Windows 10: Choppy video and strange keyboard responses after Win FCU for my Dell

Hello to all,

I have a Dell Inspiron 15-3552 laptop, which is equipped the following way:




It came with Windows 10 from the manufacturer, and the problems only began recently after the FCU. Prior to that, although not as fast as a nearly identical laptop I have, one which is equipped with an i3 pentium, it had no problem typing documents and serving as the laptop my child played a couple of driving games on: Asphalt 8 and Asphalt Xtreme.

Following the FCU installation those same games became unplayable. The video went from smooth to a slide-show-esque-stutter. And what's worse, the keyboard steering seemed all fouled up. Sometimes it wouldn't respond to inputs, other times it seemed like there were phantom inputs going on by themselves. It's a real head-scratcher of a problem.

The techs at Microsoft were trying to help with these issues. First they had me roll-back to the previous version. This helped a bit with the frame rate, but not the keyboard input problems. Then I made the mistake of letting them convince me to do an OS reinstall. Now I have 1709 installed again, all the problems it brought with it, and no way to roll back to a previous version.

The amazing thing is, the nearly identical machine I have, which is 12-18 months older and has the i3 instead of the Celeron, received the FCU and has none of the problems this newer 15-3552 laptop did. Crazy, right? And all the Dell people are telling me is that I need to, yet again, to an OS reinstall. I can't seem to make them understand that I've already done so.

Does this sound like something anyone has heard of happening post FCU update? Any ideas on how to diagnose this, and figure out how to correct it?

I'd really appreciate any help anyone might have to offer. Thanks in advance for sharing the benefit of your collective experience. *Biggrin

:)

 

All Video playback choppy

I upgraded my Dell Optiplex GX620 with Windows10 a month or two ago. All has been well since. Now all the sudden all video playback is choppy. This goes for streaming video like YouTube, or even video files played through VLC or even Win Media Player.
I literally took a video file on a thumb drive and it played fine on my other Dell (Optiplex 760) but when I took the same thumb drive to the PC in question, the same file played choppy. I have already checked for Microsoft updates and none were required.

 

Performance Issue - Choppy Video while playing on Windows 10

I have just purchased a brand new 17" Dell Latitude, quad core (2.50 Mhz) 12 gigs of ram, 2 terabyte hard drive. With Windows 10, and it has a great video card/sound. And I have choppy videos, my laptop is 2 months old. I do use AOL a bunch, I also use Edge,
Explorer, Chrome, and just installed AOL's new Shield browser. Still video's are choppy.

 

Really do not know how you think that the grinning smiley face has anything to do with your issue. So what is really wrong with your computer, other than we only know that it is a budget line laptop with a very ancient CPU, so that it can give you more battery life. Nothing about your Internet connection, if this is on your paid for connection or a public hotspot, what resolution the videos are on, what videos are you having issues with, what program you are using while trying to watch videos that are probably set too high for the resolution to begin with.

 

Hi bro67,

I apologize if I didn't provide enough information.

The smiley face was an expression of the happiness and gratitude I would have for any help with my problem.

The issue is mostly with the games my child plays on this machine; or I guess I should say "played" prior to the FCU, since he hasn't been able to since. It will stream videos, from youtube and such, just fine. And the driving games he used to be able to play are Windows store apps. They can be played against others on-line, but he doesn't really do so, playing instead against the AI. The titles are Asphalt 8 and Asphalt Xtreme by GameLoft.

The computer is only used in my home, and my internet connection is fairly good. Here is a screenshot of a recent speed test:




And as I mentioned before, the laptop specs seem to exceed the requirements:




Before the FCU everything seemed to work fine. It's only since then that I've had a problem. And reinstalling the OS as I was instructed to by the Microsoft tech support representatives hasn't fixed the problem.

The screen resolution is 1366 x 768, and I've tried running the game apps full screen and in a window. There seems to be no difference in the stuttering video in either case. And the puzzling intermittent keyboard response, which controls the way he steers the cars, is the same whether full screen or in a window.

I am surprised to hear that the CPU in the newer machine is actually older than in the machine which was purchased 12 to 18 months prior. I purchased it because that same older machine and another Venue tablet I have seemed to work fine.

