JEaton,
This is a prime example of the current state of PCs. No one really understands them or how they work. The first thing to come out of the mouths of computer folks nowadays is a variety of "sounds like", "something got hung-up", "I'm not sure", and of course when in doubt "try rebooting". We operate computers by trial and error like rats in a maze. We can't "fix" a computer, just replace major parts and follow some recipes. Can you imagine being an astronaut on the way to Mars getting these kinds of responses?
This approach scares the crap out of me as we depend more and more on computers, yet understand them less and less. It an annoyance in audio, but serious when it applies to my paycheck, credit report, or private records. It seems to be largely a generational thing as those under 30 have been brought up with this way of thinking. Young adult first worlders seem to be able to slip in and out of reality, but their younger counterparts have a harder time relating to reality.
Years ago my Dad feared that there might be a weak link to all our technology, that if broken could cascade into bringing a very large chunk of it all down. And that was in the 60's. He must be a genius.