Audio Cues with Symantec Endpoint Encryption 12.5 and above
Article ID: 409118
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
Symantec Endpoint Encryption's Drive Encryption functionality includes the ability to enable audio cues to help with those visually impaired.
This makes it easier to navigate the preboot screen when a system is first started. A series of beeps are used to identify different actions performed within this functionality.
This article will cover the beeps to that effect.
Resolution
Audio Cue Functionality Identification
Different beeps and beep patterns are used to identify what field the user is currently using.
The following are a examples of these Audio Cues you will hear at the preboot screen:
Each screen has a unique audible beep, allowing users to recognize their current screen.
Field Navigation: Every interactive field produces a beep. The number of beeps corresponds to the field's position.
Fields:
First field → 1 beep
Second field → 2 beeps
Third field → 3 beeps, and so on.
Dropdown Navigation:
Navigating up → Unique beep
Navigating down → Different beep
Reaching the top element → Distinct beep indicating the top
Reaching the bottom element → Distinct beep indicating the bottom
Operation Feedback:
Successful operation → Consistent beep across all screens
Failed operation → Distinct beep indicating an error
Indication Beep: Two different beeps are defined to enable and disable audio cues setting.
To enable the audio cues, multiple methods are available:
Table of Contents
Method 1: Enable Audio Cues through policy
Starting with Symantec Endpoint Encryption 12.5 and above, enabling audio cues is as easy as enabling the policy in the web console:
As you can see above, if you open your policy, click on "Preboot Configuration", the "Audio Cues" option can be enabled by toggling the switch to "On".
Once enabled, the end user will then be able to hear the audio cue sounds at preboot.
Note: As this feature enables this functionality for all machines in the policy, it is a good idea to identity those machines that will need audio cues and those machines that may not require them.
As long as the policy has enabled Audio Cues, all users's machines part of the group policy will hear the audio cues.
To turn them off, you can disable in the policy, or create a new policy that has Audio Cues disabled, and simply move the machine into the group with that policy.
Method 2: Enable Audio Cues through the preboot screen.
If you do not have Audio Cues enabled via policy, but would like to easily use them at preboot, you can simply press the "F12" function key on your keyboard on any preboot screen, including the splash screen.
Upon rebooting the machine, you will see the SEE preboot screen as you normally would. Before entering anything, press "F12" and then as you toggle through each field, you will hear the different-sounding beeps.
Note: if you press F12, but then do not authenticate successfully, you will need to press F12 again the next time you boot the system.
Once you enable audio cues with F12, and then successfully enter the passphrase, you will hear the audio cues on all subsequent reboots.
Method 3: Enable Audio Cues through the command line
It is recommended to enable Audio queues via method 1 and 2, but there is an additional method to enable via the command line.
To enable Audio Cues from the command line on the specific machine, enter the following command:
eedAdminCli --set-sound --disk <number> --beep --au <AdminUserName> --ap <AdminPassword>
Once this has been done, reboot the system, and Audio Cues will now be enabled at the preboot screen.
Additional Information
IMSFR-666
IMSFR-653
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