Several weeks ago, my Windows XP installation started 'studdering' almost any time it played any audio; Windows start-up sounds, mouse clicks, pretty much any sound...would drag on for a second or two too long.  Playing media files was impossible because videos would pause while the audio studdered, then try to continue, then pause, etc. 

I just ran across this post where Matt Warren recommended to another guy that he reinstall the codecs from the Microsoft site.  It works!  Thanks Matt!

[edit date="2005 Sep 19"]

OK, the above solution only temporarily resolved the problem.  After several weeks of living with this, it finally seems to have resolved with, of all things, new drivers for the sound card, NIC, and flash for the motherboard.  The MoBo in this system is a Abit Duramax AA8, and it turns out the audio (chipset?) is "Realtek High Defnition Audio".  Somehow, a very recent Google search found this page, where the solution was waiting

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