XP: right click folder -> sound dissapears

[thop]

I'm habving a rather strange problem. Whenever i right click on a folder/file (to bring up the context menu) after about 2-3 seconds ALL sounds on my system stop to play! Doesn't matter if its an mp3,avi,mpg whatever ... also happens with all aplications!

Looks like it might be a driver issue, however why should the sound stop when i right click a folder! Strangest thing in the world.

[albatorsk]

How long does it stop? Until you reboot? Until the context menu is closed? Does the "player" continue playing, but without any sound?

[Nowhere]

Check if there's everything ok with hdd (smart, anything).
And in which mode it operates.

[thop]

It stops while the context menu is being shown (there is a short delay of ~2 seconds until the sound stops). When the context menu is closed i can hear sound again.
Yep the player continues playing as if nothing happened. But all sounds are cut off.

Shouldn't be HDD because it also happens on folders/files that are on a network share.

[albatorsk]

What players are you using?

[Nowhere]

Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it now too since you can hear sound again. (and the player is playing etc.)

But the thing that it happens also to files not stored on hdd didn't mean much while I had similar problem (but clearly related to hdd).
System wouldn't play anything, not just the things on hdd.

[thop]

ZoomPlayer, Winamp2, WinDVD .. doesnt matter which one the sound stops with all of them. They all are playing fine, just that the master sound of windows is somehow cut off.

[albatorsk]

Strange...

[Nowhere]

So does the sound stop or is it for some reason cutted of?

[Sasq]

remember the little bug (feature?) in xp that takes the cpu to 100% if you right click menu without selecting it (left click) first.

[thop]

Sasq you are right! I just checked and indeed it takes 100% CPU. Not sure why that should interefere with the sound but it does.

Is there a fix for that?

[Sasq]

last I checked M$ waffled something about the fix affecting to much of the kernel. short way is to left click everything first.

Dan

[thop]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;819101

i deactivated the effects and that did it. they have no real use anyway.

thanks sasq for pointing in the right direction!