A disk drive system includes a control bus, a processor and a controller attached to the control bus. An error table and an audio signal table are in communication with the controller and processor. An audio output device is attached to the bus of the disk drive. The audio signal table outputs information to the audio output device to produce an audible output in response to the controller detecting a particular error in the error table. The audio output can be digital and may be directed to an interface with a computer system such as a SPDIF output. The audio output can also be converted to an analog signal and directed to a component on the motherboard of a computer system. The disk drive system can also include a software instruction set for changing the error status of an error message to the status associated with a compact disk.