Audio Dropout In Windows 95 and NT

QuickTime's sound settings work for the majority of systems. If you
experience sound drop-out problems on your system configuration, here are
some things you can try.

If DirectSound is available for your system, make sure you have the latest
sound driver and the current version of Direct X.

If you still experience sound problems, you can adjust the size of the sound
buffer QuickTime uses. Larger buffers reduce the chance of drop-outs, but
increase latency for interactive uses of sound.

To adjust the size of the sound buffers, you need to:
1. Open the Control Panels window and open QuickTime Settings.
2. Select the Sound Out panel.
3. Select the WaveOut or DirectSound device (depending on what is
installed in your system).
4. Click on the Options button at the bottom of the control panel.
5. Adjust the settings and test the movie you were experiencing
problems with.
6. Keep adjusting the settings until the audio problem is corrected.
For DirectSound, the size of the sound buffer is set in milliseconds. Increase
the buffer size until the drop-out is corrected.

For WaveOut, there are two numbers to adjust. The number of buffers and
the size of each buffer in milliseconds. Adjust the number of buffers until any
drop-outs are corrected. If you hear a stuttering, increase the individual
buffer size until the stuttering is corrected.

One place to check for latest drivers and Direct X is at Download.com:

http://www.download.com/pc/fdoor/
Drivers
Sound & Multimedia