I know I can also take this to Chrome help forums (I will do that), but I would like to ask you guys, too.
I have gotten a new laptop recently (Inspiron M531, Windows 8.1) and started using Chrome, and I'm wondering if I'm not the only one having these kinds of issues? I used to use only Firefox because on my desktop, Chrome would open so many processes nonstop the computer couldn't function. With my laptop I used Firefox for a bit, but Firefox has been *** and laggy lately, so I moved on to Chrome.
I really like Chrome, but I've been having an abundance of issues with it.
1. I first noticed this issue when tumblr/vine/instagram videos refused to play any sound at all.
2. I've been trying to watch videos on sites aside from youtube, and video players that use flash seem to struggle the most. If I pause a video, the audio will discontinue once the video is resumed (this is if the video even played audio in the first place).
3. Usually if #2 happens, sometimes I notice that my computer has stopped playing ANY system sounds (for example if I try to lower or raise volume, there's no dingy noise).
4. Spotify ends up giving the "There's a problem with your soundcard" error.. and I know for a fact there's nothing wrong because the audio has the ability to work just fine! Sometimes if I toggle volume enough it will fix.
5. Even Youtube seems to be affected. Some videos will play audio, some won't.
Usually all of this results in my having to restart my laptop, and all the issues correct themselves. But, it's not too long until they start up again.. it's really annoying and I've tried a lot of solutions with no avail! It's incredibly tedious, and upsetting to see that I can load and play videos just fine, but the audio simply isn't there. I can't say this is Chrome's fault, but it really seems like it is. I didn't have these issues with Firefox, but Firefox has become unbearable, as are other browsers. I can't find a place to start to find a solution to this issue besides seeing if others are having similar experiences first...
However, after testing many chrome "fixes" (toggling with Chrome's flash, toggling with audio settings, making sure the output is correct, etc.. etc..) maybe it is possible that this is an issue with my laptop itself? It's almost impossible for me to tell.
Please let me know of any possible solutions or whether or not you believe this is a problem with the computer itself or that chrome has been acting funky lately.. (it's been hard to decide who to ask, so I went with everyone).
Thank you!