Category Archives: Windows Vista

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A Windows Based Computer that is connected to your network via an IP Phone (NAP-Enabled) may not connect to the same VLAN after resume from hibernation

This issue applies to Windows XP – SP3, Windows Vista – SP2, Windows Server 2008 – SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 – SP1 and Windows 7 – SP1.

This issue occurs on networks that use IEEE 802.1X authentication where the client computer or server machine is connected or bridged via a NAP-Enabled device such as an IP or VoIP Phone Handset.

The issue will not be resolved for Windows XP because it is now outside the mainstream support cycle.  Hotfixes for the other operating systems listed above can be obtain via Microsoft KB 976373 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976373

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Windows Vista and Windows 7 – USB Audio Device or USB Headset can cause High CPU Usage and you may notice skipping in the sound playback

If you use a USB Headset, USB Speakers or USB Sound Card under Windows Vista or Windows 7 you may notice that the CPU Usage is very high when you are listening to sound, music or gaming.  You may also notice that the audio lags or skips as a result, this will normally occur every 10-20 seconds and may get worse over an extended period of time.

This is most likely to occur when the device is connected to a USB 2.0 EHCI (Enhanced Host Controller Interface)

The issue is caused by a problem with the usbport.sys driver that is part of Windows

The issue can be addressed in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 by upgrading to “Service Pack 1”

The issue can be addressed in Windows Vista – Service Pack 2 or Windows Server 2008 – Service Pack 2 by applying the hotfix from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981214 which includes an updated version of usbport.sys

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Intel Network Adapter Diagnostics May Wrongly Report that the Network Cable is over 100 Metres Long

When you run a Cable diagnostic using the Intel PROSet Network Adapter Diagnostics you may find that the utility incorrectly reports that your network cable is over 100 Metres and/or that the Cable is faulty/poor.

This issue can occur if you have a network switch that implements “power Saving” or “Green Ethernet” this feature is meant to reduce the power to a network port that is supporting a device with a short network cable run.

This “power saving” or “Green Ethernet” feature can cause the diagnostics to fail and can sometimes contribute to network drops and/or poor network throughput.  If you have a managed/smart switch then you can normally login via a browser and “Disable” this feature to correct the issue.

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Microsoft Windows based Computers and Laptops – Slow System Startup with Realtek HD Audio Chipset

You may find that Windows based computers and laptops are very slow to startup and in some instances slow to shutdown.  This has been witnessed when out dated drivers are installed for the integrted Realtek HD Audio Chipset.

The Realtek HD Audio drivers offered on Microsoft Update are often dated 2005 and are many years behind those available directly from the Audio Chipset manufacturer.

You can verify your current Audio Chipset and Driver version from “Device Manager”

Please visit http://www.realtek.com/downloads/ to find and download the latest applicable drivers for your Windows system.  They will usually reference the drivers as “High Definition Audio Codecs (Software)” and then under Windows the list Operating System Compatability for each system and provide several download links based upon locations around the world.  Downloads from the Realtek site can be slow at busy times of the day so you may need to be patient and/or download outside peak hours.

As you can see from the table the current drivers from Realtek Support are dated 21st October 2011 and are usually updated every 1-2 months, it would be worth updating to the latest release to resolve your slow startup times and then add updating your audio drivers into your usual computer maintenance schedule.  Once you have updated remember to check Device Manager to ensure that the latest drivers are actually installed and that the device is operating correctly.