sound skips, crackles, clicks and pops

once it caught my attention, it's been a seriously annoying issue to live with

i haven't been concerned with testing playback of different file formats orp layers etc, as i really can't be bothered to care

i notice this every time i play music in Spotify and Windows Media Player

soundcard is an onboard Conexant High Definition SmartAudio HD2

i've disabled all enhancements for all outputs and set the advanced processor power state settings to 100 % for all states...which i fear might increase the risk of overheating, as i'm on a laptop

any ideas how i can terminate this problem, plx ?

See if you are missing any Windows Updates and check for new drivers for your sound card maybe. I've been dealing with the same problem for weeks. The problem comes and goes. Yesterday I rolled back my system to an earlier date before the last three Important Windows Updates and my music files played perfectly. Woke up the next morning and the glitch was back. This evening I installed the Windows Updates tagged as Important and also one recommended for x64 OS dealing with compliance issues and Windows Media Player and the glitch is gone. I'm hoping it stays that way.

This seems to be linked to my problem as well.

Try to perform clean boot

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7


Also try

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Tips-for-fixing-common-sound-problems

and

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307918