Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound

Subject: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:11 AM

Just yesterday, for no apparent reason, I get an obnoxious PSHHHEWWW! sound when a new email comes along.

I have no idea what brought this about, and I don't know where or how to turn it off.

I have been operating happily with Netscape 7.1 for a long time, and that's where this happened. But another website which is important to me has changed, and now requires Netscape 8.1, which I dutifully downloaded and installed. The PSHHHHEWW! happens there, too.

I'm sure this feature can be turned off in the program somewhere, but I've been unable to find it in 7.1. I've not tried it in 8.1 yet.

Anybody?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:23 AM

Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences. On the menu at the left, click the triangle to expand the Mail & Newsgroups item. Select Notification. You can choose your notification sound or turn it off altogether.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:51 AM

Thanks, Jeffp, for the suggestion.

However, I just now tried that. Within Notification there is no facility (at least that I can see) for management of the sound.

This was in 7.1. In 8.1 I can't even find out how to get into the inbox.

I do get the sound, whether in 7.1 or 8.l.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: MMario
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:55 AM

try in the sounds feature for windows itself.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:55 AM

I have 7.1 at work. Under Notifications it reads, "When new messages arrive: under which there are 2 check boxes. The first one reads, "Show an alert." The second one reads, "Play a sound." Under the second one and slightly indented are 2 radio buttons. The first reads, "System New Mail Sound." The second one reads, "Custom .wav file." When you select that one, it enables a box and a browse and preview button so you can select your own sound.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: GUEST,
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 11:43 AM

I keep my volume setting on 'mute' unless I am specifically listening to something. (I listen to the radio on the radio and CDs go in the CD player.)

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:05 PM

Mmario and Jeffp:

It may be diagnostic that when THAT SOUND obtrudes itself I also momentarily see the name of the incoming e-mail down in the right corner, which is new to me just like the sound.

In Notifications there are two buttons, (Show an Alert and Custom WAV File) neither one checked, and everything after Play a Sound is grayed out.

If I check Play A Sound what follows is ungrayed (if there is such a word). Checking Custom WAV File gives me a blank entry box and a Browse button, but Browse just shows the desktop, and there's nothing there I would want to play.

As an experiment, I've checked the Custom WAV File button and left the entry box blank. Maybe that will do it; we'll see.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: GUEST,Uncle DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:11 PM

Another datum:

When I activate Netscape 8.1, the new one, I get "that sound" with the opening of 8.1, independent of e-mail.   Does that tell anyone anything?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:27 PM

Have you recently installed or activated a new antivirus or firewall?

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 02:43 PM

No.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Artful Codger
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 03:33 PM

If you're not seeing the options described, you're probably looking at the Notification subpage for some other section (like Instant Messenger) instead of Mail & Newsgroups. Ensure the little arrow to the left of Mail & Newsgroups points down; click on it to expand or collapse the list of associated subpages.

You may also have Netscape configured to automatically check for mail upon startup - that could explain why you get the same sound then.

Another possibility is that this change is related to an automatic Windows update. I strongly suspect that Microsoft embeds "fixes" in updates which intentionally cause problems for popular rival products. They've been losing market share in the browser arena, and judging by past history... (Does Encarta even have an entry for "ethical"?)

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 03:43 PM

Now THAT (Windows Update) could explain it.   I know (or at least strongly think) that did nothing that should cause this thing.

I definitely have been working in the mail notifications section, not instant messaging.

I guess I can, as suggested by someone above, mute the sound, but that's a kludge, not a solution.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 03:57 PM

What had happened immediately before the new sound started? Was it the upgrade to 8.1?

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 04:12 PM

In WinXP at least, at Start|Settings|Control Panel double-click Sound and Audio Devices, select the "Sounds" tab. There is an entry for "Open Program," "Close Program" and "New Email." You can click on any of them there and choose none, or browse to any .wav file on your machine to select one to use. (Short ones recommended for most use, but you can play Beethoven's Fifth if you want and have the file.)

You can also "save" a set of sounds selections as a "Sound Scheme" and the sudden appearance of "something different" could come from logging on as a different user or from another possibly inadvertent change in one of your "preferences" setting, since lots of settings can be built into named sets of preferences.

Other possibilities, but this is the most likely(?) unless the change is inside Netscape.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Artful Codger
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 04:22 PM

First, send yourself mail, to ensure this sound occurs upon mail receipt. Then, select a custom sound, and send yourself more mail, to see if the notification sound changes properly. If so, you could make a wave file of silence and use that as your notification.

Another possible cause is a virus or worm infection, or spyware/nuisanceware. This can be picked up at any time, particularly if you visit websites of unknown heritage. Many lyrics sites are spyware traps.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Peace
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 04:46 PM

I think something that one-ups that is the Google/Microsoft friggin' smiling faces that come on and say obnoxious stuff. Bill Gates will roast in Hell for them.

Now, I keep the sound off until I know I want to listen to an mp3, etc.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 05:27 PM

Well, I thought I had rid myself of "that sound". But not so.

