My Windows 10 computer plays the “removal” and “added hardware” sounds every 5 minutes or so, even when no changes are being made to the computer. I suspect a faulty peripheral is the cause.
How can I determine which peripheral is causing the issue without physically disconnecting them?
Is there a way to check the event log for relevant information?
I have used usblogview which did show an offending peripheral, but even with that peripheral unplugged the issue is still occurring and usblogview is not showing anything. It’s possible the problem is with the USB chip on the motherboard. I have enabled Audit PNP Activity, but no events are appearing in the event log.
3 Answers
Identifying the Cause of the Hardware Add/Removal Sound on Windows 10
If you’re experiencing the issue of hearing the “removal” and “added hardware” sounds on your Windows 10 computer every few minutes, even when no changes are being made, it can be quite frustrating. It’s possible that a faulty peripheral is causing the issue, but how can you determine which one it is without physically disconnecting them? In this post, we’ll discuss a few ways to identify the cause of the hardware add/removal sound.
Using Device Manager to Identify the Cause
One way to identify the cause of the hardware add/removal sound is to check the Device Manager. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and select “Device Manager” from the list of options.
2. Look for any devices that have a yellow exclamation mark next to them. This indicates that there’s an issue with that device.
3. Right-click on the device and select “Properties” from the drop-down menu.
4. Click on the “Events” tab.
5. Look for any events that have a “Device not migrated” message. This can indicate that there’s an issue with the device driver.
If you find a device with an issue, try updating the driver for that device. Right-click on the device and select “Update driver” from the drop-down menu. If there’s no update available, try uninstalling the device and then restarting your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the device and its driver.
Using Event Viewer to Identify the Cause
Another way to identify the cause of the hardware add/removal sound is to check the Event Viewer. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and select “Event Viewer” from the list of options.
2. In the left-hand pane, navigate to “Windows Logs” > “System”.
3. Look for any events with an event source of “Kernel-PnP”.
4. Check the “Details” tab for information about the device that was added or removed.
If you find an event related to a device, try disconnecting that device and see if the hardware add/removal sound stops. If it does, then that device was likely the cause of the issue.
Using USBDeview to Identify the Cause
USBDeview is a free utility that can help you identify the cause of the hardware add/removal sound. To use it, follow these steps:
1. Download and install USBDeview from the NirSoft website.
2. Run USBDeview and look for any devices with a status of “Connected”.
3. Look for any devices with a “Last Plug/Unplug Date” that corresponds to when you heard the hardware add/removal sound.
4. Right-click on the device and select “Properties” from the drop-down menu.
5. Look for any information that may indicate an issue with the device.
If you find a device with an issue, try disconnecting it and see if the hardware add/removal sound stops. If it does, then that device was likely the cause of the issue.
Disabling the Hardware Add/Removal Sound
If you’re unable to identify the cause of the hardware add/removal sound, you can disable it altogether. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and select “Device Manager” from the list of options.
2. Expand the “System devices” category.
3. Look for “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System” and right-click on it.
4. Select “Disable device” from the drop-down menu.
5. Click “Yes” to confirm the action.
This will disable the hardware add/removal sound, but it may also prevent your computer from properly detecting new devices.
Checking for Issues with the USB Chip
If none of the above methods help you identify the cause of the hardware add/removal sound, there may be an issue with the USB chip on your motherboard. In this case, it’s best to contact the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard for further assistance.
Conclusion
The hardware add/removal sound on Windows 10 can be a frustrating issue to deal with, but there are several ways to identify the cause. By using Device Manager, Event Viewer, USBDeview, or disabling the sound altogether, you can pinpoint the device causing the issue and take steps to resolve it. If none of these methods work, it may be best to contact the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard for further assistance.
You can try using Device Manager to check for any devices with a yellow exclamation mark, which indicate a problem with the device. Another option is to use the Windows Event Viewer to check for any error messages related to hardware or device installation.
You can access the Event Viewer by typing “event viewer” in the Windows search bar. In the Event Viewer, navigate to Windows Logs > System. Look for events with a red “X” icon, which indicate an error.
Another option is to use a third-party software such as “USBDeview” which can display all USB devices that are currently connected to your computer, as well as those that have been previously connected. This may help you identify the specific device that is causing the issue.
It’s also possible that the problem is with the USB controller on the motherboard, so you might want to check the system information to see if there are any error messages.
It may be also the case that the problem is with the operating system itself and not a physical device, you may want to try running a system file checker scan, which will check for and repair any corrupted system files.
To enable auditing for a Plug-n-Play (PnP) device, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor. Here are the steps:
- Open the Local Group Policy Editor by typing “gpedit.msc” in the Start menu.
- Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Advanced Audit Policy Configuration > System Audit Policies > Detailed Tracking.
- Enable the “Audit PnP Activity” option for success and failure.
- To view the logs, open the Windows Event Log (eventvwr) and check the Security event log.
- Alternatively, you can check the state of the auditing using the AuditPol command line tool. To enable auditing of both failure and success for Plug and Play events, run: “AuditPol /set /subcategory:”Plug and Play Events” /failure:enable /success:enable” and to disable it, run “AuditPol /set /subcategory:”Plug and Play Events” /failure:disable /success:disable”
Note: The audit event is generated whenever a plug and play detects an external device and only success audits are recorded for this category. If you don’t configure this policy, no audit event will be generated when an external device is detected by plug and play.