# My computer is dinging



## Flea (Jan 16, 2011)

This is weird - I switched from Firefox over to Google Chrome, and twice now my computer has given off this loud ring like a bicycle bell.  I never set up any kind of sound reminder for anything, and I haven't had the gmail calendar open when it's happened in any case.  I usually have Pandora going, but I've never heard anything like that from Pandora either.

Any thoughts?


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## jks9199 (Jan 16, 2011)

Go back to Firefox, or even IE (shudder), and see if it's still going on.  You may have a reminder of some sort set in Chrome that you just aren't aware of.  Among other things -- I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Google Calendar can still reach you through Chrome...  Were they at reasonable intervals (5, 10, 20 minutes before an appointment, for example) to be a calender-related reminder?

You could also see what's running via the Task Manager...  Again, there might be something in the background you're unaware of.


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## bluewaveschool (Jan 16, 2011)

The only issue I have with Chrome is there is no asian character support currently, so I can't see anything but squares when stuff gets posted.


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## Cryozombie (Jan 16, 2011)

Flea said:


> This is weird - I switched from Firefox over to Google Chrome, and twice now my computer has given off this loud ring like a bicycle bell.  I never set up any kind of sound reminder for anything, and I haven't had the gmail calendar open when it's happened in any case.  I usually have Pandora going, but I've never heard anything like that from Pandora either.
> 
> Any thoughts?



Do you have a google voice account?  Ive read about complaints that chrome makes a sound like an incoming google voice message when there is no incoming message and that it's apparently a bug of some kind between the two Google programs.


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## Ken Morgan (Jan 16, 2011)

Maybe your computer is trying to help out and got a job selling ice cream?


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## Big Don (Jan 16, 2011)

Flea said:


> This is weird - I switched from Firefox over to Google Chrome, and twice now my computer has given off this loud ring like a bicycle bell.  I never set up any kind of sound reminder for anything, and I haven't had the gmail calendar open when it's happened in any case.  I usually have Pandora going, but I've never heard anything like that from Pandora either.
> 
> Any thoughts?


That isn't your computer. It is someone at the front door.


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## Mark Jordan (Jan 17, 2011)

There are a few things that could be causing the issue.  

1. Windows in general can start to have problems when there are more than 25 open windows.

2. Another thing would be the sound driver for your machine:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Update-a-driver-for-hardware-that-isnt-working-properly

3. Right mouse click the speaker icon in the system tray which is at the bottom right of the screen.  Select 'Sounds'. In the Sound Scheme letter-box, select 'No sounds'. Click OK.

If these sounds are coming from minimizing the window you can turn off the sound by:
Start>Settings>Control Panel.  For XP it's Start>Control Panel. Double click the Sounds or Sounds & Audio Devices

4. It could be a virus on your computer


Hope this helps!


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## Flea (Jan 18, 2011)

Gaahh!!! Mark, I took your advice on that and it dinged again not half an hour later.  I don't get it.

At least it could be a lot worse.  It could be something _really_ obnoxious like fart noises or disco.  And it's only once every couple of days.

I don't think it's a virus - I have Microsoft Security Essentials for one thing.  And I usually think of viruses being a whole lot more destructive than this.


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## Bob Hubbard (Jan 18, 2011)

Describe the ding in detail.  Is it just a single 'ding', is it a series of dings, etc.


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## Flea (Jan 18, 2011)

It's just one ding.  It's a recording of a bicycle bell.


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## Bob Hubbard (Jan 18, 2011)

odd.  Rules out much of what I was thinking.


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## jks9199 (Jan 18, 2011)

Flea said:


> It's just one ding.  It's a recording of a bicycle bell.


Check what sounds you've got paired with what events.  I'm going to guess you've got that sound attached to something that's coming up every once in a while...


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## Big Don (Jan 18, 2011)

jks9199 said:


> Check what sounds you've got paired with what events.  I'm going to guess you've got that sound attached to something that's coming up every once in a while...


Always a fun game to play with coworker's computers...


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## Carol (Jan 18, 2011)

Flea said:


> I don't think it's a virus - I have Microsoft Security Essentials for one thing.  And I usually think of viruses being a whole lot more destructive than this.



"Virus" can be a generic term to also mean trojan, adware, malware, spyware, just about anything you didn't want on your computer that ended up working its way on to the machine.   Some are harmless, some are destructive, some are in between.

Most security products combine anti-virus and anti-spyware.  Run a full scan and make sure the machine is clean.

Something is triggering the bell sound.  It could be something in google chrome.  It could be a process, such as a download, that is finishing up.


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