Comments for Why does my computer shout at me?

Comment from Henry on 2009-09-10

2009-09-10T14:31:39Z

Crowing roosters and mooing cows sound suspiciously like Yahoo! Messenger's Audibles.

I haven't used Y!M in ages, but perhaps there are Audibles with people's names now.

Audibles: Send an animated, talking character to a friend to liven up your IM conversation.
http://messenger.yahoo.com/features/

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Comment from Kim on 2009-06-06

2009-06-06T14:52:40Z

My computer "moos" at me at totally random times, really freaks me out, would love to know what it is. Also, the sound of a door opening and closing, thought it was a new mail indicator, but it usually happens on my reunion website. No clue about the mooing, though

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Comment from Deb on 2009-04-22

2009-04-22T17:05:02Z

I have the same problem. All of sudden about 3 months ago, my laptop started crowing like a Rooster. This does not happen when I use the desk top computer. I have gone into the windows sounds and played all of them .... no rooster there. I thought it might me my email, either yahoo or gmail telling me I had mail... found nothing. I check the clock when the rooster crows and it doesn't happen on the hour, 1/2 hour etc. I'm totally puzzeled. I even submitted this information on my High School yahoo group site. (just came back from my 41 Reunion). One of HS Classmates told me to go to http://www.ubuntu.com/ have you heard of this? I haven't downloaded anything yet because I want to find out more about ubuntu .If the computer starts yelling at me or calling me by my name. I'm getting a new computer. If by chance I find out what this mystery is I'll pass it on if you find out please let me know.

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2008-01-22

2008-01-23T01:46:48Z

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

My assumption is the same as yours: some kind of virus or,
as in the article, someone you know playing with your head.
:-)

Leo

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iD8DBQFHlpybCMEe9B/8oqERAs8XAKCJbXlVR2Bpvya7Gwqvu1LnEwlEbwCeLRLm
LRKJK7nAJzoQG29Sb2Zzpv8=
=sId9
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Comment from hapiday on 2008-01-21

2008-01-21T16:33:51Z

I too have a shouting problem. No one at work believed me until they actually heard my computer shout "give me some money" randomly. There was never a pattern or a similar group of programs open that I could figure out. I've since left that job and laptop behind and NOW MY BRAND NEW HOME LAPTOP is shouting the same thing. My assumption is that this must be from AIM or Messenger OR from a random file that has a virus. The thing is, the two laptops never crossed paths. This one is a tough one for me as I often need sound on during presentations and it randomly statrs shouting - give me some money. Too bizarre.

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Comment from Becky Garrett on 2007-10-22

2007-10-22T07:19:59Z

Well it may not be the same thing but i had my old computer programed to said: Good Morning Rebecca and good evening etc. Well it got a glich one time i dont know if it was a virus or not but it would say my name when ever i would which between programs like from yahoo to MSN and other times scared me one night lol, Needless to say i disabled it.

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Comment from Mark Nicholas on 2007-10-21

2007-10-21T18:47:25Z

My previous computer would also, at random, start playing the trumpet notes you hear at the beginning of a horse race! It would be louder than my speakers were normally set for, and there was never anything visual on my computer. I offer no solution, just letting you know there is one more person out there with that annoying problem.

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Comment from angel on 2007-10-21

2007-10-21T16:58:31Z

I thought maybe it is not from the computer but from his own mind. That was my first thought I am afraid.
But then being of the nursing persuasion and not the technical persuasion - maybe that's why....I thought that. Sorry, don't mean to offend.

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Comment from gee on 2007-10-20

2007-10-20T15:21:04Z

i don't know, i had the rooster crowing too. it went away all of a sudden. baffled me!

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Comment from Michael Malloy on 2007-10-20

2007-10-20T14:02:00Z

Why does my computer shout at me? Leo, maybe the reader has a program like AOL IM that has sounds associated with people comming and going? Just a thought.

Mike Malloy
[Email Address Removed]

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Comment from TechTAK on 2007-10-20

2007-10-20T10:40:05Z

Obviously it is probably some application doing this. Everyone is thinking in terms of a virus or malware. It may even be one that is NOT a joke or malware. I know that incredimail does annoying stuff like that all the time. Unfortunately we don't know what software is installed, but there are so many little apps that people use that do really annoying things like this. I had a caller to my radio show a couple years ago ask why his computer would "moo" every once in awhile. (My joke back was that his Dell thought it was a Gateway.) Turned out it was the sound that incredimail used to inform him he had new mail.

There's no way to pin this one down without knowing what's installed first.

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Comment from Hugh on 2007-10-20

2007-10-20T09:09:08Z

Sysinternals autoruns...

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Comment from Chris on 2007-10-19

2007-10-20T04:28:35Z

lol... It's so easy to do stuff like this.. If you notice, most people use there login name for there windows account. It wouldn't be too much of a challenge to read the name from the registry and have one of the windows artificial voices, read it out loud at a given interval..

I've seen people also bind audio to keyboard keys, so when they press, say the letter 'd', it makes a "mooooo" sound.. Check your running processes using ctrl+alt+delete (task manager). If something looks fishy and is NOT under System, end task it and see if it helps. From that point, you can go about removing the file/directory from at least the booting process or your hard drive.

