Problem:  Foobar freezes during playback and does not resume.  I have to kill it using the Windows Task Manager.  Even worse, it corrupts the song file.  Oddly, one time it corrupted a song that it wasn't playing (it froze while playing song 2 of an album, but corrupted song 5 of the same album).  The corrupted song files can't be played, and my Audio Tester program freezes while trying to scan the corrupted files.  Moreover, Foobar's built in utilities (integrity check and AccurateRip check) also freeze up while trying to test the corrupted files.  It's a lose-lose situation for me.
 
Background:  I have a new PC (running Windows 7 Professional 64-bit) and a new USB DAC+Amp component.  All of my song files are in an external USB hard drive.  The machine is about a month old, and I installed current versions of Foobar and its components when I got it.  This problem NEVER happened with my old machine (running Windows XP Professional) and my old setup (stand alone DAC connected via SPDIF coax cable to an M-Audio sound card, with an integrated amp).
 
More info:  This is a very infrequent problem, and it has only occurred three times over the last two weeks (I listen almost continuously while at work).  The first couple of times this happened, I didn't note any of the settings or conditions, other than the fact that I had several other programs open (as I always do, since this is my work computer).  The third time it happened, I noted the following:  Output device was my Dac+Amp component connected by USB using WASAPI; and the Foobar buffer size was set to its default of 1000 ms.
 
Ideas:  I changed the output to "normal" USB and kept the buffer at 1000 ms, and will see if this happens again.  If it continues, I was thinking of the following:  trying something other than Foobar as the playback software; using my old XP machine again; using my old setup with my new PC.
 
I'm really concerned about loss of data and song file corruption.  So I'm hoping that someone out there can provide some guidance, tips, or solutions for me.  If so, I thank you very much in advance.

 
Quote:

emptytalk said:

This is a very infrequent problem . . .

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Ha ha ha.  Strike that.  It just happened again while playing song 2 of an album.  This time, I left Foobar open for several minutes and it eventually started to play a different song (on random play).  But it corrupted song 2 along with song 1 of the same album!
 
This sucks!

I think this has more to do with your storage device, foobar and other programs that access your storage just failed because the storage itself has failed. Try to connect the HD directly and check the SMART value of your HD using app like Crystal Disk Info.

Yeah, it sounds like there's a problem with your USB hard drive (either the drive itself or the USB port). You can try checking the Event Viewer to see if you find any disk read errors.

Thanks for both of the suggestions above.  I'll try both of your suggestions.  I appreciate the help.

Might be the memory of the system.[size=small][/size]
It is one of those parts not using error correction.[size=small][/size]
If the files are corrupted this is a possible cause.[size=small] [/size]

Quote:

roseval said:

Might be the memory of the system.[size=small][/size]
It is one of those parts not using error correction.[size=small][/size]
If the files are corrupted this is a possible cause.[size=small] [/size]

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Roseval:  could you elaborate on this?  If it's the RAM of the PC, do you mean that there may not be enough, or that the RAM is somehow defective?  This is a brand new PC, with 4 GB of RAM, shouldn't that be plenty?  Or, are you referring to some cache memory used by Foobar, the DAC component (which happens to be a Peachtree Decco2), or something else?
 
I'll be forwarding all of these tips to my IT department here at work for troubleshooting.  I have decent computer experience as a user, but by no means am I an IT person.
 
By the way, thank you very much for the great information in your website.  I just recently discovered it and didn't realize you were a Head-Fi person.  Anyway, keep up the great work on it.

I also think that it's your storage devices that caused the problem but you can still go to help->online troubleshooter from your foobar player and update all the component(s) listed in the red list to minimize every potential risks.

Quote:

pumbaa32 said:

I also think that it's your storage devices that caused the problem but you can still go to help->online troubleshooter from your foobar player and update all the component(s) listed in the red list to minimize every potential risks.

Click to expand...

Thanks.  The only thing identified is Pretty Popup, which is one thing that I was really really really missing yesterday while running the J. River Media Center instead of Foobar.
 
I'll look into that as a possible solution, too, although it never gave me trouble at all on my old PC.
 
I really appreciate all of these suggestions.  Please keep them coming if you have any other ideas.

Quote:

thuantran said:

I think this has more to do with your storage device, foobar and other programs that access your storage just failed because the storage itself has failed. Try to connect the HD directly and check the SMART value of your HD using app like Crystal Disk Info.

Click to expand...

You may be right.  CrystalDiskInfo (thank you for educating me about this) says CAUTION due to Reallocated Sectors Count (it says Current and Worst equals 62, whatever that means), Current Pending Sector Count (it says Current and Worst equals 70), and Uncorrectable Sector Count (it says Current and Worst equals 73).
 
Perhaps it's time to buy a new drive!
 

Yeah these are lower than normal values, it's time to backup whatever you can, check the warranty to see if you can get a replacement, if it is Seagate go to their website there's instruction on how to test your drive using Seatools and ask for RMA, figure other manufacturers have similar procedures but I have only used Seagate. Lastly, if necessary get a new drive.

Yeah, I'm pretty certain that the drive is out of warranty.  It's by Iomega.  I think I'll get a Seagate or Hitachi next.  I'm on the fence about whether to get an internal drive or another USB external drive, but at least I know what to do next.
 
Many thanks.