I hope I haven't left out anything important and will be happy to provide any more information that might lead to troubleshooting this problem. I appreciate any help you or any other knowledgable person can give me.

 

Okay. You have posted a speed test and a Spec from who knows where. You still never answered my questions directly, nor to realize that the FCU updated did for the most part was a Service upgrade, by removing old programs and codes and changing the depreciation on other items that will be depreciated come next cycle.

You are running a Budget line Laptop, with a CPU that was meant for mobility by design. Answer the questions about what you have going on in the background, what software you were trying to watch videos on, was this your paid connection or a public hotspot, are there other computers having the same problems on that same network.

Also your CPU is not older, it is just that it is made for mobility in mind and works great for what it was designed to do. That is why Intel continues to scratch out the newer Celeron's, which are nothing more than a i3 that could not make it. The same way back when Pentiums were so huge, but Intel, AMD and Microsoft, found ways to use those CPU's that did not pass the tests t just downgrade them until they met a test that is no different than doing the Hokey Pokey.

 

I apologize, I thought that I'd answered your questions directly.

When I said the computer is used only in my home, I presumed that would mean to most people that it is only being used on my own, paid for service. And though my wife's iphone and ipad access that same internet connection, there is only 1 other PC on that network, and that machine is problem free. The speed test was performed using the laptop which is having problems, and done using the built-in Edge browser.

The spec I posted was from the Windows store and is for the game my son used to be able to run on this very same machine, with the copy of Windows 10 it came with, but can no longer run now that the Creator's update has occurred. That is where the trouble is with the animation displayed by the game. That is also where the keyboard issues are most pronounced, though when doing just about anything there seems to be a lag time between keystrokes and response by the machine.

As far as I know there are no additional programs running in the background, save for the same McAfee anti-virus software that came with the laptop. If you'd like, I can do a series of screenshots of the task manager showing the various things which are running.

 

I have yet to figure out if you or your "son" is having problems, because you have been all over the board. If the video was looking terrible, first thing is to uninstall driver and device, then reboot and have Windows install the default driver. Check Dell's Support site for any updates for hardware, such as video drivers.

There is no magic fix out there when someone is trying to play games that are meant for faster computers. Depending on what games he is trying to play, have you checked to see if NVIDIA offers them on their Shield platform. Have him use the laptop for school work and save up money on Macbook when he gets closer to going off to a college or university.

In the end, you learn as you go. You just never want to make a expensive jump like this when deals make you think that something is great and then get home to use it, to find out that it does not meet your needs. This review, like others out there, do shed light on that laptop. Dell Inspiron 15 3552 review a solid low-end performer

 

Thanks for the link bro67. The laptop described is the same model, but it has a slightly different processor. But I get your point about researching something before buying.

As I've said all along, the problems I've been describing mostly effect a game my 6 year old plays on the laptop, but some of the keyboard issues show up when using the browser or typing in MS word. These are all things which didn't happen before the update. All of these programs worked fine until then.

I've tried to describe than as clearly as I can, having only witnessed them. And they are problems which didn't exist before the latest update. I've been the route of reinstalling drivers. In fact, I've even reinstalled the operating system. I've done what the people at Dell support have instructed me to do so far, but that hasn't resolved the problem. Which is why I came to this forum.

I appreciate the consideration you've given me so far. And while I don't think that I've been all over the board with this, I do think that perhaps we're not communicating well. To the extent that it's my shortcoming, I apologize.

Thanks for taking the time to listen, and for the advice you have offered. I'll post something in the game thread and see if someone who's interest is focused in that area might have heard of anything similar.

Have a great week.

 

You can try doing a clean install. It would also run Linux with a lot of good games for Linux out there. If the game runs as an app, you may want to look for an alternative that runs from the desktop. You can also turn off Hibernate to save hard drive space, try different profiles with the Black-Viper settings.

I have gone from a heavy enough to still break your foot Compaq laptop, then a Netbook, a few years later when my son was a Junior in High School, got him and I the same Satellite and it would balk if it felt that the programs were too top heavy. Now I have a Macbook Air and a very rarely used Lenovo M series desktop.