How to Change Windows Startup Sound: Windows 11/10

This article will show you how to Change Windows Startup Sound: Windows 11/10. Microsoft’s latest desktop operating system, Windows 11, came out earlier this year. It has a lot of new features and changes to make the user experience better. One of these changes is the new sound that plays when Windows 11 starts up. For Windows 11, Microsoft has changed how it looks and feels. Sounds aren’t any different. Even the sound Windows makes when it starts has changed. It’s easy and short, and you might be able to ignore it.

Windows has been around since the 1980s, and it has changed several times since then. The startup sound that plays when the computer is turned on is one thing that hasn’t changed. Some people might like the sound, but others might find it annoying. Users of Windows can, luckily, change the startup sound and use something else instead. In this article, we’ll talk about how to Change Windows Startup Sound: Windows 11/10.

What is a startup sound?

When a computer or other device is turned on, a short audio clip called a “startup sound” is played. It is often used to let people know what the device is or to make them feel welcome. Since the beginning of computers, startup sounds have been around. The Apple II, which came out in 1977, was the first computer to have a sound when it turned on. The Apple II had a simple beep when it turned on.

Over time, startup sounds have changed and become more complicated. The Windows XP startup sound, the Mac OS X startup sound, and the Linux startup sound are some of the most well-known startup sounds. Most computers today have a way to turn off the startup sound. But there are still a lot of people who like hearing their favorite devices start up.

Windows lets you change almost everything, and that includes the sounds. Windows already has a good way to change system sounds, but you can’t change the Windows startup sound as easily as the others, even though you can turn it off. This is different from how Windows used to work, and it’s not clear why Windows 11 changed it. Still, we can change the sound just like any other with a quick change to the registry.

How to Change Windows Startup Sound: Windows 11/10

Replace the Package File

Now, you need to change the file that holds the package. But your system should be using the original file, so you won’t be able to delete or change the file. So, if you want to do this from a place that isn’t connected to the Internet, you need to use the Windows Recovery Environment or Advanced Startup.

1. Close all programs, then open the start menu.
2. Click the button that says “On.” To load Windows Recovery Environment, hold down the Shift key and click the Restart button.
3. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt from this page.
4. Type each of the commands below:
   • **diskpart** list **volume** (Look for “Boot” in the information column to find the letter of the drive that holds your system. In the recovery environment, it might not be C:. Also, check the volume letter of the drive where you put the modified imageres.dll.mun file.)
   • **cd Windows\SystemResources**
   • **ren imageres.dll.mun imageres.dll.mun.bak** (It will make a copy of the original startup sound in case you want to put it back.)
   • **copy F:\New\imageres.dll.mun** . (replace F:\New with the full path of the folder where you stored the modified imageres.dll.mun file while keeping in mind the potentially changed drive letter. Also, don’t forget the period at the end of the command. The dot means that you are copying to the current directory, which in this case is Windows\SystemResources.)
5. 5. After that, click Continue to load the operating system and check if the startup sound has changed.

Troubleshooting Startup Sound Missing

If you can’t hear any startup sound, it may be because your system has turned off that feature. You can check this option in the Sound settings that are more advanced.

1. Press Win+R to open Run after logging in to a user account.
2. To open Sound Options, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter.
3. Go to the Sounds tab and make sure that Play Windows Startup sound is checked.
4. Click “Apply,” then “OK.”

Create Another Package File

You need to make a copy of the imageres.dll.mun file and put your own startup sound file in it instead of the one that comes with the computer. Use the Resource Hacker to do this.

Make sure you have a.wav audio file that you want to use as the startup sound ready or download it. If you have an audio file in a different format, you can turn it into a.wav file using any free or online audio converter. Then, get Resource Hacker and install it. After that, open this app.

1. From the menu bar, choose File > Open.
2. Go to the C:WindowsSystemResources folder.
3. Change the drop-down box above Open and Cancel from Resource files to All files.
4. Find and choose the file imageres.dll.mun. Click Open after that.
5. Expand WAVE and pick 5080:1033 from the list.
6. Right-click on 5080: 1033 and choose Replace Resource.
7. Click the Select File button, find the .wav file you made earlier, and click the Open button.
8. From the menu bar, choose File > Save As.
9. You can save it anywhere besides the SystemResources folder. Make a note of the folder’s path, because you’ll need it later. Here, the F:New folder will serve as an example.

Why would you want to change your startup sound?

1. Personalization: By changing the startup sound, users can make their computer feel more unique or like a reflection of themselves.
2. Users can easily tell their computer apart from others: especially in shared spaces, if they choose a different startup sound.
3. Fun and entertainment: Some people just like to have a different startup sound for fun or to make their computer time a little more interesting.
4. Branding or Identity: Sometimes, businesses or organizations will use a specific startup sound to reinforce their brand identity or logo.
5. Alerts and Notifications: Users may find it helpful to have a unique sound when their computer starts up to let them know that it is starting up correctly.
6. Accessibility: A unique or easily recognizable startup sound can let people who have trouble seeing know that the computer is starting up.

Conclusion

In this version of Windows, there are new sounds for almost every system action, including the default startup sound, battery functionality, critical stop options, connecting and disconnecting devices, typing an exclamation point, and more. Even though the changes are small and, for the most part, good, you may want to change them. Here’s a look at how to change Windows 11 system sounds.

Questions and Answers