My recent problems never seem to end...for the last several weeks I have been having a wierd clicking noise that comes and goes. The noise is very noticable when wearing headphones and even when I mute the volume it is still there. I contacted Dell and they replaced the sound card and its still present. Most days it is a clicking sound, other times it sounds like interference or static. What is the issue? Dell says its normal...BS! I never heard it for the first 5 months I owned the computer, it has been over the last two weeks.
Questions, are your headphones producing the clicking sound? Are they plugged in through your speakers or directly into the computer? Does the clicking sound come from your speakers?
Sometimes speakers are the problem. I have had some that make strange noises now and then even when switched off (though still plugged in). It could be that a power supply or amplifier component in your speakers is going / has gone bad.
(Just an idea, unless it is from speakers, headphones, or the PowerSupply right after turning it off, in which case the PSU is about to die and could be a firehazzard).
If it is a metalic thunking noise, it means your HDD is about to die, so backup all the data on the machine. (If it is a metalic thunk sound only, from inside the box).
... The noise is very noticable when wearing headphones and even when I mute the volume it is still there...
It sounds like it comes from the speakers/headphones. If it is so, it might be that you have a cell phone nearby. It happens to me, and I have these lousy speakers, they really bug me... If you have quality speakers, this should not happen. My speakers caches cell phone "traffic" (such as sms, mms, internet, calls, etc) even if it is some meters away and trough brick walls I tend to think this a cell phone detector ... jeje
BTW, the "detector" is at my workplace, at home I have an USB Live 24! w/ 5.1 Logitech speakers and this does not happen, unless it’s really really near (as in top of) the speaker amplifier (on the subwoofer box). Oh and also depends on the frequency of the cell phone carrier band. I think my cell phone is 850, I think higher frequencies make less interference.
Ok, it is most noticeable with headphones but...can be heard with 5.1 speakers when I turn them up a bit. The noise is there even when I completely turn down sound. Especially, noticable with World of Warcraft...although is not there all the time. I can be playing WoW and its fine, then I tab out to check something on my desktop and when I come back in its there, clicking away. Mostly sounds like a repeating click. No phones near by either... NO idea.
... Especially, noticable with World of Warcraft...although is not there all the time. I can be playing WoW and its fine, then I tab out to check something on my desktop and when I come back in its there, clicking away. Mostly sounds like a repeating click. No phones near by either... NO idea.
Ok, then it sounds like a software prob. If it happens with some programs, like WoW... might be the drivers, maybe WoW...
If its a software issue, why now? I have been running WoW on this computer since Oct, no problems. It seems like something else must be wrong, came out of nowhere.
Bring up the volume control panel that displays all the inputs. Mute all that you dont need: line-in, microphone, cd player, etc. If the clicking goes away add one at a time back in untill you get the noise again. I had a problem with static on mine. Ended up being the microphone volume was all the way up. Since I dont use or need a microphone right now, I just muted it and static went away. I have also seen this with the cd player volume up all the way.
hmmmm it could be interference from power wires too close to audio wires. or they can be tangled under your desk or something.
try to separate the maximum you can audio from power wires, and make sure audio wires are not tangled. they can form a solenoid, this way captating electromagnetic waves (radio, tv, cell phone) producing that noise on your speaker.
also, try to check if your audio connectors are not oxidated... both from your sound card and speakers/headphones
No, Nextel phones are not Sat phones. They are CDMA phones with an extra radio for talking to the PTT services. No sat needed. However, the frequency for the PTT service is different than cellular, so it's not an incorrect assumption.
It is not from a phone, I dont even have a phone in the room. I looked at the wires and nothing seems to be out of sorts inside the tower. This is bizarre and it is really pissing me off. This is the most annoying sound.
FYI it can be caused by CB/Shortwave transmissions from neighbors. This should be confirmed by using headphones away from your computer.
Cordless phones can cause this as well. If the noise is coming from the Dell itself then you might be hosed but any other source can be insulated against with better shielded headphones/speaker wire.
You can purchase a frequency meter at radioshack to measure radio frequencies in the air when this happens and you can take legal action if the amp used excedes state laws.
Yeah I can look into that...I think its just wierd that this is starting out of nowhere. I have checked all my cables in the back too...Lately been noticing that the sound is basically gone on my desktop, but when I load World of Warcraft it will periodically start clicking again; especially after tabbing out and coming back. Maybe I should reinstall the game; could it be a bad audio file from the game? Im not sure about that though, since it still sounds like interference of some kind.
Did you ever fix this problem? Because I've been having the exact same problem as of late. Actually, I bought some new high-quality headphones and I've been hearing static through them ever since. I know it's not the headphones, however, because I already tried them on another computer with no static noise. I also have the exact same computer model and sound card as you.
If you managed to get rid of it, I'd love to hear how.
I have a cellular one cell phony.. and here at work, it will blast any speaker system within 35 feet of it, unless the speakers are turned off. so if your in an enviroment where you have a neighbor on an adjacent wall, you still could have a phone interfering. dont discount it because YOU dont have one near it, someone else near you might!
Yeah I can look into that...I think its just wierd that this is starting out of nowhere. I have checked all my cables in the back too...Lately been noticing that the sound is basically gone on my desktop, but when I load World of Warcraft it will periodically start clicking again; especially after tabbing out and coming back. Maybe I should reinstall the game; could it be a bad audio file from the game? Im not sure about that though, since it still sounds like interference of some kind.
1. Run an antivirus, anti trojan, anti worm program, could be a virus playing with your mind
2. Check your video card's fan, the fact that the the sound comes back when you are stressing the VGA could have very well something to do with it.
3. What soundcard have you got? If its on a PCI, change slots, or remove it completely and try the onboard sound and see if you get any clicks with that.
