[TheZee]

Ok, I have a somewhat large collection of different sound files in my system/library/sounds folder which I use for my system alert sound. They are all the same type of file, .aiff sound file, and the permissions are correct. Why is it, then, that when I go to "Sound" preference pane in system preferences to change the alert sound by choosing on from my list that most every one works. When I click on the name of the sound file I hear the preview of that particular sound but recently, some are not working. When I click on the sound file in the list to choose it, either no sound occurs of the sound of the file just below the one I have selected comes through? Any clues as to why? All the sound files are of the same type, all have the same file permission and all are located in the same folder system/library/sounds. There are 4-5 new sounds that I have added to the list which I really want to use but I can't get them to play in system preferences. Another thing that is puzzling me is that these same sounds work in iCal Alerts and play fine through the finder, iTunes, Quicktime, you name it. I am running OS X 10.5.6 Leopard on a unibody aluminum MacBook Intel Core Duo 150GB HD 2GB RAM. Thanks for any and all assistance people

Peace out . . .

[DarkStarRed]

I would just call it a bug to system preferences>sounds since after install a fresh install of Leopard.
With a game install volume in game was fine after though the system volume control had the "No access" symbol,
this happened again after a update to the system.. all in all I've had few problems with Leopard.

I have found the same thing you mention with listening to Sound-pref's selection.
First I thought it had to do with the length of the file in question since some played fine within SP but others did not play at all? When you select what ever sound within Mail it will be played has the alert-sound!
The same goes for system-alert so it's only within System Preferences>Sounds when trying to listen to them,
sounds like a memory leak I thought it might also be since I'm on an old iMac G5 but no! Since you give your setup. I just looked up my Memory all is Ok but Manufacture, Part & Serial N° are marked has unknown.

[ibook_steve]

I think my brain just started hemorrhaging a little after reading these...

In any case, if the problem only started after adding certain new sounds, try removing those new sounds from the folder to see if this fixes the problem. Also, have you simply tried rebooting? What other troubleshooting steps have you tried.

Steve

[TheZee]

Thanks for your input. Yeah, I am still perplexed by this. I have removed the specific sound files that are not playing when I choose them to be a system alert sound in System Preferences Sound Preference Pane. I had them in system/library/sounds folder, as I have all my other system alert sound files. I removed them from that folder then tried putting them in HD/library/Audio/Sounds/Alerts folder. A couple sound files which had not played when in the system sound folder now play but others still do not. It's driving me nuts because all my sound files that I use for alerts are all the same type( .aiff ), they all have the correct file permissions and they all play in other applications which allow me to choose a specific alert like iCal, iClock, and so on. I think you are right about System Preferences having some sort of bug or memory leak because this unpredictable way "Sound" preference pane acts. I just wish that I could get to the root of the bug and fix it because it is frustrating the hell out of me. Peace out . . .