 DPC highest execution time (µs): 101049.620103
CPU 0 DPC total execution time (s): 0.493764
CPU 0 DPC count: 11815
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____
CPU 1 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.024040
CPU 1 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 1 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 1 ISR count: 0
CPU 1 DPC highest execution time (µs): 27.958449
CPU 1 DPC total execution time (s): 0.001321
CPU 1 DPC count: 189
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____

DESKTOP-DELLE64.07-29-2018.03-32-12.zip - Google Drive

i have uploaded the etl trace and files generated.

the trace is 30 seconds while playing a video with windows media offline.

clicks and pops / stutters occurring while playing.

i hope i can get some guidance from this.

thanks again.

First of all:
IDT 92HDxxx HD Audio Driver | Dell US

Looking at the trace you provided, you are running into problems with your storage subsystem generating a lot of ISRs/DPCs.

From the picture above we can see that your RAID driver, which appears to be Intel's RapidStore driver, is creating these excessive spikes of DPC and ISR routines.

Your two options for this driver are:

1.) Switch away from the Rapid Storage driver and to Microsoft's default AHCI driver. Which is what I would suggest you try first, as it is more heavily tested and will auto-update as you update Windows from now on.

• Set safe mode as the default boot option temporarily via msconfig.
• Reboot -> continuously tap F12 to get into the BIOS options -> Go to BIOS settings -> System Configuration
• Switch "SATA operation" from "RAID" to "AHCI" -> Save changes and reboot
• Once you are back into Windows, run msconfig again and uncheck Safe Boot.
• Reboot once more.

2.) Attempt to update the Rapid Storage driver.

Here is Intel's latest release of the driver, download "SetupRST.exe" on the left side of the web page, and run the installer.

Dell's latest "approved" version for you laptop is from 2012, and I would not recommend that you install it.

Other things to look into:

• I would also suggest you look into getting a cheap SSD, your 250GB Hitachi Travelstar won't be doing you many favors regarding performance. I understand the laptop is old, but you can always move your SSD to a new laptop.
• Upgrade to the latest BIOS for your E6400. You are on A20, and the latest release is A34. There have been a number of stability and potential performance improvements released since A20.

thank you all for your suggestions... update 1803 hasnt been applied yet i think. i will pour over everyone's suggestions as soon as i can. i really appreciate the help. life is really screwy atm but just wanted to let you all know i've got your suggestions and thanks.

We see a lot of posts of problems, on the Dell forums, with the old business/workstation systems (OptiPlex/Lattitude and occasionally a Precision) that are on the resell market. The prices are very tempting for these systems but they are mostly "old" systems that were used with XP, Vista or Win 7 that companies have replaced them with new hardware. Its "buyer beware" as many will not work on Win 10 or only marginally work.

THANK YOU!!!! Spectrum, you were spot on! a million thanks. i set the sata from raid to ahci as instructed.. rebooted and presto! my pc is happy to play videos now and latency mon shows everything is happy! sorry this took so long to do but things kept getting in the way. next comes bios.... wow. thank you all so very much!