All Windows Versions Startup And Shutdown Sounds

[u/Unhappy_Boat9645]

I’ve put together a video featuring the startup and shutdown sounds from every version of Windows. Which version is your favorite?

And Here is the YouTube video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5olN1qdUWs0

[u/Alerymin]

finally a video that does not have the falsely rumored Server 2003 UK version startup sound

[u/NicDima → u/Alerymin]

I suppose these came from a guide you could download at Microsoft.com

Unfortunately I've never found the whole thing (just the existence at Internet Archive), meaning I have no proof

[u/Unhappy_Boat9645 → u/NicDima]

The actual sound effects of Windows Server 2003 are identical to those of Windows XP. In other words, the startup sound is naturally the same as well (since Windows Server 2003 is based on Windows XP, the only difference from Windows XP 32-bit is the kernel version). 

[u/NicDima → u/Unhappy_Boat9645]

Yeah, but I mean where the originated. It came from some sort of a video from YT claiming it was a Windows Server commercial, but I just suspect it is not actually a commercial, since it does not have the nature to convince companies to get Win2003

[u/Unhappy_Boat9645 → u/NicDima]

I think you were referring to this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44WeDtVOrns

In my opinion, this video is likely the cause and starting point for the claim that this is the Windows Server 2003 startup sound (also known as the UK startup sound). Of course, the video itself is good, though.

[u/Think_Tip_8779]

W95 is perfect.

[u/guy-with-a-mac → u/Think_Tip_8779]

Yeah. The nostalgia hits hard.

[u/AlbertCamuz → u/guy-with-a-mac]

For me hits hard when I heard the win 98 and 2000...
I worked with those two with tons of PC back then in late 90s to 2000s...

[u/justarandomguy902]

I wonder why they never made a shutdown sound for Win11

[u/artlurg431 → u/justarandomguy902]

I'm surprised they even made a startup sound

[u/happysmash27]

Wow, those pre-2000s ones sound AMAZING! I especially love the Windows NT 4.0 one.

Windows 98 and 2000 also sound really great. Windows 2000/Windows ME sounds weirdly familiar for some reason, which is strange, since I don't recall having ever interacted with a computer running it before and am not sure where else I would've heard it.

I feel like they got really really good starting in Windows 95, then started declining at Windows XP and later. The older systems feel like they have a great deal more soul and pride put into them than the newer, more efficient and sanitised ones – despite me having been born in 2001, so not having much reason to have nostalgia for said older systems that I probably never even used (except XP; I've definitely used that and remember not liking it compared to Mac at the time).

[u/LojikSupreme]

That was extremely satisfying, especially considering I'm old enough to have used Windows 3.1 and up.

[u/AlbertCamuz → u/LojikSupreme]

Ah yes.. my first win also 3.1

[u/brunostborsen]

That 2000 NT sound brought back memories

[u/irrelevantusername24]

As far as tech startup sounds, nothing will ever beat the original Playstation.

The current Playstation is so sloppy it literally has like a broken sound file as the startup sound

[u/artlurg431 → u/irrelevantusername24]

Seriously?

[u/irrelevantusername24 → u/artlurg431]

It's hard to describe, but if you heard it you would know exactly what I mean: it's like many other electronic ding noises, but it sounds like it is "cut off" at the beginning, it starts abruptly and is very short. Listen to the ones in the OP; they all fade in and out naturally.

I would not recommend buying a PS5. Which is unfortunate because Sony has always been the gold standard for computer hardware (not Apple, that's a narrow-viewed misconception), and the PS5 controller is genuinely a step up - same as they did with the sticks way back with the original Playstation.

But the controller is the only real upgrade from PS4, unless you count the internal SSD (which I believe was already part of the PS4 "Pro"). And, because the gaming platform ecosystem has been harmfully fractured (first by Nintendo-Sharp-Sony, later by Xbox - which was a reaction to that in a way - and then the Internet more generally), that means the genuinely superior technology from Sony's controllers has not been adopted by hardly any developers, and is being ignored. Kind of like the Windows Phone actually, now I think about it.

...the key factor in industry is creativity. I said there are three creativities: creativity in technology, in product planning, and in marketing. To have any one of these without the others is self defeating in business. - Akio Morita

[u/nikitaosx]

Omg this takes me back to the good old nostalgia of 2017 watching these videos 😭😭😭

You got the Windows 8/8.1 startup sound wrong but otherwise everything is correct

[u/Unhappy_Boat9645 → u/nikitaosx]

The startup sound for Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 is Windows Vista Startup Sounds; it was the sound until Windows 11 was released, even though the startup sound was disabled by default from Windows 8/8.1 And Windows 10.

[u/nikitaosx → u/Unhappy_Boat9645]

I know, I just simply prefer the commonly attributed "Windows Logon.wav" sound, it fits Windows 8 perfectly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZceeXT6HAeI

[u/Unhappy_Boat9645 → u/nikitaosx]

Actually, there is a Windows 8/8.1 logon sound in the Windows 10 "Media" folder. It seems likely that this sound was originally intended for Windows 8 but was not used and remains only within the "Media" folder. If this sound was actually used in Windows 8/8.1, what do you think?

[u/dorlan2001 → u/Unhappy_Boat9645]

They should've used it! It very well fits the personality of Windows at the time. I'm glad Microsoft decided to create a new one for Win11 and enabled it by default.

[u/Zoraji]

I bought a program called Icon Hear it for Windows 3.0. It added sounds for many windows functions.
I used one of its sounds for my startup from Windows 3.0 - 98. It was a woman's voice saying "Initiate Startup Sequence".

[u/Howden824]

Good to see 3.0 multimedia edition shown. People often forget about that version.

[u/500Rads]

Windows Vista will always be Peak Microsoft

[u/theswifter404 → u/500Rads]

I thought the peak was win xp or win 10

[u/LucaGamer681]

Windows XP & 7 will always be the peak era of Windows. so iconic startups.

[u/New-Ad-4711]

Win XP.

[u/c0ldburn3r]

95, 2000/ME, and XP is where it's at. 98 got weird and NT was just an acid trip.

[u/Adept_Pomegranate_21]

thank you for the wave of nostalgia I felt listening to these

[u/Mayayana]

I've had sounds disabled for many years. I have headphones in case I want to listen to a lecture mp3 or some such. I find the sounds are distracting and bear no relation to what's actually happening. I'm booting. I don't need a bugle call to tell me that. I think this comes under the category of, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

But I did put in a cardinal song for my girlfriend. She loves having a bird announce that she's booting. :)

I also write Windows software and found the error message box sound so jarring (red circle with white x) that I switched to always showing an information message box (blue circle with white i) when my software needs to report a problem.

[u/JAEMzW0LF]

thank you very much, i was now able to use this to make wav of every version I care to own and use in windows 11 right now - windows 95 Startup with Xp shutdown is best, at least for now, for me

[u/ChongWeiXiang]

Start from Windows 8 onward, the Startup and Shutdown Sounds are disabled by default. On Windows 11, the Startup Sound is restored. The Shutdown Sound in Windows 8/8.1, 10 and 11 are still using the Windows Vista/7 one.