I’ve discovered the fix to the elusive keyboard beeps which occurred whenever I pressed certain combinations of three (3) keys. Using experimentation, I came up with this rule:
The computer beeps when I press any three key combination all in the same row including at least two of these keys: 4567rtyufghjvbnm.
Some Google searching found me the fix in a ThinkPad mailing list. At first, I thought they were talking about Linux. But no, it was Windows, and yes, it worked. Another person blogged it too (the original link to his blog was broken, so I feel it is especially important for me to blog it and clarify the instructions). Here’s what you do:
1. Open the Device Manager. You can do this from My Computer -> Properties -> Hardware -> Device Manager.
2. Show Hidden Devices. You can do this from View -> Show hidden devices. This is where I was stuck: I didn’t know the Device Manager had hidden devices.
3. Under Non-Plug and Play Drivers, open the properties for Beep. Go to Driver -> Stop, and the beeping will cease. I think you can also Disable the device, but for me, this would require a reboot.
I believe the Beep device is the most stupid device ever invented. It’s really the stupidest. It serves only as an annoyance, in very strange instances. And I’ve only seen this on the ThinkPad, after using lots of other computers.
Can anybody explain to me why this beep even exists?!
Anyway, I hope somebody found this interesting, or maybe, if you had one of the beeping ThinkPads, found it useful. I’m on a Z61t by the way.
Update: I reinstalled Windows Vista on my ThinkPad and had the same problem again. The steps are similar, but here are updated Vista screenshots to ensure nobody’s confused on what they’re looking for to fix this. Sorry for the low quality, but Microsoft Paint doesn’t compress images very well.
Make sure you select “Show hidden devices”.
There’s that dreaded beep, listed under “Non-Plug and Play Drivers”.
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wow this was extremely helpful. thanks a lot!!!!!
My problem is not that it beeps. I am using a music charting program right now where I need to hold 3+4+5 down (chords) at the same time while moving forward with the arrows for note durations. Currently the system does not allow me to do this. Does anyone know how to stop this “protection”?
Hi Paul,
I checked this issue with several Thinkpads (manufactured between 2004 and 2008) and as far as I can tell, all of them have this bug; the Thinkpad keyboard simply cannot handle several combination of three or more keys. Maybe we should call their support center and report this; I am amazed that a company like IBM/Lenovo would put such a low quality keyboard into an otherwise excellent laptop.
The only solution I know of is using an external keyboard.
I’ve found this blog post whilst googling about power on/off beeps. Good thing now I have disabled these. =)
T61 user here, and I’m just leaving a comment to report on my incident this morning. In the middle of Media Bay drive swap, the fizzlepad started beeping incessantly. I’m suspecting this is b/c I’ve completed this process in the middle of PC boot-up, and the beeping only ceased only when it finished booting. (good thing I wasn’t in public, yikes!). Moreover, in this 30-second+ beeping session, the fizzlepad was able to ‘mix’ 2 types of beeps: power supply unplug/plug beep & the good old keyboard beep. Brilliant, music to my ears!
In the end, this may well be just limited to my computer, but I’m just reporting it here (the gathering of like-minded people w/ contempt for ThinkPad beeps!) as ‘the-more-you-know’-type of thing & to feel good that I would’ve saved others from potential future embarrassments.
Hi….I left a message a couple weeks back thanking you for the directions to turn off that Beep. However ..
.. the darn noise seems to be back! Is there a way that the change done in the registry can be permanent?
Thanks!
Lisa
Thanks a ton for this! I’m a student and often have to use headphones while watching recordings of lectures from class. This God-awful beep has haunted me the past year as I try to take notes while reviewing the recordings. If I get to typing to fast while taking notes –BEEP!! right through the headphones and busting my eardrum over and over and over again. Thanks tons.