Earlier this afternoon, I ran Ad-Aware SE, and it eliminated four infections.

Then I ran Registry Mechanic, and it eliminated I believe it was 14 registry problems.

Then I read the JohnInKansas's suggestion about changes in the XP settings. I followed his directions, and changed the email notification sound to "Ding".

Voila! When I sent myself a message no sound happened! Joy!

Then I happened to think: "Hey, did I turn down or mute the sound at the task bar?" I checked, and found that I had done so. I restored sound, sent another test message, and PSHEWWW!!!   Damnation!

Note that I did not get the "Ding" I thought I had set for.

Still got the problem, more's the pity.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Artful Codger
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 06:01 PM

Er, did you try the Netscape custom sound notification yet?

One of the very first things I do with a new computer, at home or work, is select the "No sounds" scheme and disable all superfluous animation (is there any other kind?) I think Gates really wanted to work for Disney, but had no more talent for drawing than for OS programming. The Hitler syndrome.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: mack/misophist
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 08:47 PM

If the sound is really that obnoxious, could you make it available when you find it? Sometimes obnoxious sounds are useful as warnings. Example: My doctor appointment warnings are heralded by the sound of a 16 inch naval rifle.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 09:42 PM

You might see if you can find that SpawFart that AdAware uses when it finishes a scan. It should be at C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Adaware, called "alert.wav." It's pretty short, but you could probably splice in repeats in your music editor.

Several of the recent "Plus Packs" for Windows have had big selections of sounds you can use.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 09:44 AM

Artful Codger, you asked: "Er, did you try the Netscape custom sound notification yet?"

If what you mean is JohnInKansas's suggestion at 4:12, yes, I did, as I allued to in my post of 5:27.

Now if you mean something different, then please enlighten me. I'll try almost anything.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 05:43 PM

The reason I still disable most alert sounds in Windows stems back to 3.1 on slow machines at work. When a sound played on pre-XP machines, everything stopped until the sound finished, cause the sound system was not able to run in the background in real time due to HW/SW limitations. Some guys loved to set up their boxes with lots of wonderful long sounds that turned them into hiccupping burping farting bricks - the PCs, that is...

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 06:41 PM

Well, good news and bad news.

The Good: I found a place in Edit Preferences sound which allowed me to use the XP new mail sound, which I had previously set to DING.
So I don't get that xpc@$*_@3 PSHEWWWW! any more.

The Bad news, such as it is, is that I do get the Ding, but that's not nearly as obnoxious to me.

I still would like to know how to disable the sound notification altogether, but half a loaf, and all that.....

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Peace
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 06:56 PM

Turn your sound down. Turn it up when you want to listen to something.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Homeless
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:09 PM

Create a wav file (via Sound Recorder) that is very short and has no actual sound to it. Save file as Silence.wav. Change from Ding.wav to Silence.wav. Poof! no more sound. It's still a kluge, but you get your wished for silence.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:15 PM

Homeless, you read my mind. Actually, I think I will make SILENCE.WAV and then copy it over DING.WAV.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:30 PM

DaveO -

Until you can figure out how to turn just that sound off, you should be able to turn all sounds off quite simply.

Assuming that you're in windows:

Check the Task Bar at the lower right corner of you're screen. There should be an icon there that says "Sound" or something similar when you hover your mouse pointer over it. It usually will have a picture of a "speaker with sound coming out" on the icon.

If you click on the icon, it should open a small window with a "slider" on which you can adjust the "Windows Sound Volume" for everything on your machine. It should also have a button labelled "Mute" or with some add-on sound cards a smaller "speaker" picture. If you click the Mute button it should turn off all sound on your machine. Just don't forget where you did it, so you can turn it back on again if you want to hear something.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:36 PM

If you were able to tell Netscape to "use the Windows sound" you should now be able to go back to Start | Settings | Control Panel | Sounds and Audio Devices, Sounds Tab, and scroll down to the "new email" entry, click on it and choose "None" for the sound. Theoretically, that should make the Windows "new email" sound a "nothing," and if Netscape is now using the Windows sound you shouldn't hear anything.

Maybe???

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:39 PM

I should have mentioned, on the list of sounds in Control Panel, "None" is NOT in alphabetical order like all the others. It's the first entry at the top of the list.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:49 PM

Actually, many things want to use the 'Ding.wav' sound - so if you just put silence.wav there, you will miss lots of errors and notifications.

A hack is a bodge is a kludge.

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:52 PM

John-I-K:

I got into my Goldwave program and recorded a new WAV file, called DING, only a second or so long, of silence.

I then saved it to C:\Windows\Media as DING.WAV. It asked if I wanted to overwrite the existing file of that name, and I said YES.

I sent myself a test message, downloaded my mail (including TEST), and presumably DING.WAV played, and I heard nothing!   Hoo-raw! Excelsior!   Whoopee!!!! Mission accomplished!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Netscape obnoxious new mail sound
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 08:15 PM

And thank you, everybody, for your proffered help, some of which was helpful.

Dave Oesterreich