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exuberant_mountain6671
New Participant
September 24, 2022
Answered

Error sound when doing Alt +/- adjustments

  • September 24, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 1316 views

It's working as intended but it's doing a beep sound.

Any possible solution other than muting the volume of the PC or muting the beep sound in control panel?

 

Lightroom version 14.3.1
Windows 11

 

Correct answer johnrellis

This is caused by Windows and LR not playing nicely together in the sandbox.

 

On Windows, you can invoke program menus using the Alt key followed by additional keystrokes. For example, in LR, Alt F E opens the File menu and then invokes the Export menu item.  In general, when you hold down the Alt key, the letter that opens a menu item is underlined.

 

LR has assigned many shortcuts that are Alt + <letter or number>.  But when you use that shortcut, Windows beeps at you, because it thinks you're trying to type a menu accelerator that doesn't exist. E.g. when you type Alt = to adjust a slider, Windows sees there is no menu accelerator for Alt =, so it nags you with a beep.

 

I don't know if it's possible for an app like LR to tell Windows to shut up when there is a valid keyboard shortcut starting with Alt. I'm pretty sure that Adobe considers this LR behavior "as designed".

3 replies

D
dj_paige
Brainiac
June 1, 2025

I also get a sound using Alt - or Alt + in the Develop Module. I don't think there is a way to turn it off other than the control panel.

johnrellis
johnrellisCorrect answer
Brainiac
June 2, 2025

This is caused by Windows and LR not playing nicely together in the sandbox.

 

On Windows, you can invoke program menus using the Alt key followed by additional keystrokes. For example, in LR, Alt F E opens the File menu and then invokes the Export menu item.  In general, when you hold down the Alt key, the letter that opens a menu item is underlined.

 

LR has assigned many shortcuts that are Alt + <letter or number>.  But when you use that shortcut, Windows beeps at you, because it thinks you're trying to type a menu accelerator that doesn't exist. E.g. when you type Alt = to adjust a slider, Windows sees there is no menu accelerator for Alt =, so it nags you with a beep.

 

I don't know if it's possible for an app like LR to tell Windows to shut up when there is a valid keyboard shortcut starting with Alt. I'm pretty sure that Adobe considers this LR behavior "as designed".

J
jonathonwatkins
Participating Frequently
December 21, 2023

Issue: Using Alt key for fine slider adjustments works in Windows, but gives system error sound.

1) Open Lightroom, select a photo and go into Develop mode.
2) Click on "Exposure" in the Develop Module and click the "+" key,  the exposure goes up by 0.1, as expected.
3) Click the "Alt" key and then "+".  The title "Tone" changes to "Reset Tone", a Windows warning sounds and the exposure is increased 0.02. The Windows warning sound is unexpected. Could the warning sound please be removed when using the Alt key for fine grained slider adjustments. 

 

(There is a workaround, which is less than idea.  To stop the Windows warning sounds, go to Sound, Open Volume Mixer and mute "System Sounds". There will be no warning sound when using the Alt key. However the users needs to remember to re-enable System sounds after using Lightroom).

Lightroom Classic version: 13.1 [ 202312111226-41a494e8 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en
Operating system: Windows 10 - Business Edition
Version: 10.0.19045

 

    johnrellis
    johnrellis
    Brainiac
    June 2, 2025

    Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please merge with this thread, where I explain why Windows nags you with an alert sound when you use a LR shortcut starting with Alt:

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/error-sound-when-doing-alt-adjustments/td-p/15349890

    J
    johanb70094125
    Participating Frequently
    September 24, 2022

    The keyboard shortcut for viewing Before vs After in the develop module used to be Shift + S - up until a recent update. Now it seems to be Alt + X - but every time I use this, I also get an annoying Windows alert sound.

    Is it supposed to be like this? Is there any way of at least getting rid of the Windows alert sound?

    Jim Wilde
    Jim Wilde
    Adobe Expert
    September 24, 2022

    Unless you are using a different language, the Before/After shortcut is simply the "Y" key. Alt+Y gives you the top/bottom view, and Shift+Y gives you the split-screen view.

    J
    johanb70094125
    Participating Frequently
    September 24, 2022

    The shortcut in question is for "Before only". With the Swedish keyboard layout, this used to be Shift-S, now it seems to have changed to Alt-X.

    My main question remains: is there a way of getting rid of the annoying Windows alert sound?

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