# Computer howls like a wolf?



## cielo (Aug 23, 2007)

Okay, this is absolutely ridiculous, so I'm embarrassed to ask...but today I was writing, without an internet browser or iTunes or anything like that open, and my computer just randomly...howls like a wolf. It just did the same thing about 10 minutes ago while I was on a forum. What in the world is happening here?!? What stupid thing am I doing?


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## Macsolver (Jul 25, 2007)

Hi,

Does it come out of the speakers (sound being played) or out of the case (mechanical noise caused by failing fan or hard disk ?

Is someone playing a joke on you by setting your alert sound or clock chime to a "wolf"

Regards,

Nick


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

what kind of mac is it?


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## cielo (Aug 23, 2007)

sinclair_tm said:


> what kind of mac is it?


It's a MacBook. 

And no, it's not like a fan or anything. It's a very clear wolf noise coming out of the speakers, like, "AwOOOOooo" :2kitty: (to describe it phonetically). I don't think it's connected to anything happening, it just kind of comes up randomly while I'm writing or surfing the Internet. It's not as though it happens when a window pops up or an application opens.

It is soooo annoying! :upset: Any more help, please??


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

has anyone more mac savvy than you used it before it started howling at you?


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## scathe30 (Jan 10, 2007)

Try to turn off the speakers then, if nothing can be done. Maybe there are some problems with audio settings up there?


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## conekt (Sep 12, 2007)

Most likely you're running the 'Flappie' widget.

Apparently that's the sound it makes when he thinks it's nighttime. There's a rooster sound that it makes when he thinks it's dawn too.


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## scathe30 (Jan 10, 2007)

conekt said:


> Most likely you're running the 'Flappie' widget.
> 
> Apparently that's the sound it makes when he thinks it's nighttime. There's a rooster sound that it makes when he thinks it's dawn too.


I don't think that this is the result of using some peculiar program - maybe some sound conflict between different apps...
Still, I'd like to find out what were the reasons for this strange sounds. Have they ceased?


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Dust on a fan that is trying to hang up?????? Blow those dust bunnies out of the rig and see if that helps.


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## conekt (Sep 12, 2007)

scathe30 said:


> I don't think that this is the result of using some peculiar program - maybe some sound conflict between different apps...
> Still, I'd like to find out what were the reasons for this strange sounds. Have they ceased?


Seriously  I'm certain of the cause. I had the same problem myself until I found and fixed it.

It's caused by the dashboard widget "Flappie". It's on the bottom of this page here.
http://www.tastyapps.com/

It's a very distinct sound, not something akin to a malfunction but, a very clear recording of a wolf howl. It's played when the little fellow in the widget is ready for bed.  Pretty silly.

It was really weird because there was this one time I was sitting with a friend and it went off and we were both like "What the hell?!".

I guarantee if he has that widget installed that it's the cause of the problem.


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## conekt (Sep 12, 2007)

Here, there's even an article about it.
http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac911/2007/03/howlingwolf/index.php


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## scathe30 (Jan 10, 2007)

conekt said:


> Here, there's even an article about it.
> http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac911/2007/03/howlingwolf/index.php


Great apps, by the way!:wink: Thanks


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## conekt (Sep 12, 2007)

Certainly. Take care.


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## Soigacas (Sep 11, 2008)

Hello there, sorry to dig this thread up

I have exactly the same problem, except I'm running a Dell with XP. Exactly the same thing that cielo described happened to me, and to my friend, who is also on XP.

Neither of us has ever installed anything remotely like "Flappie". 

Any suggestions?

edit: Just realised this is the mac forum, sorry


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Yes, that is true, we do Macs, and the XP forum would give better advice. But knowing what I do about Dells, I believe that your PCs are having heating issues. I'll take it that you hear a rushing sound when you are doing something like surfing the web, but then it does go away. If this is so, push these three keys, Alt-Ctrl-Delete, all at the same time. The task manager should then pop up. One of the taps in the top of the window under the menu will say performance, click on it. You'll see a graph of the CPU usage. The higher the line, the more your CPU is being used. If it is up, then the sound is the fan coming on to try to cool it down. The Dells at work do it all the time. I'd open your PC up and make sure to blow out all the dust.


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## Soigacas (Sep 11, 2008)

No, it's definitely not anything fan related. 

This noise was a wolf howling, and it came through my headphones.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Have you pulled up the task manager and looked at the running processes, Googling them to see what they are?


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