KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q84972: Windows Sound Events Not Occurring at Standard Points

Article: Q84972
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,3.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 04-OCT-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Windows version 3.1 allows you to assign waveform audio sounds to certain events
through the Control Panel. These events are:

  Default Beep
  Exclamation
  Windows Start
  Windows Exit
  Critical Stop
  Question
  Asterisk

However, it is not possible to reliably assign these sounds to always occur at
given points in a program. For example, it is not possible to always have the
Exclamation sound occur when an error occurs.

MORE INFORMATION
================

System sounds are dependent upon the application in which they are occurring. To
produce a sound, an application needs to notify Windows that a sound is to
occur, and then tell Windows which system sound to play. The application will
specify one of the seven default system sounds, or any sound event that it has
added to this list.

This means that you cannot add sound events to the default list and have an
application play that sound, unless the application has been specifically
written to call that sound event.

Additionally, applications have not standardized on when these sound events
should occur. Therefore, one application may play the Default Beep sound when an
error occurs while another application might play the Critical Stop sound.

Additional query words: 3.10 3.11

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.