SoundSentry: Get Visual Warnings for System Sounds

SoundSentry is an accessibility feature designed for people who have difficulty hearing system sounds generated by the computer. SoundSentry allows you to change the settings to generate visual warnings, such as a blinking title bar or a screen flash, whenever the computer you are using generates a sound. You will be able to choose visual warnings (for example, a flashing border) for sounds made by windowed programs and for sounds made by full screen text programs. This procedure tells you how to turn on SoundSentry through Accessibility Options in Control Panel.

Mouse actions

Keyboard actions

On the Start menu:

Select Control Panel

Display the Start menu by pressing CTRL+ESC (or the Windows logo key ).

Select Control Panel by pressing C.

In Control Panel:

Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing).
If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View.
Select Accessibility Options.

In Control Panel:

Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing).
If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View by pressing TAB.
Press ENTER.
Press the RIGHT ARROW key, and then the LEFT ARROW key to select Accessibility Options.
Press ENTER.

In the Accessibility Options dialog box:

Select the Sound tab.

In the Accessibility Options dialog box:

Select the Sound tab by pressing CTRL+TAB.

On the Sound tab:

To turn on SoundSentry:

Select the Use SoundSentry check box.

Note To turn off SoundSentry, clear the Use SoundSentry check box.

On the Sound tab:

To turn on SoundSentry:

Select the Use SoundSentry check box by pressing S.
Move to Choose the visual warning by pressing TAB.

Note To turn off SoundSentry, clear the Use SoundSentry check box by pressing S.

Under Choose the visual warning:

Select the visual warning you want from the list of options.
Select OK.

Under Choose the visual warning:

Select the visual warning you want by pressing the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key.
Press ENTER.

To close Control Panel:

Select the Close button.

To close Control Panel:

Press ALT+F, C.

Control Panel: Accessibility Options: Sound tab: Use SoundSentry