A couple of months ago my desktop started making various noises...especially when moving my mouse pointer...and while on certain websites...or while in email programs like Yahoo and Google.I ran Process Exploer a couple of times and saw that I had DPC's making the noises.I've been on 10 different forums...and can NOT get a straight answer from ANYONE.SHOULD I AZZUME that this is like the "holy grail" of info collecting of MS folks...and that NONE of you have the guts to address this?1 person needs an answerI do too

Hi,Try the steps below:Step 1:Check for the issue in ‘Safe Mode with Networking’.‘Safe Mode with Networking’ starts Windows in safe mode and includes the network drivers and services needed to access the Internet or other computers on your network.A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222Let us know if the issue does not persist in Safe Mode with Networking’, w e shall proceed with further troubleshooting.Step 2:If the issue does not persist in Safe Mode with Networking’, then put the computer in a clean boot state and check if the issue persists.a. Putting your system in clean boot state helps in identifying if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue.b. Refer the following Microsoft KB article for more information on how to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in XP:How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state?http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353Note: After troubleshooting, make sure to put the computer to start as usual as mentioned under the section 'Steps to configure Windows to use a Normal startup state' in the above KB article.Step 3:I would strongly recommend you to run the Virus Scan.a. If you don’t have anti-virus software installed on your computer, I suggest that you run a Malware scan on your computer.http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/ b. I would recommend you to run online Virus Scan to remove any infections, if present.Follow the link below to run the free online scan:http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm Regards,Manasa P – Microsoft Support.

Why do you not provide any details about your system?Where do you hear this noise? Your system speakers, your built in speaker, from inside the box?If you looked at 10 different forums (and try to weed out the fiction from the few facts), you would know that some amount of DFCs are normal.If I see poor performance and an "abnormal" bunch of DPCs in Process Explorer, I first look at the video, sound or network systems (in that order), but we don't know anything about your system.Is your system an Acer Aspire Predator AG7750-U3222 i7-930 2.8GHz, 12GB DDR3, 1.5TB HDD? I just picked one up today and highly recommend picking one up if you have the means.Here is what my Process Explorer looks like on my poor system, and I hardly ever see a DPC (but I have seen some really afflicted systems where it is 50% CPU).http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2567/processexplorer.pngMaybe someday the XP forums "Ask a question" dialog will ask these questions automatically when a new thread is started so I do not have to ask them every single time. It might even be possible to resolve an issue in a single reply when enough information is provided.Please provide additional information about your system:What is your system make and model?What is your XP Version and Service Pack?Describe your current antivirus and anti malware situation: McAfee, Symantec, Norton, Spybot, AVG, Avira!, MSE, Panda, Trend Micro, CA, Defender, ZoneAlarm, PC Tools, Comodo, etc.Fill in the blank: My system was working fine until: ____________________________________________.Please provide additional information about your system:Click Start, Run and in the box enter:msinfo32Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.For video driver information, expand the Components, click Display, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.There will be some personal information (like System Name and User Name), and whatever appears to be private information to you, just delete it from the pasted information.This will minimize back and forth Q&A and eliminate guesswork.Do, or do not. There is no try.I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!

