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Every time I switch computers using my KVM Windows makes a strange clicking sound. It's not hardware - it scales with the Windows volume level. It's not the Device Disconnect or Connect sounds - I tried setting the sound scheme to "No Sounds" to test. The Volume Mixer says that the clicking sound is coming from "System Sounds," but I don't see anywhere else the sound might be coming from.

Does anyone know how I can eliminate this extremely annoying noise?

EDIT: The KVM is a StarTech 2 Port USB DVI Cable KVM Switch with Audio (SV215MICDVIA), though I encountered the same problem with an IOGEAR 2 Port USB Cable KVM Switch with Audio and Mic (GCS72U).

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  • Do you have one of those higher-end KVMs that also routes the audio from 2 different PCs to your speakers?
    – Austin ''Danger'' Powers
    Feb 27, 2013 at 23:53
  • @Dan thanks, should have mentioned that - it's a "StarTech 2 Port USB DVI Cable KVM Switch with Audio (SV215MICDVIA)". Editing question.
    – Jonathan Chan
    Feb 28, 2013 at 0:04
  • Possible duplicate of How do I stop Windows 7 from making noise every time I do a KVM switch?.
    – harrymc
    Mar 6, 2013 at 8:44
  • can you upload a recording of the sound to ge.tt a program like audacity or total recorder or even sndrec32 can record what would come out the speakers.
    – barlop
    Mar 6, 2013 at 10:23

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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Could it just be the standard sound Windows plays when you connect a new device?

After all, every time you swith the KVM you phisically connect/disconnect the keyboard/mouse to the computer. This would explain why you hear it only when you switch into Windows and why you see the sound in the Windows mixer.

To check if this is the case, open Control Panel > Sound (and Audio Devices in XP) > Sounds tab and choose (None) as the sound for the following Windows events:

  • Device Connect
  • Device Disconnect
  • Device Failed to Connect

Alternatively, just choose the No Sounds scheme to silence all Windows sounds. Before doing so, you may want to save in a new scheme any customization you may have made to the default one (if any).

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  • I already tried this - didn't work, unfortunately.
    – Jonathan Chan
    Mar 25, 2013 at 19:31
  • Not even with the No Sounds scheme? After selecting it, can you confirm that no event has a speaker on its side? Especially the application defined ones at the bottom of the list.
    – Danilo Roascio
    Mar 25, 2013 at 23:11
  • Yes, even with No Sounds. I checked every event to make sure :(
    – Jonathan Chan
    Mar 26, 2013 at 23:51
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Thanks for adding the KVM model. I just wanted to check your KVM had audio switching too (which it does).

It sounds like the audio switching component of the KVM could be introducing some interference as it switches the audio input from one PC to the other.

It's going to be a very low-level problem: the KVM itself is most likely causing what you're hearing. Using a different model KVM might be the only solution. Also the amp in your speakers may be more susceptible to producing that clicking sound when used with this particular KVM, so using different speakers is the other solution.

I really doubt the computers themselves are at fault here.

You could probably connect 2 different audio devices altogether and still hear that sound- or maybe even disconnect the audio cables from the PCs, and find that switching inputs could still cause a sound. It's worth a quick 30 second test for sure.

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  • 2
    There is a constant static sound in the speakers as well which I'm trying to fix, but as for the clicking sound I can actually see Windows display it in the Volume Mixer. If it's being shown there, isn't it being caused by software running in Windows, instead of just hardware?
    – Jonathan Chan
    Feb 28, 2013 at 1:58
  • What's your OS, and does it happen when you switch both directions?
    – Austin ''Danger'' Powers
    Feb 28, 2013 at 2:29
  • It only happens when I switch from my Linux computer to Windows.
    – Jonathan Chan
    Feb 28, 2013 at 2:58
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    See what happens when only your Linux system is connected when you switch over, then try again with only your Windows machine connected. You need to start taking some variables out of the equation so you can narrow it down.
    – Austin ''Danger'' Powers
    Feb 28, 2013 at 5:42
  • How can I switch over to Windows when only my Linux system is connected? It's certain that the sound is being emitted by Windows - the sound is being registered by Windows' sound mixer, so it is impossible for it to be a hardware problem unless the KVM is somehow writing to the memory of my computer through the audio jack. Switching over from Windows to "Linux" and back when Linux is not connected causes the same sound.
    – Jonathan Chan
    Feb 28, 2013 at 23:52
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The only thing I can think of is if the KVM also has a jack plugged into the microphone (audio in/aux in) port of your sound card and interference from the KVM is causing the click. Disable the audio in for troubleshooting.

There is one other possibility actually. I run a SoundBlaster X-Fi Fatality Champion edition at home hooked up to 7.1 Soundblaster surround sound speakers. When the sound card initiates when the computer turns on, I get an almighty crack which is also detected in the volume mixer. Like a sudden release of static build up, that sort of crack. Anyway, now I think about it, it hasn't happened since I updated the audio drivers in windows 7. They released one's compatible with windows 8 recently. Apparently the only change was to make it windows 8 compatible, but the problem I was having with the front panel for volume control are fixed and the cracking has stopped, so you might just want to update your drivers. Do a full uninstall first rather than an upgrade install.

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