How to Silence Alarms in Windows 11 and Only Show Notifications

This time, we will show you how to silence the alarm (clock app) in Windows 11 and only display notifications.

Here, I would like to provide a simple explanation on how to silence the alarm and introduce a tool that makes this difficult operation easier.

Using the method introduced here, you can also play any audio file you like other than the default alarm sounds.

*Only compatible with Windows 11.

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How to silence alarms and only display notifications

The alarm sound files for Windows 11 are located in the following folder:

C:\Windows\Media

The files in this folder, Alarm01.wav to Alarm10.wav, are the alarm audio files.

Make sure you show the file extension.What is an extension?

Windows 11 alarm sound file
Windows 11 alarm sound file

To silence the alarm and only display the notification, you need to provide a silent file.

Of the 10 alarm sound files, replace the unused sound files with silent files and specify them to prevent the alarm sound from sounding.

However, the owner of the alarm sound file is "TrustedInstaller" and the file cannot be modified in the usual way.

"TrustedInstaller" is the user with the highest privileges on a Windows system.

Therefore, you need to get permission to change the alarm sound file.

PermissionsThis method is also introduced on this website, but it is a difficult task, so we have created a tool that automatically obtains access permissions for the specified alarm audio file, backs up the file, and then replaces it with a silent file.

How to download and use the alarm silencer tool

All software distributed on this site has been virus-checked with ESET Internet Security, but because it is a personal development project, it does not have a genuine Microsoft digital signature. Therefore, the following warning may be displayed in some environments when running it for the first time.

  • Windows warning: "Windows protected your PCIf you see the message, please click "More Information" and then select "Run".
  • Security software warning: After updating definition files for ESET and other programs, it may be mistakenly detected as a "Suspicious Object," but it is not a dangerous program.

Please be sure to check the following page before use for information on how to verify the authenticity of a file using its hash value (SHA256), as well as for disclaimers and terms of use.

* Regarding use of the software (please read carefully)

Target file: "AlarmNoSound.exe" (Ver 1.0.0.0)
ハッシュ値(SHA256):7db600a8a19060680061eb500656ac8ccfdaae075586c08cac57acc2a2f451f0

AlarmNoSound.zip

1. Download "AlarmNoSound.zip"Unzipand run "AlarmNoSound.exe" inside.

AlarmNoSound
AlarmNoSound

2.The "User Account Control" message will appear, so click "Yes".

ユーザーアカウント制御
ユーザーアカウント制御

3. Once the tool has launched, drag and drop any files you do not want to use from Alarm01.wav to Alarm10.wav in the "C:\Windows\Media" folder to the "Drag and drop here" location.

How to replace alarm sound files in Win11 with silent files
How to replace alarm sound files in Win11 with silent files

What is drag and drop?

Left-click on the file and hold it there, then move it over the tool and release the left-click.

Drag and drop the file onto the tool
Drag and drop the file onto the tool

4. When you drag and drop the file onto the tool, the display changes and the file name and alarm name are displayed.

  • The file name after backup is displayed below.
After dragging and dropping a file
After dragging and dropping a file
  • If you drag and drop an incompatible file, the message "Please drag and drop the correct file" will be displayed.
When you drag and drop an incompatible file
When you drag and drop an incompatible file

5. Click the "Start" button to obtain file permissions and perform the backup and replacement.

The silence file is located in the "SoundFile" folder in the same location as the tool. (NoSoundFile.wav)

6. Once the operation is complete, the following screen will be displayed. Set the alarm sound to the one you replaced in the alarm settings to silence it.

Replacing alarm sounds
Replacing alarm sounds
Adding an alarm
Adding an alarm

Please refer to the following page for how to add an alarm.

Set alarms with the Win10/Win11 Clock app and develop regular habits!

If you get the error "Backup file exists and cannot be replaced"

The error message "A backup file exists and cannot be replaced" appears because a backup file already exists.

Error
Error
An error occurs because a backup file already exists.
An error occurs because a backup file already exists.

To avoid the error, you must move or rename the backup file.

To restore the alarm sound

1. If you want to restore the alarm sound, for example if you have muted "Alarm10.wav", delete "Alarm10.wav" and then rename the backup file "Alarm10.wav.bak" to "Alarm10.wav".

2. When changing the name, a message "File access denied" will appear, so click "Continue".

File access denied
File access denied

3. When the "User Account Control" message appears, click "Yes".

ユーザーアカウント制御
ユーザーアカウント制御

4. Click "Yes" on "Rename."

change name
change name

5. "File access denied" will be displayed, so click "Continue".

File access denied
File access denied

6.The "User Account Control" message will appear, so click "Yes".

ユーザーアカウント制御
ユーザーアカウント制御

This will turn the alarm back on.

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Person who wrote this article

Driven by questions arising from my daily PC use and the desire to "do more," I have been pursuing self-study in Windows since around 2008. I am sharing the "aha!" techniques and solutions I discovered through trial and error with the sole purpose of helping you in your PC life.

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