Thanks to BOTH of you for replying! In the past I scanned with MANY different anti-malware etc...software including SpyBot, MalwareBytes and several others including a couple of online scans.I TRIED the MS "full service" scan twice...only to have it die at the 34% completed stage both times.I tried the "quick scan" option a 3rd time and found nothing wrong. As of the 12th of Jan I used my image disc and tried to redo things. I had bought this computer in June (used but rebuilt) and had basically no problems until Nov-Dec though. Performed a checkdisk (nothing found) and 2 Defrags since December. 1st defrag helped a LOT for about 3 hours...then back to the noises....coming from the hard-drive. It's making a few noises while I'm typing this.@ Manasa P I went through the Safe Mode & "clean boot" sequences and there was no change in performance.@Jose Wasn't trying to insult you personally...hopefully this is what you asked for...System Information report written at: 01/24/11 14:45:51System Name: HOMEDESKTOP [System Summary]Item Value OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation System Name HOMEDESKTOP System Manufacturer Dell Inc. System Model OptiPlex 745 System Type X86-based PC Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2793 Mhz BIOS Version/Date Dell Inc. 2.6.4, 3/1/2010 SMBIOS Version 2.3 Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32 Boot Device \Device\HarddiskDmVolumes\Cobra-byte-posDg0\Volume1 Locale United States Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)" User Name HOMEDESKTOP\New Owner Time Zone Central Standard Time Total Physical Memory 2,048.00 MB Available Physical Memory 1.57 GB Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB Available Virtual Memory 1.95 GB Page File Space 3.84 GB Page File C:\pagefile.sys [Hardware Resources] [Conflicts/Sharing] Resource Device I/O Port 0x00000000-0x00000CF7 PCI bus I/O Port 0x00000000-0x00000CF7 Direct memory access controller I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003E7 Motherboard resources I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003E7 VgaSave IRQ 20 Intel(R) ICH8 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller - 2820 IRQ 20 Intel(R) ICH8 2 port Serial ATA Storage Controller - 2825 Memory Address 0xC0000-0xEFFFF PCI bus Memory Address 0xC0000-0xEFFFF System board IRQ 23 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2830 IRQ 23 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 2836 IRQ 9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System IRQ 9 Intel(R) ICH8 Family SMBus Controller - 283E IRQ 16 Intel(R) Q963/Q965 PCI Express Root Port – 2991 IRQ 16 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2834 IRQ 16 Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio IRQ 16 Intel(R) ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 1 - 283F IRQ 16 Intel(R) ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 5 - 2847 IRQ 16 Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller IRQ 17 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2835 IRQ 17 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2831 Memory Address 0xF0000-0xFFFFF PCI bus Memory Address 0xF0000-0xFFFFF System board Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF PCI bus Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF VgaSave Memory Address 0xFF980800-0xFF980BFF PCI bus Memory Address 0xFF980800-0xFF980BFF Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 2836 I/O Port 0x00000D00-0x0000FFFF PCI bus I/O Port 0x00000D00-0x0000FFFF Motherboard resources

Please try this part again:Click Start, Run and in the box enter:msinfo32Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.For video driver information, expand the Components, click Display, click Edit, Select All, Copy and then paste the information back here.There will be some personal information (like System Name and User Name), and whatever appears to be private information to you, just delete it from the pasted information.Here is an example of what the msinfo and video section should look like (the format - your content will be different):OS Name Microsoft Windows XP ProfessionalVersion 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600OS Manufacturer Microsoft CorporationSystem Manufacturer MSISystem Model MS-7309System Type X86-based PCProcessor x86 Family 16 Model 2 Stepping 3 AuthenticAMD ~2410 MhzBIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. V2.6, 9/2/2010SMBIOS Version 2.6Windows Directory C:\WINDOWSSystem Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1Locale United StatesHardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"Time Zone Eastern Standard TimeTotal Physical Memory 4,096.00 MBAvailable Physical Memory 1.84 GBTotal Virtual Memory 2.00 GBAvailable Virtual Memory 1.96 GBPage File Space 5.22 GBPage File C:\pagefile.sysName ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 SeriesPNP Device ID PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_954F&SUBSYS_16181462&REV_00\4&52EDC45&0&0048Adapter Type ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x954F), ATI Technologies Inc. compatibleAdapter Description ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 SeriesAdapter RAM 1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)Installed Drivers ati2dvag.dllDriver Version 6.14.10.7119INF File oem14.inf (ati2mtag_R7X section)Color Planes 1Color Table Entries 4294967296Resolution 1280 x 1024 x 60 hertzBits/Pixel 32Memory Address 0xC0000000-0xCFFFFFFFMemory Address 0xDFFF0000-0xDFFFFFFFI/O Port 0x0000E000-0x0000EFFFIRQ Channel IRQ 19I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BBI/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DFMemory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFFDriver c:\windows\system32\drivers\ati2mtag.sys (6.14.10.7119, 5.14 MB (5,386,752 bytes), 10/9/2010 9:26 PM) Do, or do not. There is no try.I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!

Sorry...I had saved the info previously to a Notepad doc... OS Name Microsoft Windows XP ProfessionalVersion 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600OS Manufacturer Microsoft CorporationSystem Name HOMEDESKTOPSystem Manufacturer Dell Inc.System Model OptiPlex 745System Type X86-based PCProcessor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2793 MhzBIOS Version/Date Dell Inc. 2.6.4, 3/1/2010SMBIOS Version 2.3Windows Directory C:\WINDOWSSystem Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32Boot Device \Device\HarddiskDmVolumes\Cobra-byte-posDg0\Volume1Locale United StatesHardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"User Name HOMEDESKTOP\New OwnerTime Zone Central Standard TimeTotal Physical Memory 2,048.00 MBAvailable Physical Memory 1.59 GBTotal Virtual Memory 2.00 GBAvailable Virtual Memory 1.96 GBPage File Space 3.84 GBPage File C:\pagefile.sysThe Display page under Components is blank for some reason....

