AC Power Start/Stop Sound: How Do I Change It?

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Kruskal - 14 Apr 2007 20:46 GMT

I find it really annoying that Windows uses the same sound when AC power is
turned on and off (battery use is turned off and on). Especially since my
notebook PC has a loose poser cord connector.

How can I set the sounds so that they are different?

Thanks -- Vincent

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Wesley Vogel - 14 Apr 2007 21:06 GMT

Open Sounds and Audio Device Properties...
Start | Run | Type: mmsys.cpl | Click OK |
Sounds tab | Scroll through Program events

Program events
[[Lists the program events to which you can assign sounds. To assign a sound
to a program event, click a program event (such as Close program) under
Events, and then click a sound under Sounds.
If you do not see a sound in Sounds, you can click the down arrow to select
from those listed, or you can click Browse to search for sound files on your
computer.]]

Sound scheme
[[Lists schemes that you can use to change the sounds assigned to many
program events. Each scheme consists of a set of events and the sounds
associated with them. You can create a new sound scheme by clicking Save
As.]]

Sounds
[[Lists the available sound files that you can associate with program
events. The sound files listed are typically those files stored in
systemroot\media. However, if you have browsed to a different folder and
used sounds located in that folder, the Sounds list includes sounds from
that folder.
You can search for sound files in other folders by clicking Browse.
Sound files for program events must be in Microsoft WAV format, a file
format developed to store and replay sounds on a personal computer. Their
names usually include .wav as an extension.]]

Play button
[[Plays the selected sound. When the sound plays, this button changes to a
square block or a Stop button. Click the Stop button to stop playing the
selected sound.]]

Browse button
[[Click to search for sounds on other drives or in other folders.]]

To assign sounds to program events
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/s
oundscpl_assignevent.mspx

To create a sound scheme
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/s
oundscpl_savescheme.mspx

Signature

Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

> I find it really annoying that Windows uses the same sound when AC power
> is turned on and off (battery use is turned off and on). Especially
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks -- Vincent

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Kruskal - 24 Apr 2007 23:42 GMT

Going through the program events, I can't identify those for plugging in
poser and unplugging power. Going through the sounds in the Media folder, I
can't find the one which I here when I plug or unplug power.

So I am still stuck?

Any more ideas?

Vincent

> Open Sounds and Audio Device Properties...
> Start | Run | Type: mmsys.cpl | Click OK |
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
> >
> > Thanks -- Vincent

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Wesley Vogel - 25 Apr 2007 17:37 GMT

These are the only ones that I see that might apply.

Critical Battery Alarm
Default sound %SystemRoot%\media\Windows XP Battery Critical.wav

Device Connect
Default sound %SystemRoot%\media\Windows XP Hardware Insert.wav

Device Disconnect
Default sound %SystemRoot%\media\Windows XP Hardware Remove.wav

Low Battery Alarm
Default sound %SystemRoot%\media\Windows XP Battery Low.wav

To hear them, paste into Start | Run and click OK..

%SystemRoot%\media\Windows XP Battery Critical.wav

Signature

Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

> Going through the program events, I can't identify those for plugging in
> poser and unplugging power. Going through the sounds in the Media
[quoted text clipped - 62 lines]
>>>
>>> Thanks -- Vincent

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Kruskal - 25 Apr 2007 17:58 GMT

No, I tried those. I think it might be a ThinkPad thing. In the Power
Manager Global Power Settings there is a check box, Beep when power state
changes.

But I searched for all WAV files on my system and can find none that seem to
be the above mentioned beep. And it reads like even if I did, I would find
no support for a different sound for the two changes of state.

Thank -- Vincent

> These are the only ones that I see that might apply.
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> %SystemRoot%\media\Windows XP Battery Critical.wav

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Steve Swift - 25 Apr 2007 19:01 GMT

> No, I tried those. I think it might be a ThinkPad thing. In the Power
> Manager Global Power Settings there is a check box, Beep when power state
> changes.

Is it a simple beep?

