There are times when you want your computer to be silent. There are many reasons for this. It’s either you don’t want to be disturbed while talking to someone over Skype or you’re watching your favorite tear-jerker movie. It could also be that you want to focus your attention to the online article you’re reading.
However, if you turn-off your PC’s audio notifications (such as the Default Beep, Critical / Low Battery Alarm, Device Connect, Close Program, etc), you might not know what’s going on with your computer.
Windows has a solution to this. The Sound Sentry system lets you disable almost all your PC’s sound notifications and replace it with flashes instead. So rather than hearing “cling”, “bing”, or “ding-dong”, you’ll see visual cues as an alternative. This way, although you can’t hear the sounds, you’re still in the loop because of the visuals.
You can choose the flash type you want. You can flash the active caption bar, the active window, or the desktop itself.

Sound Sentry is very practical if you’re watching a movie, listening to iTunes, taking a Skype call, and if you’re in a noisy place or in a library. It’s also applicable if you have a hearing problem and can’t perceive Windows’ default audio notifications.
To activate Sound Sentry, the first step is to click the Start Button.

Next, press Control Panel.

In the Control Panel window, click Ease of Access.

Hit Ease of Access Center.

Below Explore all settings, press Use text or visual alternatives for sounds.

Check the Turn on visual notifications for sounds (Sound Sentry) checkbox and select the visual warning you want. For this illustration, we will tick Flash active window.

If you’re done, click the Save button.

Once Sound Sentry is enabled, Windows will flash the active window if there’s something to be notified about.
For example, if there’s something wrong with your email message, it will flash the currently used window. The flashing is quick. It’s done in less than a second.

If you’ll insert (and remove) a new device to your computer, such as an iPhone or an external hard-disk, Windows will show you a visual cue.

You can also see the flash when you will close an unsaved document just like the one below.

Your PC will also flash an active window if your laptop’s battery is low, when your inserted device failed to connect, when you browse through different folders and directories, when the installation system