Why do I keep hearing this?

April 6, 2010 7:24 AM

Why is my computer making this sound? Should I be alarmed?

Usually happens when browsing. It is the same sound I hear when plugging in new hardware from usb, like the keyboard for example. Completely unsolicited. Norton scan detects no problems.

"Ka-tung ka-toong"

Sometimes the computer will fail to detect my keyboard at startup, which I correct by disconnecting and reconnecting it; that's why I know the sound. But the sound just happens unprompted sometimes, even during sessions when I've already used the keyboard.

posted by rahnefan to Technology (10 answers total)

Yeah, I got a Mac just before Vista came out, but I remember this exact thing happening to me. I always suspected it was Windows choking on a peripheral and reconnecting to it. Never had any problems associated with it and my XP install never had any virus problems.

I'm betting you're safe.
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:30 AM on April 6, 2010

It's hard to know what "ka-tung ka-toong" sounds like, but if it's your hard drive mysteriously starting to park itself at random times, you might want to think about backups. And not the "Boy, I bet I should have backups" kind of think, but the "how can I get my hard drive backed up before dinnertime" thinking.
posted by mhoye at 7:43 AM on April 6, 2010

If it's something plugging and un-plugging itself, installing Growl and HardwareGrowler will pop up notifications when device statuses change.
posted by danteGideon at 7:46 AM on April 6, 2010

Oops - I think you might not have a Mac actually. So, er, GrowlForWindows? Haven't used this personally however.
posted by danteGideon at 7:48 AM on April 6, 2010

Sounds like one of your USB devices has a loose connection. This is particularly common with flash drives.

Alternatively, your mouse/keyboard could be on the fritz (especially if you've spilled something on them!)
posted by schmod at 8:08 AM on April 6, 2010 [2 favorites]

Ok, it's the noise Windows makes when you attach or remove a USB device. It could be anything that's attached by USB, really. Do you have a flash card (like SD, compact flash or memory stick) reader? those are usually connected to your motherboard inside the case by USB.
My computer makes this noise if something connects/disconnects by Bluetooth as well, so it could be your phone (or someone else's) too.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 10:25 AM on April 6, 2010

Is it possible to check the system logs to see what devices it thinks were detached & reattached?
posted by chairface at 11:51 AM on April 6, 2010

I have a USB hub that causes this sound if there's anything plugged into it. Indeed, look for loose connections. (It doesn't sound like you have extraordinarily long USB cables, which were causing my problem.)
posted by wzcx at 5:16 PM on April 6, 2010

One thing that can happen is the USB cable (over time and with significant tension) pulling the USB receptacle a little bit loose from the card, or cause the card to splay out of the seat. If the cables are tight, maybe open up the case and make sure the card is.
posted by dhartung at 10:43 PM on April 7, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks everyone...will look into these things...
posted by rahnefan at 5:36 AM on April 8, 2010