Sound Issue :Echo on loads of software

[Normal]

Hello, firstly i'd like to apologise for having to make my first post/thread a a cry for help.

I have a Dell 4550 (I'm in the uk)

The computer and sound has almost always worked and I have never had a problem. Recently however the sound echoes on alot of software.

Here is a quick list of what gives me echo's on playback and what doesnt.

Does not give Echo:
Windows media player
Google video website and thier streaming content.

Gives me Echo:
Pretty much everything
VLC Media player
Windows media streaming (this is the most annoying since most online streaming is through windows for me)
any other media player
My emulators also give me a nasty echo but some time they go ok.

Since the sound works on some things and doesnt I am not sure of whats the problem if its the hardware or if its internal. It seems like a software problem and I have re-installed the drivers too. I couldnt find no information of others having similiar problems on the net so have posted here. Please help.

My computer like mentioned is a dell 4550 and is a couple or more years old.

System
Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 2

Computer
Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.53GHz

The sound card is SoundMax Intergrated Digital Audio.

 

[jancz3rt]

Well

Could it be that the microfone is turned on and therefore re-plays what it "hears" so to say? As well as that, I suppose that you reinstalled drivers already and have the most recent ones...right?

JAN

 

[Jet]

Is there any reverb setting like "cathedral" or something like that? many sound cards have this feature and it affects almost everything.

 

[Normal]

Could it be that the microfone is turned on and therefore re-plays what it "hears" so to say? As well as that, I suppose that you reinstalled drivers already and have the most recent ones...right?

JAN

Its not the microphone, since thats usually out and if it was itd have a echo on everything. Anyway this isnt like a simple echo its very disturbing mutliple echoes.

I looked around the web some more and was able to get windows media back in firefox, apparently my vlc media player was replacing that so the windows media wors embeded too but I am still having trouble with alot of other sources.

Could this be a directx related or something like that issue?

JET: No, not to what i have found. Plus if there was it would affect everything like you said but this does not affect windows media player, that works perfectly and also google videos on thier website also work very nicely.