Traditional PC's have a system speaker, which can be programmed to emit
a beep of a certain frequency for a certain duration. I've used a
program to drive this so my PC emulated my manager's cellphone (he would
leave it on his desk, then walk off, leaving it there to annoy us, so
every time he was just going out of earshot I would play his "tune";
eventually he started carrying it with him).

Anyway, ThinkPads emulate the System Speaker by sending the beeps
through the soundcard, so you'll never find a corresponding WAV file.

Signature

Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk

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Kruskal - 25 Apr 2007 20:22 GMT

I don't know what you mean by "a simple beep". It is two tones, a bit like
Windows XP Hardware Remove.wav but louder and a differerent pitch.

When you say ThinkPads emulate the system speaker, do you mean that the BIOS
does the emulation?

Thanks -- Vincent

> > No, I tried those. I think it might be a ThinkPad thing. In the Power
> > Manager Global Power Settings there is a check box, Beep when power state
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Anyway, ThinkPads emulate the System Speaker by sending the beeps
> through the soundcard, so you'll never find a corresponding WAV file.

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Kruskal - 25 Apr 2007 20:40 GMT

I went to BOIS Setup and, sure enough, the plug/unplug beep can be turned
on/off there. But so can the low battery beep and THAT is replaced by
Windows low battery and really low battery WAV. So in principle, Windows
could replace the plug/unplug beep the same way, but I guess it just doesn't.

Seems like a useful add-on.

Vincent

> I don't know what you mean by "a simple beep". It is two tones, a bit like
> Windows XP Hardware Remove.wav but louder and a differerent pitch.
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> > Anyway, ThinkPads emulate the System Speaker by sending the beeps
> > through the soundcard, so you'll never find a corresponding WAV file.

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Wesley Vogel - 25 Apr 2007 23:46 GMT

Vincent,

All of the standard Windows default AppEvents sounds are in this folder.

Start | Run | Type or paste: %SystemRoot%\media | Click OK
Double click all of the wave files (.wav) to hear them and to put a name to
the file if you find it.

Signature

Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

> I don't know what you mean by "a simple beep". It is two tones, a bit
> like Windows XP Hardware Remove.wav but louder and a differerent pitch.
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>> http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
>> http://www.ringers.org.uk

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Steve Swift - 26 Apr 2007 10:13 GMT

> When you say ThinkPads emulate the system speaker, do you mean that the BIOS
> does the emulation?

What I should have said is that ThinkPads (and some IBM desktop PCs)
send the output of the simple "system speaker beeps" through the
soundcard (and on to the built-in speaker, or out to external speakers).
Such system beeps are normally associated with hardware conditions (such
as memory failures) so need some way to be produced long before the
sysytem is ready.

In my current PC (IBM/Lenovo ThinkCentre M52) the system speaker is a
real speaker inside my PC. So, my system sounds from Windows come out
through my PC speakers on either side of my display whilst
system-generated beeps come (tinnily) from the system unit. Previous IBM
PCs have routed the same sounds to the soundcard.

I can send you a simple REXX program to exercise your PC Speaker (I even
have one that plays "The Girl from Ipanema" for driving everyone within
earshot mad)

Signature

Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk

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Kruskal - 29 Apr 2007 05:38 GMT

Here's an idea. What if I could use Windows Universal Power Supply (UPS)
along with my ThinkPad battery? That is, when it looses power and switches
to the battery, it would invoke the UPS software. Then I could get control
when the power goes off and on and issue whatever sound alarm I wanted. Then
I would just turn off the BIOS's power changing beep altogether -- I have no
need for a beep going in/out of standby/hibernation.

I tried simply turning the UPS service on, but it complained that it was not
configured correctly.

Anyone have any ideas in this area?

Thanks -- Vincent

> I find it really annoying that Windows uses the same sound when AC power is
> turned on and off (battery use is turned off and on). Especially since my
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks -- Vincent

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Kruskal - 28 May 2007 05:31 GMT

For the answer:
www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=8631.msg63075#msg63075

Vincent

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