So I decided to turn game mode on before playing Skyrim a few nights ago. Ever since, I’ve been having trouble with my headset whenever I do something involving interaction with another computer via the internet. Whenever I try to play a multiplayer game, or whenever I’m in a Skype call (or even Steam calls), my headset will randomly disconnect for a few seconds, and then reconnect. This happens every couple of minutes, and the Windows device connection sounds do not play (I have an alternate speaker that it switches to when the headset disconnects).
I now have game mode off, but my headset still experiences these problems, and I can’t think of anything else that could have caused it.
Is there anything I can do about it? Can I make the device trusted somehow, or has it legitimately broken my headset’s firmware?
Did you check Comodos logs (FW/D+/AV/…)? Did you check Windows Event Viewer? Skyrim produces it’s own logfiles - did you check these?
Further pls some details - what OS are you using? Are all the drivers actual (/what does Device Manager say?)?
About your question on "has it legitimately broken my headset’s firmware? " No, but maybe the software. That might be if the software uses local proxys, you choose custom ruleset and denied your HS software to connect to itself. You can take a look into Firewall Rulesets and check if your HS SW binarys are blocked and set it to allowed if that helps. Else (or even if you solved the problem) it would be necessary (resp. nice) to have first questions answered.
My apologies, I don’t normally forget to list specs.
I’m running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, and all of my device drivers are as they should be. The headset in particular uses Windows-provided audio drivers, apparently.
That said, the headset is a Logitech Clearchat Comfort/USB H390.
I checked the Windows Event Viewer and found nothing relating to my issues.
Skyrim isn’t the cause nor is it victim to these issues. I played Skyrim before using Game Mode and my headset seemed to work just fine. It was only after switching to Game Mode that my headset started to disconnect, and only on multiplayer games or in online calls.
And my apologies again, I don’t know how to check Comodo’s logs. I’m kinda confused as to what “(FW/D+/AV/…)” means. At first I thought it was directions in Comodo’s settings, but found nothing matching those initials.
Thanks for the help, I really hope this can be resolved.
EDIT: I found out how to get to the logs, but there’s nothing there except for 8 good files detected. I checked the other places in the dropdown menu and they’re all empty except for updates and setting changes.
There are several ways to enter the firewall logs (that do exist for the Firewall (FW), Defense+ (D+), Antivirus (AV), and other parts …). But as you found it - are you sure you did check for an proper time period? The logs by default show only errors since last restart.
If you don’t find anything (and it is the firewall) there might be an already set application rule for some component that is not fully allowed and neither logs any blocked connection. If so / to generally find out if it really is the firewall (and you can reproduce the issue meaning it happens exactly/in-between X seconds after you start application xy) you could temporary turn the firewall off (easiest done by tray icon) and check if the issue persists.
Well, i can. At least as you say that it worked before already and persists when switching game mode off. Game Mode doesn’t remember anything - it just suppresses alerts and you get them again when turning it off. It just could be the firewall if you did set an application rule causing this shortly before you switched to that game mode (it must not be any part of the game/communication tool but some necessary windows/java/… runtime).
So any other new Software? Any new drivers? Changed BIOS settings?
It could be also a hardware problem (or are you 100% sure it just happens when going online?). Like overheating, damaged chipset/usb-port/cable …
What you also could do is take look into Device Manager as soon as the device disconnects and note anything that could be helpful.
I just want to point out that Game Mode creates automatic Allow rules for everything, these will persist even after Game Mode has been disabled.
Besides that it is unlikely that Game Mode itself is the cause for this issue you are having, since all it does is make sure things are allowed, it could possibly be that by enabling Game Mode it allowed something else to run and interfere with your headset, or it could simply be a coincidence.
What you could do to make sure that there’s no rules to interfere with the headset, is to first export your current Configuration (for backup of current rules) and then enable another default configuration with no modifications, then test if the issue persists after a reboot, if the issue persist then it is unlikely that Game Mode or any rules created by Game Mode is the cause and the issue is most likely caused by some other application/driver or perhaps a hardware issue as dinovom suggests, after testing you can import the old configuration and enable it again.
