Random "new hardware found" sound

negis · Mar 5, 2012

Hi,

I have just clean install my laptop running Vista 32-bit after major hard drive corruption. Sometime while working on the computer (like clicking on or exit out of a program/folder), my laptop will give a random sound like when you plug in a new hardware although there's definitely nothing plug-in at the time. This really anoyed and one time my screen will flicker and then blank for a moment and then come back.

Do anyone know what wrong with the system? Please help me with this problem

wither 3 · Mar 5, 2012

Go to Control Panel\Sound and look in the Sounds tab.

You can disable all sounds or, you can click on one of the sounds under Program Events and test it to hear which one sounds like the one you're experiencing.

I suspect it's one of the three listed "Device" events.

negis · Mar 5, 2012

Hi wither 3,

Thanks for replying. I tried the sound test as you've said and the sound is just like the "device connect" but at the times I heard it, there's no device connecting at all. It also happens sometime when I visiting websites where there's alot of stuffs to load.

wither 3 · Mar 5, 2012

Since you got a flickering screen when this happens, it might be tied into the graphics.

You could go to Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Event Viewer to see if there are any warnings or errors under Windows Logs\System.

negis · Mar 5, 2012

Strangely, there's no warning/error report in event viewer as well as in problem reports & solutions. Could this be a hardware error or software conflict?

wither 3 · Mar 5, 2012

It could be your mouse or touchpad. Just trying to tie something in to the things you are doing when this happens. It is a fresh install so who knows what changed. I assume that you have finished installing SP2 and all the updates.

negis · Mar 5, 2012

I've installed all the updates but I haven't upgraded to SP2 as I've used the laptop without upgrading to any service pack without any problem. The only problem is the hard drive corrupted that I have to clean install the whole OS to its factory setting.

wither 3 · Mar 5, 2012

Well, the Webbs recorded a song called "There's a Cricket in my Ear". :D

I recommend that you update to SP2. There have been so many things fixed by SP1 and SP2, it's hard to troubleshoot a system that doesn't have them. I don't think you can get the Microsoft security updates without SP2. That's not to say that SP2 will fix the problem you're experiencing.

There could also be a sound when an update installs after you reboot.

negis · Mar 11, 2012

I have just finished the update but the sound still present. Now I know that the mobsync.exe is the culprit since everytime i hear that sound, the mobsync.exe process appears in task manager for a split second or so and then disappears. The mobsync.exe also appears whenever I plug in a USB or portable drive so I think that's why the sound is exactly like when plugging in new device/hardware.

I've disable the "portable device enumerator service" in Service as stating in this forum's Tutorial section but that program keep coming up. So, any idea how to solve it?

wither 3 · Mar 12, 2012

Are you using Vista Home?

negis · Mar 12, 2012

Yes, I'm using vista home preminum 32-bit

wither 3 · Mar 12, 2012

I had found a fix for it but it doesn't work in Home editions (which I also have).
I looked in Task manger\Processes and mobsynch.exe was there. Thirty seconds later, it was gone. I don't know know why I would have it since the Home version doesn't have the Synch center and I don't have Windows Mobile or IE 6.

On the other hand, I don't know what that would have to do with sounds in Windows Explorer, as you're having.

negis · Mar 12, 2012

The sound and mobsync.exe come out whenever I double-click on folders/files or double-click on IE for search too fast. At that time, the CPU usage will reach 100%

Also, I don't know if this has something to do with driver conflict because around the time when I notice this sound (about a week ago), my cdrom started failing.

The last couple of days, cdrom randomly disappears in my computer when i turn on the laptop and in device management, I see exclaimation mark in DVD/CD-rom drive with error code 10. Sometime, the cdrom gets move down in the other device with question mark (code 1). I click update the drive and chose a path in a list of microsoft device that lead to DVD/CD-rom driver and successfully installed the drive back. However, I turn off the laptop and turn on the next day, cdrom disappears again with error code of either 1 or 10.

Do you have any suggestion on this problem?

wither 3 · Mar 12, 2012

In respect to Home versions of Vista and Win 7, this is what I found-

If you have a home version of Vista or Windows 7, you will see mobsync.exe running in task manager, but closing out of Sync Center should stop the process. If you were using Sync Center and ActiveSync to manage a mobile device and no longer need it, you can uninstall ActiveSync software and it should stop mobsync.exe as well.

It doesn't make any sense since you can't use the Sync Center.

I just tried double clicking on folders in WE while I have Task Manager\Processes open. I notice that the list momentarily gets longer and then shortens. I can't see what's happening. I don't see anything when I'm viewing applications. I don't get any sounds. Versions of IE after v6 don't use ActiveSynch. You should check the settings for WE in Control Panel\Sound.

Maybe the CD Rom player is the issue and it's playing the Device Connected or Disconnected sound. That would be easy to check. Just set the sounds for those options to "none".

I wouldn't use the Windows driver. I would go to the manufacturer's website and download and install the latest driver from them.

The cause of the problems with the drive are really the subject of another subforum. It could be a Power Supply problem or the drive could be failing.

negis · Mar 13, 2012

I don't know what causing the sound and mobsync.exe automatic run behind the scene but I guess I'll have to live with it since I have done what I could to inspect but to no avail

wither 3 · Mar 14, 2012

Did you try setting the Device sounds to none?

What if you disconnect your CD ROM drive?

negis · Mar 14, 2012

The CDrom drive right now does not appear in my computer (code 10: cannot start), so I won't be able to disconnect it. I just rechecked the system and found out that may be the failed update in graphic card driver cause device conflicts. That's why my screen flicker one time when I open folders and click files too fast. I've just start a new thread in the drivers section to ask for help since in nvidia installer folder in regedit, the install registry is listed as failure

wither 3 · Mar 15, 2012

Aren't you working on getting the CD ROM drive back in another thread?

negis · Mar 15, 2012

No, unfortunately. I think the root deep down with my graphic driver nvidia's registry. I thought for sure that I have successfully installed new driver ver for nvidia but somehow, in the nvidia registry folder, it listed as "install REG_SZ failure" and version # is still the old one.

I don't know whether the registry became bad or not but msconfig and device management both record the new version for nvidia display driver.

wither 3 · Mar 16, 2012

I did see you in another thread in regards to the cd rom drive.

Where is the NVIDIA registry?

Random "new hardware found" sound

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