Mini fridge causing computer to play "Device Disconnect" sound


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I bought a Husky Stella Artois mini fridge (48 liters I think) and whenever it clicks off (when it reaches the desired temperature), my computer makes the "Device Disconnect" sound.

 

When it was connected to the same "power strip" as my PC, my second and third monitors would stop working temporarily.

 

It's on the other side of the room and it's got it own dedicated socket in the wall. Now I only get the "Device Disconnect" sound. Nothing seems to have stopped working on my PC that I can tell.

 

This happens every time the fridge clicks off, which is roughly twice an hour.

 

Any ideas?

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It's probably still some external device losing power. Maybe your printer or something similar?

 

(Also, I am still surprised when I see how popular Stella Artois is, I pass by the brewery every day!)

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It's probably still some external device losing power. Maybe your printer or something similar?

I only have 2x USB HDDs connected, and they still appear to work fine.

 

Does Windows keep a log of what's been disconnected? *researches*

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Humm something sounds a bit flaky with your electronics, if you have a large sudden start of stop of power then it can cause problems with devices but it's just a mini fridge.

Check event viewer.

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Which part am I looking for? In Windows Logs > System, the latest entry is over an hour ago and is unrelated.

 

post-645-0-89669500-1374424325.png

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Try http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usblogview.zip - just open it and leave it opened untill you hear the sound again. If it's USB it'll be logged in there!

 

For other devices I'm not actually sure. Logging isn't enabled by default AFAIK but you can usually enable things like that in the group policy editor.

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Although I believe your question has been answered, I thought I might just add it could just be a usb device losing power for a split second as the fridge powers on, although nothing actually lost power to the pc your usb's might be sensitive to notice the change in current and recognises a device disconnected (possible false positive, so to speak)

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few things

 

1. could be RF leakge which creates interference from the compressor motor,and this is messing up the signals and making your usb ports believe something is connecting/disconnecting.

 

2. since this is happening when the compressor motor is turning off, it could be reverse voltage or back EMF that is getting into the mains power and causing malfunctions to other electronic devices. this could mean a defect in the power supply,because i doubt there isnt a protection diode in there.

 

3. ground loop

 

try something. leave your fridge in the same room,but connect it with an extension cable to a different power outlet that not on the same circuit. maybe away in a further room. see if it still happens. this way you can rule out or not if its group loop,or mains interference.

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do your lights flicker when this happens?  (only incandescent lights; fluorescent bulbs will not flicker due to voltage drop) - Mine do whenever the AC/dryer/fridge-relay turns on.  But my computer's power supply is good enough to not be affected by these split-second brownouts. 

 

Sounds to me like you've got the worst possible combination: A PSU that can't handle large dips in voltage, and a very inefficient fridge transformer that CAUSES large dips in voltage.  Your entire PC may not turn off because of capacitors and such, but your USB devices are powered directly by the +5v line, and if that 5v dips low enough, its the equivalent of unplugging the device (to Windows).  

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I bought a Husky Stella Artois mini fridge (48 liters I think) and whenever it clicks off (when it reaches the desired temperature), my computer makes the "Device Disconnect" sound.

Sorry but this made me LOL :P

 

Anyway it might help if your fridge is in the power strip either at the very end, or at the beginning, did you try that?

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It's well known that that the universal beer fridge driver causes this sound.  Follow the flowcart:

 

1 disconnect sound: You have too many beers in your fridge.  Take out at least one beer and enjoy.  If you hear this sound again, do this again until it stops.

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It's well known that that the universal beer fridge driver causes this sound.  Follow the flowcart:

 

1 disconnect sound: You have too many beers in your fridge.  Take out at least one beer and enjoy.  If you hear this sound again, do this again until it stops.

 

lol!  have you tried turning your drunkenness on and off again?

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Guessing you didn't safely remove the beer from the fridge did you? You know the warning is there for a reason on your PC :rofl:

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Try http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usblogview.zip - just open it and leave it opened untill you hear the sound again. If it's USB it'll be logged in there!

 

For other devices I'm not actually sure. Logging isn't enabled by default AFAIK but you can usually enable things like that in the group policy editor.

I left it running for just over two hours, no entries appeared.

 

do your lights flicker when this happens?  (only incandescent lights; fluorescent bulbs will not flicker due to voltage drop) - Mine do whenever the AC/dryer/fridge-relay turns on.  But my computer's power supply is good enough to not be affected by these split-second brownouts. 

 

Sounds to me like you've got the worst possible combination: A PSU that can't handle large dips in voltage, and a very inefficient fridge transformer that CAUSES large dips in voltage.  Your entire PC may not turn off because of capacitors and such, but your USB devices are powered directly by the +5v line, and if that 5v dips low enough, its the equivalent of unplugging the device (to Windows).  

The lights (incandescent) do not flicker/dip.

 

Sorry but this made me LOL :p

 

Anyway it might help if your fridge is in the power strip either at the very end, or at the beginning, did you try that?

