We are all familiar with the connection / disconnection noise that Windows makes when connecting and disconnecting USB devices. However, when you hear random USB noises for no reason, things get a little weird. You are working on a computer, and suddenly and inexplicably, the USB noise lasts for a few seconds, you connect and reconnect, and you want to know what demon is controlling your computer.
Here are some tips to help you eliminate these USB Random noises.
Using Device Manager
This is a quick and easy method (although not as robust as the tools mentioned below). If it works, it will save you the hassle of third-party software.
When you start to hear USB noise, quickly click the “Start” button, type device manager, and press Enter.
This will take you to the Device Manager window. Drag the bottom of the window down so that it is as high as possible, then expand all the options connected to the USB ports (keyboard, mouse and other pointing devices, Bluetooth, human interface devices, etc.). After expanding the list of all necessary devices, pay close attention to it to see if anything in the list keeps disappearing and reappearing when your PC makes a sound.
If you manage to find a device that is not working properly, right click (if it keeps disappearing due to disconnection, you may need to go to “View> Show Hidden Devices” first) and then click “Update Driver Software “. If it fails, it may be worth uninstalling it (right-click the device> uninstall) and then reconnecting it to your PC so you can reinstall it on its own.
Or, if you want to completely reinstall all USB drivers, in Device Manager, click the arrow next to “Universal Serial Bus Controller” to expand it, and then right-click on all options that have “Host Drivers” And uninstall them.
Restart your PC, and your USB driver will be automatically reinstalled on your PC.
Even if everything seems normal, new Windows updates may cause driver problems again. If random USB noise occurs after Windows update, the best option is usually to update the driver or uninstall and reinstall.
USBDeview
If random USB noises is unpredictable in the device manager, or if the noise stops when it reaches the device manager, then it’s time to try this great tool.
USBDeview, from the excellent Nirsoft, can track your USB devices more accurately, see if they are connected, when their drivers were created, and most importantly, they were connected to your PC last time or Time of disconnection.
After installing USBDeview, open it to see a list of all USB devices (by default, it will display all devices, whether connected or not).
Ideally, you should turn it on as soon as you hear the mysterious USB noise, because when you click the “Last plugged/unplugged date” column, the culprit device (i.e. recently connected/disconnected with your PC) Device) will appear at the top.
Then you can directly uninstall the device through USBDeview, by right-clicking and clicking “Uninstall Selected Device”. After that, unplug your device and plug it in again, hoping it will reinstall without torture you with endless connection/disconnection sounds.
You can also use this tool to check the power output. This helps to see if your USB port is working properly.
Turn Off USB Notification Sounds
In most cases, these annoying USB ringtones are not a sign of any serious problems. They may just be a temporary driver crash or device power failure, which has no effect on your actual use. If the device responsible for the sound seems to be working properly but continues to make noise after you reinstall it, you don’t need to replace it, you just need to disable the notification sound of the USB device.
To do this, right-click the speaker icon in the notification menu at the far right of the taskbar, click Sound, and then scroll down the “Program Events” list to “Device Connection”. Click it, and then in the “Sound” drop-down menu that says “Windows Hardware Insertion”, scroll to the top and select “(None)”.
Do the same thing with “Device Disconnect” and enjoy the quiet sound!
Try a New USB Port
Sometimes, random USB noise can be a sign of damage to the USB port or device. For example, a damaged USB drive can be inserted randomly and inserted again. Also know whether it will damage the USB drive if it is unplugged while it is in use. If a port fails, no matter what kind of device you are connected to, there will be problems.
Related: How to Set Up a Local Web Server (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Discard the port by connecting another device to see if the problem persists. If not, the port may be fine.
Test individual devices by connecting them to other USB ports. If random USB noises continues to exist, it is the device or controller. If possible, please test your device on another PC to further test whether the device is malfunctioning.
Conclusion
One thing I learned from this is that not all inexplicable sounds in Windows indicate that something terrible has happened. Of course, it’s worth looking into, but in this case, it usually doesn’t matter much more than your comfort level.
Related: How to fix slow Save file response in Windows 11/10
If you don’t want to turn off the USB notification sound and you don’t like the continuous connection and reconnection of the device after completing all the above operations, then you can go out and buy a new device at any time. (My experience is that unbranded gear is more prone to these issues than well-known brands, so if this issue bothers you, it’s sometimes worth spending a bit more money.)
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