In Windows, how can I change what sound my computer makes during startup?

You can control all Windows sounds through the Sounds control panel. To change the sound heard during startup:

Windows 7 and Vista

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel.

   Note: The Windows Vista Start menu and Control Panel are different from the Windows Classic View (e.g., in Windows 2000). Therefore, navigating to certain items can be different. In the interest of broad applicability, most Knowledge Base documents assume you are using the Classic View. For information about switching your Windows Vista default view to Classic View, see In Windows Vista, how do I switch to the Windows Classic Start menu or Classic Control Panel?

2. Click Hardware and Sound. Under "Sound", click Change system sounds.
   
   
3. Under "Program", click Windows Logon. You can select a sound from the "Sounds:" drop-down menu, or click Browse... to select a .wav file. If you don't want Windows to play any sound during startup, either uncheck Play Windows Startup sound or choose (None) in the "Sounds:" drop-down menu.

Windows XP

1. From the Start menu, select either Control Panel, or Settings and then Control Panel.
   
   
2. Click the Sounds and Audio Devices icon, and then click the Sounds tab.
   
   
3. Under "Program Events", select Start Windows. You can select a sound from the drop-down menu or click Browse to select a .wav file. If you don't want Windows to play any sound during startup, select (None) from the drop-down menu.

Windows 2000

1. From the Start menu, select Settings, then Control Panel.
   
   
2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Sounds icon.
   
   
3. Under "Sound Events", select Start Windows. You can select a sound from the drop-down menu or click Browse to select a .wav file. If you don't want Windows to play any sound during startup, select (None) from the drop-down menu.

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