Sorry Molly, just kidding .

I haven't heard my "Ding" lately, but when it starts to happen again, I will make a video of what is exactly going on to document this odd "Ding" sound and when it actually occurs.

The *.wav files are added by installed programs and the likely culprits to check first.

no prob Wallace, I already admitted I am crazy.

Maybe you too can somehow document this music you're hearing?

Eh, I often hear music. It's in everything all around us and it's a natural way for humans (and many other creatures) to express their feelings.

Umm, not to be a doomsday crier, but if I heard a clunk when I told the system to do something, I'd start checking to see whether my system was dying. Of course I wear out systems a lot pushing them beyond their capabilities.

Wallace, "sticky keys" asks you frequently if you would like to assign regular usage to a fast key. Strange noises are not always related to ALGAE;-}

What do you mean?

Sticky keys was a gift from a windows update. Those little audio rings in the middle of the night...
Never found the options but I don't need the foil hat ;-}
The gui doesn't pop up for me on GIMP, but if I switch to another software it turns up eventually.

Sticky Keys is an ease of access offer. I have it turned off, but it could have gotten turned on.

In Win7, it's under
Control Panel -> Ease of Access -> Ease of Access Center -> Make the keyboard easier to use (or just search Sticky Keys in help)

And right below it is Turn on Toggle Keys with "Hear a tone when you press one of the "LOCK" keys. Maybe your answer is in this section.

I don't have Sticky Keys turned on.

I never turned sticky keys on either, I also haven't been able to turn it off. I inherited it on my old XP as well. Would rather not have it.

Ah well. I've had it turn on by itself before. If I do something (usually press things slowly or something like that) it prompts me. If I don't notice, I can hit the return key on the OK by accident because I'm doing something else. Since your ding is awol, maybe turn it on and see if you can reproduce? You might have turned it on then off all by "smart keystrokes" when you were busy doing something else.

I'm pretty sure I didn't turn on anything accidentally, especially when this only happens when I'm working with selections in Gimp, specifically when growing or shrinking a selection.
Windows is trying to tell me something, I haven't a clue what that might be.
Why would windows sound a "Ding" when I grow or shrink a selection and only when I do this. I haven't heard this sound at any other time from my machine.
Windows is obviously thinking I'm doing something that I need to be aware of, for some reason. Still don't know what that might be.