As I said in the first post, the fridge is no longer using the same power strip as the PC. I've put it on its own mains socket at the other side of the room.

 

few things

 

1. could be RF leakge which creates interference from the compressor motor,and this is messing up the signals and making your usb ports believe something is connecting/disconnecting.

 

2. since this is happening when the compressor motor is turning off, it could be reverse voltage or back EMF that is getting into the mains power and causing malfunctions to other electronic devices. this could mean a defect in the power supply,because i doubt there isnt a protection diode in there.

 

3. ground loop

 

try something. leave your fridge in the same room,but connect it with an extension cable to a different power outlet that not on the same circuit. maybe away in a further room. see if it still happens. this way you can rule out or not if its group loop,or mains interference.

I have no way of knowing/testing anything, I live in room in a House of Multiple Occupancy.

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I left it running for just over two hours, no entries appeared.

 

The lights (incandescent) do not flicker/dip.

 

As I said in the first post, the fridge is no longer using the same power strip as the PC. I've put it on its own mains socket at the other side of the room.

 

I have no way of knowing/testing anything, I live in room in a House of Multiple Occupancy.

 

If it's not voltage drops (since you said the lightbulbs aren't flickering), then he's right, it's probably EMI interference.  You probably have the fridge and the PC plugged into the same line (not the same wall outlet, but many outlets can be on one line).  If you can get access to the fusebox, you can verify this by flipping the breaker that your PC is on.  You'll know you've found the right breaker when the PC turns off.  If the fridge turns off too, they're on the same line and you should plug either the PC or the fridge in a different outlet until you are certain they are separate.  I know in my house, there can be 3-4 lines for all the wall outlets of one floor alone.

 

If you can't get access to the fusebox, you'll just have to try different outlets for your PC/fridge (whichever is easier to move around) until you find one where the USB issue doesn't happen.

 

OR, the EMI might not be on the line, it might just be in the air.  This is less likely, but it means the only way you could fix it is by moving the fridge and PC as far apart as possible.

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I think changing the power socket might have fixed the issue but since your computer was already affected, so it's still giving the same problem.

Try turning off computer and leaving it unplugged for 15 mins then power it on again.

This generally fixes issues related to USB.

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I think changing the power socket might have fixed the issue but since your computer was already affected, so it's still giving the same problem.

Try turning off computer and leaving it unplugged for 15 mins then power it on again.

This generally fixes issues related to USB.

I changed the socket a month ago.
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I changed the socket a month ago.

Ok, so you had tried this after changing the socket ? If not please give a try.

The device disconnect sound doesn't necessarily mean usb but can be any device connected to the system.

I just had look at your screenshot what are the warning events for disk ? do you know for which disk they are exactly ? 

The event id 153 looks serious. 

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  • 1 month later...

Now IM having this exact same problem.  I have a small desk fan sitting near my computer case, and every time I turn the fan on/off or change its speed setting, I hear the Windows "device disconnect" and "device reconnect" sounds, and my wireless mouse and keyboard stop working for a split second.

 

My wireless mouse and keyboard receivers are plugged into a cheap old USB 1.1 hub.  About a week ago, I embarked on a project to make the hub into a self-powered hub (for USB-OTG purposes), by soldering the V+ and ground wires of a 5v,2A wall wart to the V+ and ground lines of the hub, and disconnecting the V+ line from the PC (leaving ground still connected to PC).  The new self-powered modded hub works fine, but now every time I toggle my desk fan, I lose the mouse and keyboard for a second or two.

 

The issue is shielding.  The hub was originally designed so that the ground wire from the PC is connected to the ground line of the hub, and ALSO the SHIELDING of the usb cable was connected to the same ground line of the hub, BUT through a small inductor in series, between the hub/PC ground and the USB cable shielding.  

 

When modding my hub, I looked at the shielding connected to ground through the inductor, and said to myself "well fark all that noise" and just soldered straight to the ground line of the hub, disconnecting the shielding.  THIS is the cause of the issue.  By resoldering the shielding to the inductor, I no longer get the "device disconnect" sound every time I toggle my fan.

 

I have no idea how this could help you.  And I have no idea what the inductor is actually doing, scientifically speaking, that fixes the issue.  But maybe someone will take this information, and make use of it!

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The pair of you are suffering from back emf you need a good power filter.... something like this 

 

url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cA12BFmed_330_194.png

 

or an UPS device like this 

 

apc-ups.jpg

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The pair of you are suffering from back emf you need a good power filter.... something like this 

 

A12BFmed_330_194.png

 

 

Those sockets look like the spooky ghost version of the sockets we have here in Canada.

So I've got my PC plugged into a plain ol power bar with surge protector, but no filtering.  Just an old white power bar with a red neon switch and white reset button.  

 

But I DO have a fancy expensive power bar, its what my router/modem/NAS/printer is connected to. It also has connectors for phone line and cable/antenna, and the plugs are fewer and more spaced apart - does this sound like the filtering type of power bar you speak of?

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