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Comment from DORIS on 2007-10-19

2007-10-20T02:30:53Z

MY HUBBY HAS THE PROBLEM OF A RACE CAR AND SOMETIMES A HORN BLOWING AT HIM. HE WILL HAVE HIS MESSENGER OPEN AND YAHOO OPEN TO READ EMAIL WHEN THIS HAPPENS. AND HAVE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO GET RID OF IT. IT WILL SCARE THE HECK OUT OF ME WHILE I AM ON MY PUTER BESIDE HIS AND ESPECIALLY IF HIS VOLUME IS UP AND HE IS OUT IN THE OTHER ROOM. HE DOES GET INTO NASCAR, AND WAS WONDERING IF IT HAS TO DO WITH THAT OR IS A X FRIEND TRYING TO TORMENT HIM. THANKS.

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Comment from Pat on 2007-10-19

2007-10-20T02:21:56Z

Google computer pranks, many many sites out there
where you can prank friends even just with an email.

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Comment from Mat on 2007-10-17

2007-10-17T21:20:21Z

Why do I shout at my computer? Despite knowing that it is a mere artifice of human (dis)ingenuity, I frequently find myself red-faced, on my feet, waving my fist at the computer, and shouting something along the lines of "What the hell are you playing at? I didn't tell you to do that! I didn't!! Don't you get smug with me you little jot of plastic, or I'll throw you out the window!!! Right, that's it!!!!!! You'll be sorry now!!!!!!!!!!! (sound of window breaking and concerned colleague calling security). Please tell me which part of my FAT table I have to re-format to prevent these obviously malicious-hacker-inspired outbreaks.

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Comment from John Gaunt on 2007-10-17

2007-10-17T15:17:09Z

Well, this is probably NOT the case as it's way too easy a solution. But I'll mention it myself since nobody has yet. It was fairly widespread, albeit quite sometime ago... there was a rash of emails going around (can also easily be done with a 3.5 floppy or any other media) that could be labled anything at all. Once opened seemed like a normal mssg, but in reality injected a small hidden .exe file in your comp somewhere (I never knew where) that didn't show up as a virus in a scan, & all it did was begin a series of random noises at random times just as you described. The types & frequency of the sounds could be set by the person configuring it (mine had belches & farts). It was obviously meant as a joke as it wouldn't cause any real problems other than to drive one crazy. The solution to shutting if off? Make sure all windows are closed so your pointer is on your desktop, move it to the upper left corner of your screen on nothing but the desktop & click there (this could also be randomly set but most I saw were in the top left)... a small control box would appear & you could manipulate it there. As I said, this probably isn't your solution, but this had to be said, & one never knows... Ockham's (or Occum's, whichever) razor may yet prevail.

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Comment from Chris Buechler on 2007-10-17

2007-10-17T07:21:35Z

Reminds me of an old school trick I pulled in high school before networks were widespread. In keyboarding class, PC's were sitting back to back in rows. It was always fun to unplug the person's keyboard across from you, and plug yours into their computer. Then type things like "hello there, (person's name)". Good way to freak people out. :)

On this one specifically, there are now much easier ways to accomplish the same thing and much more, all from across the Internet. Most likely it's somebody the person knows messing with them. Probably by changing something locally on the system.

The second possibility is the machine has been compromised ("hacked") by someone who likes to mess with people. It would be easy for a script kiddie who has control of your machine to figure out your name, and then have your computer loudly play a sound of your name whenever he desired. It's literally as simple as clicking a button with some of the hacking tool kits available.

This precisely describes the type of person who would do this remotely just for the heck of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Script_kiddie

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Comment from Dave Ball on 2007-10-15

2007-10-15T21:57:03Z

Reminds of the time I just about gave a college intern candidate a heart attack. I gave her a programming challenge to work on, then left the office to let her focus. When I returned to the office a few minutes later, she was as white as a sheet. When I queried her what the problem was, she responded, "Your computer keeps screaming at me." I forgot that I'd put a different sound scheme on my computer that morning as a joke and that each piece of e-mail was triggering a WAV of Sam Kinnison... almost made her cry... I *did* feel badly!

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Comment from John Hileman on 2007-10-15

2007-10-15T21:17:16Z

If Leo's and the first poster's idea does not work, I suggest searching all hard drives for any file with a "wav" extension. To do this, click "start", then "search". Type this in the search box (XP) "*.wav" Then, when windows asks what do you want to search for, click "all files and folders".

Next, click the down arrow next to "more advanced options". Make sure that the first three items are checked ("search system folders", search hidden files and folders", and "search subfolders"

Then click "search". When windows is finished searching, look through the list of files and for any file names that look suspicious (such as those that are not a word, or have your name in them), double click to listen to it. Repeat until the offending sound is located. Then delete it.

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Comment from Dan Ullman on 2007-10-15

2007-10-15T15:58:02Z

I second Leo. I would add I would take a look at the programs that startup with the computer. Assuming xp, click on Start --> run and type msconfig in the text box. Click on the startup tab. Google everything there to see what they do. That which cannot be found is it.

Then I would not remove it. I would try to figure out who did it to you. Then I would record his name and replace the sound file. Then I would invite him over. Then.....

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