 Here's how to make your Windows-based PC croak
like a frog, or make any other kind of sound you can think of:
- On the Internet, locate an
appropriate WAV audio file and save it in the right place on your own computer's hard disk
- Configure your Windows program so
that it'll use that file when you want it to.
The following more complete directions are for those people using
Windows XP, Home Edition. If the directions are different for other Windows editions,
please drop me a letter and I'll add the extra instructions
here. Here are step-by-step instructions for Windows XP users:
STEP 1: On the Internet, find an appropriate
WAV audio file.
One of the quickest ways of doing this is to use a search engine and in the
search box type in keywords such as "wav audio frog" or "wav audio
bird," or whatever kind of sound you're looking for. You can try it here with the
Google Search Engine:
When I make a search, some particularly promising-looking sites I
come up with include the All
About Frogs Site and the Animal Sounds page at a1freesoundeffects.com.
STEP 2: Save the WAV file you've found on your own
computer's hard disk.
When you find a WAV file you like, do this:
- Be sure no one is telling you not to
download the file because of copyright considerations
- If it's OK to download it, click on
the file, which will show up as a link
- Your Windows Media Player should
automatically come on
- After the Player has produced the
sound, click on "File"
- Click on "Save As"
- In the "Save in" box, be
sure you are in the folder where later you can find the WAV files you are saving. You might save it where
Windows has its own audio files, in c:/windows/media
- You may want to rename the file (in
the "File name" box) to make it easier to find later -- something like
"froggy.wav"
- Click on "Save"
If your Media Player doesn't come on, then go to your Windows Help
program and search for information on installing your Media Player.
STEP 3: Configure Windows to use your WAV file
- Click on the "Start" icon
on your desktop
- Click on "Settings"
- Click on "Control Panel"
- Click on "Sounds and Audio
Devices"
- Click on the "Sounds" Tab
- In the lower "Program
events" window, click on the "event" which, when it happens, you want to
hear the frog croak. If, for example, you choose "Open program," then every time
you open a new program you'll hear a croak.
- When you click on the
"event," the "Sounds" window below the "Program events"
window brightens. If it says "(None)," then no sound is associated with this
event.
- Click on the "Browse"
button at the right of the "Sounds" window.
- Navigate to the WAV file you just
saved, click on it, and hit "OK"
- Click the "Apply" button
at the lower, right.
- Click all the OK buttons that
remain, then exit "Control Panel"
Mission accomplished!
Now the next time your computer comes on, it should make the sound
contained in the WAV file you found and saved.
If you get tired of your sounds, return to the "Sounds"
tab and in the "Sound scheme" window at the top, choose either "No
Sounds" or "Windows Default." That'll undo your changes. |