Unwanted Cat Meowing Sounds

Question

I just purchased an hP laptop with Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge. Whenever I am typing in Edge or an online app I get intermittent cat meowing sounds. I have tried a dozen suggested fixes, but no luck in turning off this aggravating sound.

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Could you please check if you are experiencing the same issue in a clean boot environment?

How to perform a clean boot in Windows

This will help us to determine whether any third-party services or apps are causing the problem.

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Alternatively, create a new local user profile.

Click Windows + R key, type netplwiz, and click ok.

Select Add > Sign in without a Microsoft account (Not recommended) Local account.

Create a new local user account profile.

Sign out, then sign in to the newly created local user profile.

Open Microsoft edge and see if you are getting the unwanted sounds.

Answer 2

The meowing is almost certainly coming from a notification sound (web page, extension, or app), not from Windows or Edge itself. To stop it, disable or narrow down audio sources and check Windows sound settings.

Use these steps in Windows 11 to isolate and stop the sound:

1. Check which app is making sound
   1. When the cat sound plays, select the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
   2. Select the arrow to the right of the volume slider to see which output device is active.
   3. Open Volume mixer (right‑click the speaker icon → Open volume mixer) and look for any app whose volume meter moves when the meow plays (Edge tab, background app, or notification helper).
   4. Turn that app’s volume to 0 or mute it.
2. Turn off audio enhancements (in case effects are exaggerating sounds)
   1. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
   2. Under Output, select the device in use (speakers/headphones).
   3. Scroll to Advanced settings or Audio enhancements and set Audio enhancements to Off.
3. Check for low/quiet or stuck volume behavior If volume is behaving oddly (jumping or resetting), fix that first:
   1. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
   2. Open Volume mixer and ensure System and Microsoft Edge are not muted and are at a normal level.
   3. If volume keeps resetting, reinstall the audio driver:
      • Press Win + X > Device Manager.
      • Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
      • Right‑click the audio device (for example, Realtek High Definition Audio) and choose Uninstall device, check Delete the driver software, then restart.
      • After restart, go to Settings > Windows Update and install all updates, including Optional updates, so Windows reinstalls a clean audio driver.
4. Run the Windows audio troubleshooter
   1. Select Start > Settings > System.
   2. Select Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
   3. In the Audio section, select Run and apply any fixes it suggests.
5. Check microphone and input sounds (in case it’s feedback or an app reacting to typing)
   1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security.
   2. Under App permissions, select Microphone.
   3. Turn Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone Off temporarily and test typing in Edge.
   4. If the meow stops, re‑enable microphone access and then turn off access only for suspicious apps.
6. Verify the correct output device and disable unwanted ones
   1. Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar and use the arrow to choose the correct speakers/headphones.
   2. If the laptop is also sending sound to monitor speakers or other devices, disable those in Device Manager under Sound, video and game controllers so only the intended device is active.

If the sound only occurs in specific sites or web apps, disable site notifications and close all other Edge tabs/extensions until the source page is identified, then keep that site’s sound or notifications blocked.

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References:

• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• Fix low or quiet sound in Windows
• How to fix this. no audio device is installed - Microsoft Q&A
• cannot increase volume even if trouble shooter updates it - Microsoft Q&A