it finally sounds right again.

i think it was the bios...

let's see what happens when i wake up. i really, really want to get back to work and am going to get upset if it's still broken.

you know, that's not sitting with me well. the bios revision would have to be at least 2008. this version of xp is slipstreamed up to the end of the product cycle. i can't think of anything that would default to jan 1, 2002.

it fixed itself on the reinstall. but it's just weird.

the reinstall came up dated to jan 1, 2002. bios date. i had to restart the process, because i can't have my system files dated that incorrectly.

but it got me thinking.

setting the clock in windows changed it in the bios, indicating these things are in sync. if the bios was corrupt, it could have been counting slightly wrong. and, that could have resulted in the whole system being out of sync, leading to the fading i was getting.

we'll have to see what happens. but i've all but ruled out a driver conflict, and i'm certain the driver clocks were installed right. yet, i was still getting what seemed like timing errors.

we'll see how this works out. but that cmos reset may turn out to be the fix.

that battery has never been replaced. it's only eight years old. but the board shipped with two. it's worth a shot if it's still bleeding.

hrmmn....

went i went to reinstall, i noticed i was missing a drive at the bios stage, which came back after i reset the cmos.

you know, it's ok if you don't know what the fuck i'm talking about. you signed up for music updates, not computer troubleshooting. i dunno. maybe you're learning something.

i can't know what caused that, but it's something to take note of. if i really did get attacked by something, that's the last thing i can think of resetting.

i had a bad flash last year that cost me months. i ended up getting a bus pirate to fix it, so it won't be nearly the problem it was then. but, i'm still wanting to avoid that....

let's see what happens on the reinstall.

well, that was pyrrhic. cubase wouldn't load the dongle, so i tried to reinstall and now it's crashing; this is a known issue, the setup files require something i remove in the wipe. i need to reinstall.

i think i've determined that the only logical cause of error is the creative emulation driver. it's the only other thing that the system is accessing.

we'll see what happens, but i've been getting downright *annoyed* over the last 48 hours or so. this is not fun.

my odsp is late. i'm going to flip out if i get denied, and spent my last few months doing fucking computer troubleshooting. it makes me want to vomit.