# How can I tell what's causing a computer sound?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616 "2003-05-02T13:43:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616/1 "2003-05-02T13:43:22Z")

</div>

I’m running XP Professional and a constant clicking sound is coming out of the speaker. I’ve opened the volume control and enabled all of the controls. If I mute each one, the sound continues. If I click on the “mute all”, it stops. How can I tell where it’s coming from?

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![idol\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/94ad74/32.png) [@idol\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/idol_mind)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616/2 "2003-05-02T14:24:31Z")

</div>

I would suggest running a spyware type program such as ad-aware(just do a search on google to find something), because you’ve probably got a lot of stuff on your computer that you don’t need/don’t even know about. after thats done the problem could possibly go away, but if not at least you won’t have as many sources of the problem…also try to backtrack to when the sound started occuring and try to think if you installed anything around that time

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616/3 "2003-05-02T14:29:02Z")

</div>

Do you have any electronic devices near your computer? When my cell phone connects, it causes a clicking sound on the speakers, so it could be something similar.

I doubt it’s spyware, though it won’t hurt to give it a check, since you’re bound to find something.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616/4 "2003-05-02T14:36:31Z")

</div>

Cheap audio cards can do things like that because electric noise from the cpmputer creeps in to the sound part. I had a laptop that did that and it was related to the hard drive. Noise from the hard drive appeared on the sound card.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-whats-causing-a-computer-sound/172616/5 "2003-05-02T20:20:38Z")

</div>

I tried Ad-aware. It found somethings but didn’t help.

I added a new soundcard (the one that is on this machine is integrated into the motherboard) and after I removed the old one in the bios, the new one worked like a charm.

Thanks guys.