Satellite P500-12D Audio problem

I am having a strange but minor problem with the audio on my Satellite P500-12D. It was there since day one.

The sound quality from the speakers is good, yet let down by a stutter or crackle every so often which is rather distracting. It appears to happen when the hard disk accesses. As its a duel core I can't possibly believe that its because the computer can't keep up with the task at hand!!

Has any body else had similar problems on this particular laptop?

I can't see any settings that might help, and I have the most up to date driver for the sound card installed.

Satellite P500 Sound Stutter Fixed!!!

Hey Ho, there you go. Ironicaly I fixed the problem just after posting, months of this darned problem

So if any of you have had the same grumble, then here's how to fix it. Toshiba make no reference to this sound related problem on their website, and other users of their website have posted complaints with no reply from Toshiba at all.

I found the fix by accident, an update through service station with a driver for the HDD/SDD Alert utility... not a sound card driver. This however makes sense as the problem appeared to sync with HDD access.

--THE FIX--

Open 'Toshiba Service Station'

Check the alerts and software updates,

It will find an update called HDD/SDD Alert utility (Dated 25.03.2010)

This file can also be downloaded via the Toshiba support section of their website.

Install this and the skipping will completely stop.

--

I'm now playing MP3's with no problem, the laptops sweet Harmon Kordon speakers can live at last

I hope this helps.

My laptop model is a P500-12D PSP8GE (Win7 64bit) just for reference and if you have a different experience with this software update.

Yes, not quite an alienware... I couldn't justify the expense after my Sager DTR burned itself to death after 4 years solid use in CAD.