# Win98: Where are these sounds coming from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729 "2003-04-28T17:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/1 "2003-04-28T17:52:25Z")
I’m running Windows 98, and a lot of system actions seem to have a sound attached to them. For some reason the volume is down low, so I can hear it only when my speakers are turned up, but I’d like to turn them off entirely. I’ve gone to Control Panel / Sounds, but everything there is already turned off. I tried the Task Manager, but everything there seems to be a legitimately running program. If it helps, the “page up” and “page down” keys produce a rubbing sort of sound, maximizing or minimizing a window sounds like a buzzsaw, and every 2 seconds or so there’s a “wiping” sort of sound, like an LP record that’s skipping a track. Any guesses where I can look? THANKS! ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/2 "2003-04-28T17:55:55Z")
Have you tried selecting the “no sounds” scheme in sounds in the contorl panel, rather than turing off the sounds individually in the contorl panel? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/3 "2003-04-28T18:05:02Z")
Yep. The “no sounds” is the scheme, and all of the individuals are “none” also. (Actually, one event did have a sound on it even in the “no sounds” scheme, but I deleted that onbe, so there are now all set to “none”.) ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/4 "2003-04-28T18:05:16Z")
Sometimes Bill gates is not out to screw you. Have you tried SOUNDS in the Control panel? ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/5 "2003-04-28T18:06:00Z")
As to where the sounds are originating, it is a commonly known fact that Windows sometimes opens a direct portal to hell and the screams of the damned bleed through under your normal system sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/6 "2003-04-28T18:07:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Sometimes Bill gates is not out to screw you. Have you tried SOUNDS in the Control panel? \*\* As I wrote in the OP, “I’ve gone to Control Panel / Sounds, but everything there is already turned off.” Thanks for trying. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/7 "2003-04-28T18:39:59Z")
Keeve, I find it difficult to believe Windows is making sounds on its own which you cannot control in the Control Panel. Just to make sure: you get to select the sound file name associated with each function or you can set it to none for no sound. At any rate, look there for the file names and you can rename them and Windows will not find them. You can also provide your own sound files. ---
**Author:** ![Eegba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Eegba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eegba)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/8 "2003-04-28T20:34:36Z")
If you wanted to get drastic, you could search your hard drive (win-f) for “\*.wav” files and delete the ones that are making the noises. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/9 "2003-04-28T20:46:14Z")
More info: When I look at the Events listed in Sounds, not everything seems to appear. For example, none of them seem to relate to scrolling, but I get distinct sounds whenever I cause anything to scroll, regardless of whether I use the page up/down keys, up/down arrow keys, or use the mouse on the scroll bar. I also found some events that I do recognize, like Maximize, and I set a specific sound to it, but this seemed to have no effect. This is another reason why I wonder of an entirely different program has control of these sounds. Also: Any time a sound is selected, and I try to listen to it with the “Preview” button, I get “Error: Windows cannot play the sound C:\WHATEVER\WHATEVER.wav. Your sound card may be in use.” Do I have to remove my sound card to preview these sounds? I hate how these sound programs all conflict with each other. Something weird is going on and I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/10 "2003-04-28T20:54:59Z")
Do you have active desktop turned on? Possibly having an active desktop theme is loading an entire package (sounds, wallpaper, screen saver, etc.) and must be deactivated from there. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/11 "2003-04-28T21:12:22Z")
Thanks, xizor, but I don’t think I have any themes on. When I go to Settings / Active Desktop / Customize my Desktop, I get the same tab that I get when I go to Settings / Control Panel / Display, and none of them mention any Themes. When I go to Control Panel / Desktop Themes, my theme is “Current Windows Settings”, and “Sound Events” is NOT checked off. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win98-where-are-these-sounds-coming-from/171729/12 "2003-04-28T23:27:39Z")
Keeve, it seems like some other program may be doing it. You can check the following things: Windows sounds are in windows/media and you can rename them to hide them You can search the disk for other wav files which contain the sounds you want to disable You should check what programs are running and recognise them. Run MSINFO32 and go to software environment / running tasks