Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Windows has many sounds all of which are tied to specific events. Random sounds, including the computer shouting your name at you, is a mystery.
Mystery virus? I've not been able to narrow down what triggers this annoying virus, so I come to you before I pull my last hair out. I believe it has evolved a little too! Several times a day, for no apparent reason, my PC yells at me. For a year, it was an odd dog bark. It changed to a rooster crow and now it shout my NAME as loud as it can.
I run AVG and AVS and recently installed Comodo. I've scanned with Spydoctor, Norton AV, McAfee and some online scanners...everything I could. When any of them finds something, I clean it out and rescan. Even when nothing is found, the screaming continues. I often scan floppies, yet 2 other systems have the same problem.
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I was all ready to suggest that perhaps Windows was generating a warning pop up and what you were hearing was the accompanying alert sound.
Up until you indicated that your computer is calling you by name, that is.
I'm actually hoping that my readers can come up with some other plausible suggestions, but I can think of only one explanation.
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I think someone's having some fun with you, at your expense.
And by someone, I mean someone you know who has access, direct or indirect, to your computers.
It actually wouldn't be that hard to make a computer act this way. In fact, I've considered it as a prank in the past, but thought the better of it. I'd write a small program or script that simply played a audio file at random times during the day. That audio file could be a dog barking, a rooster crowing, or someone yelling a name. Or worse.
The problem in your situation, and the reason I think it's intentional, is that I'm not aware of any viruses or spyware that actually do this.
Another alternative, though still along the lines of a prank, would be someone replacing one of the system notification sounds with a sound of their own. So perhaps the sound happens when Windows notifies you of something, but it's a sound that your prankster has provided rather than the Windows original.
Yet another alternative might be a web site that does the same thing - perhaps when you visit it plays random sounds, one of which might be your name.
In your shoes I would:
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Take note of what programs are running, or what websites are displayed, when the sound occurs. Look for something in common.
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Review all the sound files in c:\Windows\Media, and make sure that they're not what you've been hearing.
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Review the sound settings in Control Panel, Sounds and Audio Devices, Sounds, Program Events, and make sure they're not what you've been hearing.
And lastly, I'd take a close listen to the sound of your name, and see if it sounds like anyone you know.
I'm hoping some of my regular readers will have additional ideas. If you do, please add them as a comment.
Article C3181 - October 14, 2007
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
My computer randomly barks, open and closes a door and shouts "I love you". Glad to read that others are having similar problems. Although, a little annoying it doesn't seem to cause any other problems to the computer. Here I thought I was unique!!!!
Posted by: jill at December 1, 2009 5:26 PMmy computer moos at me too! i don't know why it does it...it just does it randomly and it didn't do it when i first got it.... also my computer is a gateway so i thought maybe it was a gimmick of some kind but i checked their website and googled it and this was the only site of relevance...
Posted by: Kacie at January 13, 2010 12:43 PMMy computer sounds like its shouting Hitler Quotes in German?? Wiered
Posted by: Adam at March 24, 2010 8:24 PMMy computer was off the other night and at 4am it started crowing! Tongiht it did it for the second time. I hit the power button and as it was shutting down I removed the speaker plug from the jack, and it still was crowing. Nothing hooked up to the speakers yet it kept crowing for a few more times! +Can anyone explain this??? I am not hallucinating ! - wide awake! I am freaked out now.
Posted by: CR at June 12, 2010 12:54 AMmy computer is real big with the barks, no matter if it is turned off, or not, and they are SO loud, it scares the bleep out of me everytime it does it. Very aggrivating i must say
Posted by: Kolton at June 23, 2010 4:32 PM