How to Change the Windows Startup Sound
You may not think much about the startup sound when you boot to Windows, but some people can be sticklers for detail. Some people, however, find the default startup sounds for either Windows XP or Windows Vista to not be up to their preferences. Some users may want to personalize their Windows interfaces, right down to the startup sound. With a bit of skill and know-how in editing Windows, you can make the Windows startup sequence sound like music to your ears.
Things To Remember
One of the limitations of the Windows startup sound is that it is a short WAVE audio file a few seconds long; you cannot use MP3 or a full music file to replace the default file. You can, though, use a music editing and sampling program like CoolEdit or Audacity to take a short 2-3 second sample of an MP3 file or any long sound file, and convert it to WAV format for use as a startup chime.
Before you change the startup sound, here are some things you need to keep in mind:
Customizing the core elements of Windows is not easy, especially when you’re working with Vista. Make sure you have the licensed installer of your operating system ready just in case anything goes wrong.
To change startup sounds and other multimedia cues in Windows, you may need to install third-party utilities that access and modify core files of Windows. Use these programs only at your own risk; these programs are in no way associated with or developed by Microsoft for use in Windows.
Changing the Startup Sound on Windows XP
Windows XP, at this point, is the last version of Windows that allows the user to customize the startup sound. The startup sound for Windows XP can be edited or changed through a few simple steps:
Right-click on the speaker icon on the system tray or notification area (the part of the Windows taskbar near the clock), and click on “Adjust Audio Properties.” You can also access this window by through the Control Panel, when you double-click on the “Sounds and Audio Devices” icon.
Click on the “Sounds” tab, and look for the program event “Start Windows.”
Browse for the short WAV clip you have in mind to replace the defaut start-up sound, and click OK when finished.
Test the new start-up sound.
Changing the Startup Sound on Windows Vista
Windows Vista disabled the functionality of changing the startup sound when the operating system was released. You cannot change the startup sound while running Vista, which means that you can only accomplish the task if you have a double-boot PC. To change the startup sound on a system running Windows Vista, follow these steps:
Log off from Windows Vista, and reboot to your secondary operating system (for most Vista users, the secondary operating system is Windows XP).
Download a system resources editing tool like ResHacker.
Access the “System32″ folder in the Windows Vista directory, and copy the “imageres.dll” file to a different location. For the sake of convenience, paste one copy of this file to the Windows XP desktop, and backup another copy of the file on a separate location.
Open the “imageres.dll” file on the desktop with the ResHacker tool. Expand the “WAVE” folder, and look for the resource file named “1033.”
Right-click the resource file, and click on the button named “Open file with new resource.” Follow the instructions on-screen to change the startup sound.
Save the modified DLL file, but not wihout saving the copy named “imageres_original.dll” file that ResHacker prompts you to keep. Use either one of your two backup imageres.dll files to replace the modified .dll file in case it doesn’t work.
Copy, overwrite, and paste the modified .dll file into the System32 directory of Windows Vista.
Log back into Windows Vista to test the new startup sound.
Keep in mind that not all changes to the startup sound will result in perfect results every time. With these tips to help you modify the Windows startup sound, you can make your computer feel like it’s built with you in mind every time you log on.