Hi all,

This isn't really a Linux-related question, but I know many of us keep a Windows box running just for tackling non-secure, non-critical stuff like messing about with desktop publishing, photo-editing and whatnot.

Over the last few weeks, I have noticed that my old laptop running WinXP will from time-to-time make a spluttering noise that I can only describe accurately as the same sound a budgie makes when it gets a feather up its beak and sneezes. These noises come in twos in short succession and then there'll be nothing for maybe half an hour, then two more 'sneezes' and I was wondering if anyone else had had this experience. I've run all the relevant virus/malware checks I can, but nothing is being flagged up. I'm baffled. Anyone aware of such a virus or worm that does this (doesn't appear to do any real damage, just this stupid, annoying noise).

Thanks,

CC.

The sound closest to a budgie sneezing could come from the hard disk. The fatal clicking of the heads. I may be mistaken, but I remember having read somewhere that when the heads cannot be synced to the tracks anymore the go back to mechanical zero for another try. Hence the click click click, click click click. But a budgie sneezing is quite loud. Could also be bad sound-chip design (signal isolation). I once had a laptop that would make funny noises when I moved the mouse pointer or changed anything on the screen.

THanks, but it definintely not a simple 'clicking' sound; rather what you would expect to hear from a budgie that's just sniffed finely ground pepper. Totally different sound.

OK, I was just guessing there. I know what a madly sneezing budgie sounds like, and as I don't know how loud 'your sound' is...

On wikipedia there's a soundfile (.ogg) of the 'click of death', maybe you can compare that with what you hear. It's not a click like when pressing a mouse button, more like a deeper ping. With small laptop drives it may be higher pitched.

No matter what, make sure your data is safely stored somewhere else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_of_death

Maybe there's a budgie with a bad cold trapped inside it?

Cell phone near the speakers?

My parents have budgies, and as I remember, they are quite loud for the size of the bird. You'd swear they'd literally blown their head right off!

You could try to verify the issue is software or hardware related by booting your system with a live CD and waiting to see if you still hear the sound.

Good idea, I'll try the live CD idea a bit later.

The sound isn't THAT loud, btw. Perhaps a gerbil sneezing might be nearer the mark. And it's nothing like the 'click of death' - I just checked the sound file on Wiki and that really does sound terminal.

Cellphone? Nope. I know what they sound like via computer and it ain't that.