February 01, 2002, 12:00 AM — Reader Jose F. has a question about the Windows 2000 beeps.
"I use Windows 2000 Professional on my workstation. My problem is
the Windows 2000 beeps. When I adjust the volume, or any of several
other activities, I get a beep. This occurs even when I have set
the system to use no sounds. Is there a way to get rid of the beep?"
Yes, there is. Right-click My Computer and choose Manage. When the
Computer Management window opens, click Device Manager. Now, choose
View, Show Hidden Devices. In the right pane of the window, double-
click Non-Plug and Play Drivers. Next, right-click Beep and choose
Properties.
When the Beep Properties dialog box opens, click the arrow at the right
side of the Device Usage list box and choose "Do not use this device
(disable)." Click OK, and then restart the computer when prompted.
After the restart, you shouldn't hear the beep again.
We have disabled the beep this way in both Windows 2000 and Windows XP
Professional. We have not encountered any problems. It's conceivable
that some (weird) software may require that you enable beeps, though.
