It was a typical Tuesday morning when an unusual helpdesk ticket popped up in the queue. The user, clearly perplexed, described a bizarre issue: their keyboard was making strange noises that reminded them of a haunted house. Intrigued, I dialed them up to get more details.
The user explained that every time they typed, the keyboard would emit a series of eerie sounds—creaks, moans, and the occasional faint whistle—almost as if the computer was possessed. They swore it wasn’t a prank and insisted that no one else could hear it but them. I was half expecting a ghost story, but I needed to get to the bottom of this.
I asked if the keyboard had recently been near anything magnetic, or if perhaps it had some kind of built-in sound chip, but the user confirmed it was just a regular, off-the-shelf model. When I suggested unplugging and plugging it back in, they reluctantly agreed.
As soon as they unplugged the keyboard, the spooky soundtrack stopped immediately. They plugged it back in, and the noises resumed. Still baffled, I asked if it might be interference from another device, so I guided them to move any nearby electronics or phones away. No change.
Then came the game-changer: I asked them to remove the keycaps and clean underneath. The user hesitated but complied. To their—and my—surprise, they found a tiny battery-powered novelty sound module wedged underneath the spacebar with a note stuck to it saying, “Gotcha! Happy April Fools!”
Apparently, a mischievous coworker had planted a little gadget that played random creepy sounds triggered by keypresses. The user hadn’t suspected a thing because the module was so cleverly hidden.
After a proper laugh and some friendly advice to keep an eye out for more practical jokes, the user was relieved to have a perfectly silent and normal keyboard again. The case was closed, but it left me wondering: what other hidden surprises lurk beneath our everyday devices, ready to spook the unsuspecting?