I've run into problems like this with games as well. I doubt that foobar running in the background had anything to do with it since you were doing fine with that set up for so long.
A few things I've had to fix in the past:
Video Card - I was getting "Blue Screen of Death" with this one, so it's probably not the source of your problems, just keep it in the back of your mind.
Heat
Bad/Failing Hardrive
Let's talk about heat.
There's a program called Motherboard Monitor that I've always used:
http://mbm.livewiredev.com/
Assuming that your motherboard supports this program and its abilities, when you install and run MBM, you'll be able to see what your temperatures are for various things - CPU, Motherboard, etc. Back when I was having problems, after installing this I found out that I had some serious heat issues. Your motherboard and CPU manufacturer should have optimal heat ranges listed on their respective websites, so check against those.
What I ended up having to do was totally replace my CPU cooler fan with a high-performance model. Not expensive - think it was around $50 - but if you've never worked on the hardware of computers before...it could be a little nerve wracking. I got my CPU cooler from these guys:
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/
Along with that, I cleaned the hell out of my case with a "can of air" and installed a few more case fans to intake and exhaust air from the case itself.
So...download MBM (if your mobo is on their list), run it, and check the temps vs. the manufacturer's suggestions. Buy yourself a can of air and clean the hell out of your case. Cheapest and easiest solution. Then, go from there.
The extra case fans will never hurt you and they are cheap.
The CPU cooler...Most original CPU fans are OK for normal everday use. Games up the ante on all the computer's resources. If you're still having heat problems, I'd look into getting one of these. There are a TON of them out there so do some research on them first. I can point you in the right direction of some good websites if you need to go this route.
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