More Awesome Than You!

I used Process Monitor to track down bad CC a while back. Now I'm noticing this popping up every few seconds:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceClasses\{EC87F1E3-C13B-4100-B5F7-8B84D54260CB}

It says the file can not be found. Google isn't helping, except for one thread that said it may be a sound-related file. Updating Directx and all that didn't work. Removing the bad CC made the lag bearable, but this is still making it very frustrating with hang-ups every few seconds. :/ Any ideas? Apparently some other people are having this problem too.

I'm having lag in my game since yesterday. I have no idea what it would be

You don't have a generic (Realtek) HD Audio chipset/sound card by any chance, do you?  Mine does the exact same thing you described.

I hope this isn't another damn issue with Realtek HD Audio.  When I first set up this computer, I had to find a fix just to hear internet audio, so I wouldn't be surprised if the game hates this card, too.

Aw, damn it. As a matter of fact, I do. :|
I've had nothing but trouble with this card since I got it. Ugh.

I've got the RealTec problem, too.  I went to PC Pitstop and ran their free driver update finder.  RealTec has a new driver for the card, and I'm downloading it now.  Also, NVidea had a new driver available.

PC Pitstop -- http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/

RealTec -- http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsCheck.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

NVidea -- http://www.nvidia.com/content/DriverDownload-March2009/confirmation.php?url=/Windows/195.62/195.62_desktop_winxp_32bit_english_whql.exe&lang=us&type=GeForce

Mea culpa -- I get so excited about new drivers I forget how to spell.

NVidea = NVIDIA

No luck.  I installed new drivers but still having the lag problem.

Julie - click the modify button. Do not double and triple post!

I had luck with just deleting the cache files and restarting.

When I quit the game while everyone, but the ghosts, were sleeping; the time was set to triple speed, but the minutes clicked by slowly one at a time (like the old 1 a.m. lag).

I cleared the four main cache files and even the two riverview ones in the world cache folder.

After restarting the computer and the game, the triple speed worked just fine and I had no other lag problems.

I am not playing with WA or the CAW, and my computer is a quad core with lots of RAM; so that might make a big difference.

By chance does closing the Realtek service (rthdcpl.exe) help the lag? Ctrl-alt-del to see if it's open under processes and use end process on it. I have a Realtek card but I turned the service/software to disabled in startup. The Microsoft volume control panel will become usable again after it's turned off.  It's completely unnecessary for playing audio with this card, and just idly eats your resources. The equalizer options in the Realtek software doesn't even sound good, having it on interferes with some games.

These sound device files are getting repeatedly accessed in the Process Monitor. I think that's what's slowing down the "Edit-in-Game" of the CAW. Do you know how I can track it down and stop it?

(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj244/Lioness_018/0002-3.jpg)


I can't find rthdcpl.exe running in the processes of the task manager.