System stutter

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 12:33

I originally posted about this briefly in the wired mouse stutter thread, but I think it's more pervasive throughout my whole system.

Seemingly out of the blue I have a definite, constant stutter (about 3 times per second) which seems to impact most things on my computer. Drag a mouse across the screen, you can watch it pause and catch up with itself. Microstutters in videos, scrolling etc. I have tried doing this with an FPS counter in the top left, and on web pages it's a locked 144hz, but if you scroll just holding down the down arrow, some pages are fine but others have a noticeable, regular jerk.

At the same time, all the games I had downloaded on gamepass now come up with errors when I try to run them (0x80070002) which suggests something is missing, but I haven't changed anything at all. They all need reinstalling before I can use them again.

Running a benchmark for Horizon Zero Dawn (via steam) however, gampelay is around 110hz, but keeps having stutters down to 70/80hz about 3 times a second. In the menus of Horizon, if I don't move the mouse then everything is fine, but the moment I move the mouse the stutter is there, and the music of the game keeps stuttering at the same frequency.

The screen stutter is also happening on games such as Balatro (via gamepass), but not as noticeable as it is obviously nowhere near as graphically intensive. Music unaffected, however.

Clair Obscur (gamepass) has a screen stutter, but again not as noticeable.

I have run the windows repair tool which has not solved anything. Putting this out to see if anyone has any ideas as to what could be causing this?

Edit: Running Sky Go on my machine also has the very same image stutter, but no impact on sound.

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 13:00

I have not yet. Is it Memtest 64 which would be most relevant?

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 13:26

Well, before I've even got to that, I have a new problem - I keep getting the USB disconnected sound every two seconds. This is really strange.

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 14:19

The basic starting points are always the best! I have tried a restart, but will give it another go as you suggest. How would I restart in safe mode, is that MB dependent?

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 14:34

Well, tried all of that and sadly no different. Concerned I may need to do a full wipe and redo which I'd rather avoid, but may be necessary.

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 14:39

deviation said:
If W11, hold shift and click restart within the start menu, then when it reboots, you'll have a different menu pre Windows loading, and you'll be able to select additional startup options, then press a number on the list and Safe Mode will be in said list, then you're in

Thanks for that, got safe mode working by a startup option. No different at the moment, however.

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 14:42

You're a star, thank you for that - that's how I got in, using safe mode with command prompt. It's currently running the sfc scan, as I originally did it before the dism command, not after.

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 14:59

I'll try the above from both of you once the scan is complete, thank you. The positive spin could be using this meltdown to justify a new build...

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 17:39

So, have tried a reset of the pc... It won't go through a reset, even when I say to wipe all files. The unplugged USB sound keeps happening every couple of seconds even when there is nothing (other than the power cable) plugged in. I've gone into device manager, and it seems to be resetting itself every couple of seconds. It seems convinced something is constantly being unplugged.

Trying a system restore to this morning, even if I solve the usb detection issue it'll be a start just to to stop the noise! May then look at the linux boot when I have some more time.

I wouldn't mind if I'd been buggering round with the computer, but I haven't!

Bill Turnip · 27 Jul 2025 at 23:05

melmac said:
One thing to try is to open open device manager and into the view menu and select show hidden devices.

Now see if there are any USB devices show up when it makes the sound. Or if there any USB devices with yellow exclamation marks, or are greyed out. Disable these devices and see if the problems stop.

Going into device manager is a constant refresh, no chance to view anything sadly. No idea what it is that it's deciding is connecting/not.

And the sound is an easy solution with turning the speakers off, but it's handy to have on in case anything I try stops it.

Bill Turnip · 28 Jul 2025 at 13:45

Thanks @Disco_P - I'll try this when I get home. Although the sound that I am getting suggests that something is constantly being disconnected, there is no hint of anything being connected. This is true even when there are no USB devices plugged in.

Bill Turnip · 28 Jul 2025 at 19:46

Quick update - For some reason I'm in a loop that won't start (or repair, or reinstall) windows 11, but I had an old windows 10 install on the drive. Managed to get into that and run USB Tree viewer and....Nothing.

However, Device Manager was more helpful there, and it turns out that it was an HDMI connection between computer and TV which was the connecting/disconnecting issue! As soon as I can get Windows 11 working again, I think it's sorted. Pity it won't even start in safe mode...

Bill Turnip · 28 Jul 2025 at 20:12

I have the windows boot usb, but no product key. Should be able to work something out through win 10 (I think). Happy to wipe the drive, it's only windows on there in any case.

Bill Turnip · 28 Jul 2025 at 20:24

Hopefully! It's a shame, it's a 25m active hdmi cable to be able to game in the front room with my wife. Had one fail before and it just stopped displaying an image, not tried to take down the whole bloody computer!

Might find it's something else yet, but the stutter has completely stopped in win 10,and everything seems fine in it now. Cheers for the help all!

Bill Turnip · 28 Jul 2025 at 22:27

Probably. It is an active cable and designed for that sort of length. Previous one lasted years, this one appears to have given up the ghost after a few months.

Bill Turnip · 4 Aug 2025 at 22:50

So, a result! Bought a replacement cable and steeled myself for reinstalling 25m of the stuff. Went to unplug the original from the TV and it just fell out! Think it got caught on the curtain as it was closed, and it made the connection really loose.

Plugging that back in has solved everything, although why it caused my whole computer to melt down I've know idea. I thought I had checked all the absolute basics, but just missed that one.