LOUD Squeal From Windows

[ArtShapiro]

Last night I went to update my housekeeper's T60 with the monthly Windows updates. It's running Windows 7. I'd previously done my various Thinkpads and desktop machines without incident, as well as about 15 machines at work.

The updates went through, and Windows rebooted. Upon starting Windows, the usual display of the four moving parts that combine into the Windows banner started, whereupon the machine emitted a startling loud single-tone screeching sound. It was impressive to have THAT much sound coming out of the normally-anemic T60 speakers.

After a minute or two of disbelief, I rebooted, and the problem recurred.

I booted into safe mode without incident (giving me hope that I didn't have a T60 MB failure!) aside from the long time it takes to get into safe mode. Then Windows reported that the updates had failed - not surprising since the mandatory reboot and final update processing had not succeeded - and it spent several minutes reverting the updates.

I rebooted, expecting normal operation, and was discouraged to have the loud shriek once again occur.

I booted off a Windows CD without incident, attempted a repair installation, and nothing much happened other than taking 20 minutes. The reboot didn't cure the squeal.

My inclination is to simply reload the latest image from my Windows Home Server backup that was completed for that machine just before attempting the Windows Update. I still think I have a Windows issue rather than a T60 issue.

But I'd welcome any thoughts and observations about this unexpected debacle.

Art

[rkawakami]

I'd start out with the following and see if it affects the squeal:

- Is the microphone enabled? Something as loud as you describe could be audio feedback from an active microphone.
- Do the mute buttons work? Check both hardware and software buttons.
- What about the volume controls? Again, both the Thinkpad's hardware button on the keyboard and the on-screen sliders.
- If you have a copy of PC Doctor for DOS, run the Interactive speaker test. Does the tone change with the up/down arrow keys and do the volume controls work?

[ArtShapiro]

Well, well, well!

This was so loud that I hadn't thought that the volume or mute buttons might work - I was most interested in avoiding the SWAT team coming to my door. The buttons did, in fact, work. (I don't know how to mute the mike, but this was a much purer tone than feedback normally produces.)

So Windows came up without the whole neighborhood being aware of it. I went into device manager and deleted the sound driver, and let Windows reinstall it. I was pleased to have no squeal - normal operation - upon unmuting the sound.

I then went into Windows Update to give another go of things, and noticed that one of the 14 updates was one of those typical preposterously-huge SoundMax updates. So I unchecked that one, and let the other 13 install.

No problems, and I'm sitting using that T60 to compose this message in blissful silence.

Maybe I'll try installing the SoundMax update later, but at this point I'm going to count my blessings, hand back the Thinkpad, and thank you for the great suggestion.

Art