SEVERE (and random) audio dropouts with 8pre USB

[LupoAlbertoVB]

First of all I have to greet myself to this community for which I am writing the very first topic

So, let's start with a super-brief history
I recently acquired a new laptop (yay) after my Macbook went out of business, and I opted for a Windows one (my bad), in particular an Alienware 17 (don't blame me: I'm not such a gamer ); then I bought a Motu 8pre USB (that laptop does not have FireWire) which had been only good things for one month or two.
Then it started to make some severe audio glitches (completely non-buffersize-related) at random times and non-DAW related (I tried with Pro Tools 10 HD and REAPER - same identical issue).

The glitches (which I never heard before) are listenable here (at the beginning, some throughout, and at the end of the song):
http://thevisions.it/royalty/3-TAKE1.mp3

Then I tried with a Macintosh computer (with Logic and REAPER): no problems whatsoever; no problems even with a Windows Vista (you're right: Windows VISTA) computer (32-bit). To consider that I never tried 64-bit drivers on any computer other than the Alienware.
Then I tried to reinstall the drivers on the Alienware, and for some time (very few days) it returned to perfection, then back again with the same problem.
The thing that really hurts me is that you CANNOT in ANY WAY determine that that issue is going on -even monitoring in real time- unless you listen back your recording, and that caused me serious hassles with some clients (because it's a system I need to rely on for work).

So has anyone any clue about this?
The only thing I hope is that it's not a problem about the USB ports of the laptop itself.
Thank you.
Lupo

P.S.: Sorry for my far-from-perfection English

[4stripes]

Sounds like a conflict or load issue. You'll have to run Task Manager or a more sophisticated process mon to watch for CPU load.

Or just start disabling services, optimize Win for performance, turn off components (wifi, power man, etc ), roll back drivers (nic, graphics, etc).

That's all you can really do. You have to get a bit under the hood, into Dev Man, msconfig, etc. All this stuff falls under 'basic PC troubleshooting for power users."

[LupoAlbertoVB]

Sounds like a conflict or load issue. You'll have to run Task Manager or a more sophisticated process mon to watch for CPU load.

Or just start disabling services, optimize Win for performance, turn off components (wifi, power man, etc ), roll back drivers (nic, graphics, etc).

That's all you can really do. You have to get a bit under the hood, into Dev Man, msconfig, etc. All this stuff falls under 'basic PC troubleshooting for power users."

You're perfectly right: I should have pointed in the first post that I had already tried everything possible from disabling ALL services running to monitor DPC latency, but everything seems to be even too much in order:



Seriously, that is the CPU-load when playing a 9-track project with FX from Pro Tools.
So I don't really know what to do next other than reinstalling the OS and hope for the problem to disappear.

[4stripes]

Not just services, but did you go into Device Manager and disable hardware items? Wifi, 3rd party display adapters, power management, just about everything can be disabled here, and should for troubleshooting:



You can also try booting into safe mode, if that gives you enough drivers to run USB/Firewire at least.

Lastly, is just flat install and start with the MOTU and add things from there, testing after each one.