Static noise when moving mouse

Update: I tried muting all audio in windows and I still get this static sound. Could there be something wrong with my sound card as it is producing static noise?

The problem is RF interference from other parts of the system. Even on a desktop, the power supply will generate noise into the sound system so people move the notebook further from the PS. In a notebook, everything is so close that unless good shielding is used, there is no way around it.


Cheers,
Vince - vince@WURLDLINK.NET
Vice President/Unix Networking Operations
Wurldlink Corporation - San Francisco - Honolulu - Hong Kong - http://www.WURLDLINK.NET

You must be crazy spending that sort of money for a laptop!

Gav

I don't have these issues and I have the same laptop. I think you should contact support.

Chaplum wrote:
- Well, this is very dissapointing news after laying
- down over $4500 for this computer and I can't even
- do a presentation because the audio noise is just
- unacceptable. Are all other brands like this too?
- I'm pretty sure they aren't because I've seen
- presentations done with audio that don't have static
- noise when the laptop is idle. It's also very
- dissapointing that they'd sell a laptop which costs
- this much and not even mention that there are
- problems with the sound. It's also very bad
- engineering on Dell's part to put together a machine
- like this and sell it if they knew there would be
- problems.

The thing you should remember is that Dell has never been good in terms of quality control and build quality. What you pay for Dell is usually having the latest and greatest bells and whistles as far as technology is concerned. They do use the stuff that sounds good and performs good but I guess the sound category isn't one of them. If you want a solid machine, the IBM A31P is more solid and better built but ofcourse you pay a price for it but you know the machine is made better except you won't have the latest P4M CPU as IBM's is at 1.7Ghz and also the MediaBay DVD and Combo DVD/CD-RW drives are not as fast. I do own both the Inspiron 8200 and the IBM ThinkPad A31P with the max configurations. But I think for the amount you paid and for presentation, you should have gone with the Latitude C840 or the Precision machines as those are made more for businesses while the Inspiron series is more of the features are just there but not on a solid foundation.





Cheers,
Vince - vince@WURLDLINK.NET
Vice President/Unix Networking Operations
Wurldlink Corporation - San Francisco - Honolulu - Hong Kong - http://www.WURLDLINK.NET

It might be a ground loop, if you haave the laptop hooked up to external audio equipment. You can test this by cutting the center prong of a three-prong adapter, and inserting it between the wall plug and the computer.

If this removes the noise(it did for me), don't use the plug anymore, but get a Ground Loop Isolator from Radio Shack (you may need two if you're using line in as well).
Chaplum wrote:
- Hi,
-
- I notice a lot of static noise when my Inspiron 8200
- is idle and especially when I move the mouse. I've
- tried a USB and PS2 mouse but both produce the same
- noise. This is really annoying especially when
- connected to external speakers. Can any of you help
- me with this? Thanks in advance.
-
-

This is absolute nonsense. Dell's systems would not be certified by the FCC (and wouldn't be legal to sell) if they weren't properly RF-shielded. These problems are harder to deal with when so many ignorant users post completely false answers.

Pay attention to the post above about a ground loop. That's your problem.

(bill)
--
I am a software engineer, not a musician.

Message Edited on 08/01/02 02:17PM by bill.newell

Bill, your post is two years gone, but it makes me mad, I ave to answer to it! You write:

"This is nonsense... FCC... RF shielded" etc. You get things mixed up there! FCC states that no equipment is allowed to _emit_ RF that can cause harm to other equipment. Noise interference is not neccessarily harmful and cannot be eliminated anyway - or only by encasing the whole unit in a few inches of lead-cladding - without the tiniest whole in it!

"These Problems... many ignorant users... false answers" Well, that's incredibly ruse and totally out of place. In any forum you have misleading answers, but facing Dells famous stance of answering very little or not in a very helpful way I appreciate every suggestion how to rectify things. But then again I have lots of practical exoerience with computers and can guess quite well what might work and what not...

"Pay attention to... ground loop. That's your problem". Did you mean answers liek that? You could go and work for Dell!

I am not a software engineer, I am actually an electronics engineer with quite a bit of experience in RF, working in the broadcast industries where interference (or rather the containment of) are of utmost importance. The noise experienced by Chaplum happens a lot in my Laptop (i8200).

The noise is directly related to the content of the display - if lot's of HF is present (i.e. a nice full command window with hard b/w edges) then the high frequency whining is quite loud. Interestingly it is audible without any sound-devices in use, which suggests that a voltage driven part is emitting the noise, even physically. No ground loops there, it's even happening when running on battery.

So much for being rude and unhelpful in a public forum. Please be a bit more considerate in the future - the quality of the forum could only benefit!

 

Cheers,

rumbago