If the issue still persists after trying the above then you can also try changing the USB ports as well as testing the headset with another computer, just to test if it could be a bad USB port or perhaps the headset itself that is starting to break.
I waited for it to happen again and immediately checked the logs, and it was still empty.
As far as I remember, I didn’t change any rules or even need to allow/block any applications for a good few days before this first happened.
As well, no new software or settings outside the firewall that I’m aware of.
After I noticed this happening, I tried putting in my motherboard’s boot disc and repairing the USB drivers. This seems to have reduced the problem by quite a lot, so I’m worried it could be an unrelated software issue, in which case I’m not looking forward to finding a different website to ask for help.
The Device Manager is one of the first things I checked when this started happening, so I could update drivers (which didn’t need to be updated). The icon just disappeared like it was unplugged.
Something that slightly worries me is that I don’t recall my headset being under “Unspecified” like it is now, but I could be wrong.
I will try turning the firewall off and returning to default settings when I have the time/initiative. For now I’ll go about trying different USB ports.
As it stands, the headset is plugged into a port on the front of my computer, which is not directly connected to my motherboard (I should know, I built this rustbucket myself).
However, so in my mouse/keyboard receiver, and the only problems I’ve had with them are lost signals, which I’ve recently resolved with an extension cord and a small swatch of Velcro. First I’ll try switching my mouse/keyboard and headset ports, and then I’ll try plugging the headset in to the back of my computer, directly into the motherboard. I’ll report back as soon as I get a chance.
And thanks for the help, it means a great deal to me.
Okay, sorry if double-posting is against the rules particularly, but I figure a bump is in order to alert those who have been helping me.
I tried disabling the firewall and switching USB ports, and had no results. However I discovered that being in a Skype call whilst playing a multiplayer game causes the headset to disconnect incredibly more often, once every couple of seconds.
I looked at the task manager while this was happening, and discovered that two processes appear and disappear in sync with my sound starting and stopping again.
“conhost.exe” and “vserver.exe *32”. I’m used to seeing these two in my running processes normally when I’m using the task manager for other things, but could something about these be causing my problem?
Also, I’m sorry. Disabling the firewall did nothing, so it’s likely that my problem is unrelated to Comodo in every way, meaning my posting here has probably wasted time on you guys’ ends. Is there any way I could still get help with this, or if you can’t, direct me to another forum that can?
Well I have no idea about the conhost.exe and vserver.exe processes appearing and disappearing in sync with the disconnection of your headset, but I’m just wondering if the Firewall in CIS is the only thing enabled? Is HIPS or BB enabled? You could try disabling them as well if they are enabled.
I don’t know what one could do IF the conhost.exe and vserver.exe processes are to blame, but to fully discredit hardware issues with the headset itself, it would be best if you could possibly try the headset with another computer, perhaps a family members computer or a friends computer.
I’ll try the headset on another computer when I can.
I feel it’s worth noting that I disabled everything in Comodo when I tried this.
Also, something that worries me, the two applications I mentioned appear as duplicates and don’t have a username attributed to them (and yes, I had “Show processes from all users” enabled).
I’ll run some scans and see what I come up with, I’ve seen talk of viruses related to conhost.
EDIT: I’m sorry, I meant description, not user.
As well, another duplicate process, SearchProtocolHost.exe fluctuates with no description.
EDIT AGAIN: Okay, so I’ve discovered that vrserver.exe (I forgot the r before, sorry) is related to Steam’s virtual reality software. I don’t know why it’d be running, I don’t own anything VR-related. I’ll investigate further.
So, semi-large update.
I haven’t had a chance to try my headset on another computer yet, but my problems seem to be related to a certain “audiodg.exe”. At least, when I end the process the problem immediately ceases. However, it will appear again after a while and I’ll start getting the issue again.
This is getting increasingly frustrating.
I think I fixed it, at least, I haven’t had the problem in a little while. I completely uninstalled my headset and reinstalled, and then I completely removed my audio drivers and got the latest ones from Realtek. It could have been either or both, but I think it’s fixed.
I don’t know how it broke in the first place, but I’d rather not find out. Thanks for the help though. I mean it. I’m sorry if I wasted your time with was was probably a non-Comodo-related issue.