# Animals in my computer?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665 "2004-01-30T00:10:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@Yuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuki)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/1 "2004-01-30T00:10:58Z")
Ok…I’ve never had this happen before and it’s honestly got me bewildered. I was sitting at the computer the other day, just surfing the net when I heard a ‘ribbit’ sound. And I paused and listened for a moment and it happened again. I realized it was coming from my speakers. Like a digital ‘ribbit’ sound. I tried seeing if there were any programs running in the background I wasn’t aware of but nothing. I even checked to see if it was associated with anything I was doing, but it was completely random. It continued this for a few days and then mysteriously stopped. Just now…I heard a ‘chirp’ sound and honest to god I think I’m going to scream. It’s the same exact case as before, except now it’s a bird chirp. I’m running Win2k Pro and have a Philips PoS Soundcard. It’s only about 6 months old though so I hope it’s not going out on me so soon. Although I’m tempted to think it may be the matching set of PoS Speakers I got to go with the sound card. You gotta coordinate these things you know. 😛 Anyway, any input at all would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/2 "2004-01-30T00:18:58Z")
I don’t have any advice, but I do know your pain! My computer spontaneously makes a phone ringing sound. It sounds like a bell ringer, not an electronic one, and it isn’t associated with any programs. Weird stuff. Maybe our computers are haunted. ---
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/3 "2004-01-30T00:29:01Z")
It sounds like you have a ‘funny’ virus or worm/trojan/screensaver/webpage running in the background. What anti-virus and firewall software are you running? ---
**Author:** ![Yuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@Yuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuki)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/4 "2004-01-30T00:46:00Z")
> [@flapcats](#): > > It sounds like you have a ‘funny’ virus or worm/trojan/screensaver/webpage running in the background. What anti-virus and firewall software are you running? I run McCaffee and it’s up to date. I scanned for both viruses and spyware recently and it’s still chirping. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/5 "2004-01-30T00:55:11Z")
Hi **Yuki** You just watch…as soon as I answer with my really cool theory…someone will post the right answer! But until then…here goes: My wild guess is that you’ve got your computer set to alert you to errors with a sound. Perhaps using the jungle theme or some such? Go to control panel Double click sounds and multimedia Look under the sound tab See if you’ve got a “scheme” set. ---
**Author:** ![Yuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@Yuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuki)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/6 "2004-01-30T00:56:32Z")
> [@Daizy](#): > > Hi **Yuki** > You just watch…as soon as I answer with my really cool theory…someone will post the right answer! > > But until then…here goes: > My wild guess is that you’ve got your computer set to alert you to errors with a sound. Perhaps using the jungle theme or some such? > Go to control panel > Double click sounds and multimedia > Look under the sound tab > See if you’ve got a “scheme” set. ^^;; No…that’s not it. I don’t like sounds associated with computer functions. These are completely random. Nothing’s triggering them… ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/7 "2004-01-30T01:00:32Z")
Is you’re mobile nearby? Could be RF interference. Turn your mobile off, then turn it back on again. If it is, you should hear the chirping as the mobile registers itself. ---
**Author:** ![Yuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@Yuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuki)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/8 "2004-01-30T01:03:22Z")
> [@Rabid\_Squirrel](#): > > Is you’re mobile nearby? Could be RF interference. Turn your mobile off, then turn it back on again. If it is, you should hear the chirping as the mobile registers itself. it’s turned off…but I’ll try keeping it away from the computer. I’ve never had an issue with it before… I’m just waiting to hear some donkey sound or something coming from the speakers -\_-;;; ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/9 "2004-01-30T02:13:41Z")
[Look here](http://computerpranks.com/downloadable-pranks/default.cfm?ItemID=352). It sounds like a prank to me. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/10 "2004-01-30T02:14:47Z")
> [@](#): > > To Close move your mouse cursor to the TOP LEFT corner of the screen. A splash screen will be displayed letting you know the program was closed. See if that works… ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/11 "2004-01-30T02:16:48Z")
Gotta ask the obvious question: Does this happen with sound on or off? Are you speakers physically turned off? ---
**Author:** ![Yuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@Yuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yuki)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-my-computer/226665/12 "2004-01-30T02:20:23Z")
I checked out that prank thing, it’s not it. I’m the only one who uses the computer or can even access it. And the speakers are on.