That's better (and it looks fine).The display page should not be blank for some reason, so I would go out to the Dell World Wide Web Site for your system and take a look at the video drivers, download the latest version and install it.Here is the link:http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&ServiceTag=&SystemID=PLX_PNT_P4_745&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=It looks like they have a lot of choices for video, so if you can't figure out which video driver to download, we will have to look at the VENdor and DEVice string in Device Manager to be sure, or your could try to figure it out by looking in the Dell forums or chatting with their support. I would not tell anyone you are looking at a DPC problem - just say your video stuff isn't showing up in msinfo32 and you need to get the latest driver for your system installed so it does show up. Do not let anyone talk you into reinstalling XP.If you can't figure it out let me know and I will help you figure it out (or you may already know).If you find the video VENdor and DEVice informtaion from the Device Manager details tab, you can look up your components here:http://www.pcidatabase.com/Now, since you have too many DPCs, I would also look at the audio and network drivers too (there is a section in msinfo32 for that too), but only do one update at a time and reboot and test after each update to see how things look in Process Explorer and/or if the video driver update does the trick by itself, you might just want to stop right there unless you are having other problems. I always think... let's check video, network, audio.Sometimes folks seem very anxious to update their BIOS, but according to your msinfo32, your 2.6.4 BIOS is up to date (see... you can tell all this stuff from msinfo32...).Do, or do not. There is no try.I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!

I used my service tag # to get the downloads from Dell....and during the install process...I got several "would you like to replace" older with newer...which I did. At this point...it changed my screen resolution and my hard drive still makes noises... Name Intel(R) Q965/Q963 Express Chipset FamilyPNP Device ID PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2992&SUBSYS_01DA1028&REV_02\3&172E68DD&0&10Adapter Type Intel(R) GMA 3000, Intel Corporation compatibleAdapter Description Intel(R) Q965/Q963 Express Chipset FamilyAdapter RAM 256.00 MB (268,435,456 bytes)Installed Drivers igxprd32.dllDriver Version 6.14.10.4943INF File oem10.inf (i965G0 section)Color Planes 1Color Table Entries 4294967296Resolution 1280 x 1024 x 60 hertzBits/Pixel 32Memory Address 0xFEA00000-0xFEAFFFFFMemory Address 0xD0000000-0xDFFFFFFFI/O Port 0x0000ECB8-0x0000ECBFIRQ Channel IRQ 16I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BBI/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DFMemory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFFDriver c:\windows\system32\drivers\igxpmp32.sys (6.14.10.4943, 5.73 MB (6,008,704 bytes), 1/28/2011 1:54 PM) Name Intel(R) Q965/Q963 Express Chipset FamilyPNP Device ID PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2993&SUBSYS_01DA1028&REV_02\3&172E68DD&0&11Adapter Type Intel(R) GMA 3000, Intel Corporation compatibleAdapter Description Intel(R) Q965/Q963 Express Chipset FamilyAdapter RAM 256.00 MB (268,435,456 bytes)Installed Drivers igxprd32.dllDriver Version 6.14.10.4943INF File oem10.inf (i965G1 section)Color Planes Not AvailableColor Table Entries Not AvailableResolution Not AvailableBits/Pixel Not AvailableMemory Address 0xFEB00000-0xFEBFFFFFDriver c:\windows\system32\drivers\igxpmp32.sys (6.14.10.4943, 5.73 MB (6,008,704 bytes), 1/28/2011 1:54 PM)It's not a question of TOO many DPC's...it's a question of what they are...and the effect on my PC Jose.

It's a dang shame that not ONE person on here seems to be willing to address Deferred Procedure Calls....WHAT they are doing....HOW to analyze them...and their affect on individual users.I'm getting to the point where I no longer trust Microsoft....as I have read that they entered into an agreement with SEVERAL other companies last spring to collect and share usage data.This would partially explain why in the November time frame that I had a notice with my ISP billing about data collection....and also why I started hearing noises from my hard drive...which after 2 Defrags...a reinstall of the OS...scans done by MANY different antimalware / antivirus softwares have done nothing to help.It's gotten to the point that when I either do searches on the 'Net for things like "hard drive + clicking + whirring" and "Deferred Procedure Calls"...that my computer acts even worse.It's also a travesty that I have to put up with advertisements in my Hotmail and then get a notice SHOVED in my face to have to PAY not to see them.After 16+ years of using MS products...I believe I'm getting to the point of joining the MILLIONS of others that won't use Microsoft products.It's a damn shame.

It's TRULY sad that not ONE of you Microsoft folks will address this issue...and my questions. It's no wonder why so many folks are opting for Linux and Apple Mac. Reach down and grab you ankles and PULL your HEADS out folks. PLEASE...stop using folks!