While it may not be the highest priority on the list of things to fix in Windows Mobile, the default alert sound (alert.wav) has always been high on the list of things that make me want to throw my phone at a wall.  Put simply, it’s the nails on chalkboard equivalent of Windows Mobile sounds.  Unfortunately, while many things were fixed (or at least improved) in Microsoft’s latest update to their aging mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.5, alert.wav remained the as the default sound for general events (e.g. when a confirmation or alert box pops up).

Unfortunately, alert.wav cannot be changed or removed since it is part of the ROM, but in Windows Mobile 6.5 (as well as versions 6.0/6.1), it can at least be disabled in 2 simple steps:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Sounds & Notifications
2. Uncheck the option to enable sounds for Events (warnings, system events).

It’s a simple solution, and I can’t believe I lived with this skull-rattling sound for so long.  It would be even better if we could simply change the audio file used for different events (as is currently possible for a myriad of system notifications), but I am definitely not going to complain about not having to hear that annoying alert.wav any longer.