Garbled sound as the system accesses something. Disk light pops up at same frequency as garbled sound appears. The Windows startup and shut down sound also is garbled. Using Windows XP on an ASUS K8V Deluxe motherboard. SoundMax on board sound. Latest driver installed with same problem. Any ideas? Device Mgr shows no conflicts. Using ''What's Running'' to see if it showed something working with same freq as garbled sound. Eliminated everything but the op system functions. It does sync well with those. New SOUND card is my next move. Before I blow the money do you have an idea? Thanks. Walt

This sounds like a failed update. Restart the computer and hit either F2 or F8 or possibly Tab or Delete once the splash screen comes up. This should give you a windows startup option for safe mode. Click Safe Mode with Networking and let the computer startup. This will bypass all current startup items and possible problematic services. Login and start up Task Manager. View startup items and look to see if anything is starting up that says "Windows Update" or if anything else stands out that shouldn't be there. Names that are random garbled letters, etc. Disable these for normal startup. Now click on control panel under start menu and go to windows update and see if any updates failed to install. If they did, disable install automatically in windows update.

After this go to "run" and type in msconfig. Click normal startup, hit apply, when the message that says "restart computer" pops up click yes and let it restart the computer normally.

Well, first of all XP is not the latest supported operating system from Microsoft.

That being said, I have not had a garbled screen followed by an error message 'setup didn't find any hard disk drive installed' on a laptop, in my limited experience with laptops (i.e. Acer One, Acer Aspire, Sony Vaio, etc.)

If you have an unexpected garbled screen it points to the pc board or mother board or the video card, but more likely the motherboard.

And, if you couple this with the hard disk drive not being detected, it reminds me of a situation where I had a no hard disk drive detected on a SCSI drive connected to my Windows 95 computer in the 1990s when I had heat related issues with the circuitry on the hard drive getting burnt out capacitors.

If the drive is not recognized, it might mean the boot sector is wiped, and essentially it needs to be reformatted and the operating system needs to be reinstalled (which you evidently tried to do).

To my memory, I never had this problem on Windows XP with a laptop, so I am thinking it's not Windows that is at fault, but the physical hardware is giving you problems.

If you boot from the CD for Windows XP and it doesn't find the drive, it's a big problem for this laptop.

I wish you luck in finding an answer to that one, seeing that it's out of warranty and XP is no longer supported by Microsoft.com.

Sounds like you're off frequency.Or should I say I know you are.

I imagine everything is also VERY LOUD.

Only a Phono (old school turntable) should be plugged into the Phono inputs. It contains a preamp for the tiny signal provided by a Phono cartridge, plus is alters the frequency response drastically to compensate for the RIAA curve applied when they cut the record from tape.

This is very possibly a hardware problem, namely a crack in the motherboard. Sorry, no easy or cheap fix for it if that's the case.

Start with the basics. Run a check disk on it:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/kbtip.mspx
(which can be done in safe mode).

Go into MSCONFIG (start -> run -> type "msconfig" and look for anything in the "Startup" tab that looks unfamiliar or suspicious (nothing but garbled letters, or a completely blank entry)

From experince I would still say this is a heat issue, I just went though this with my HD4870 ATI card. I was using an after market cooler wich was insuficent for cooling. All the symptoms point to a heat issue. Also since the card is 2 years old, its a good chance the VRM's have fried and any heat causes the card to basicaly shutdown in a manner of speaking. you could try getting the Accelero S1 cooler that would replace the fan on the card, then attach 2X120mm fans. Only problem is you can buy a newer better card. for example the 8600 GT is about 80-90$
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35559&vpn=EN8600GT%20SILENT%2FHTDP%2F512M&manufacture=ASUS

if it sounds garbled it may be due to digital communication. most scanners cannot recieve the digital communication. that is why you hear a garbled inaudible sound from it.

hey there

you dont have problems with your cam and sound drivers, this is due to your internet connection, avoid downloading something while having a conversation in messenger.

if still persists, contact your isp.

hope this helps.... fixya!

sounds like encrypted broadcasts