For millions of PC users in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Windows startup chime was an iconic sound that signaled the computer was ready for work. Beginning with Windows 8, Microsoft disabled this startup sound by default in an effort to make the booting process as fast and silent as possible.
While the modern Windows 11 operating system boots silently out of the box, Microsoft actually included a brand-new, modernized startup chime in the OS files. If you feel nostalgic or simply want an auditory cue that your PC has successfully reached the lock screen, you can easily enable this hidden feature.
How to Enable the Windows 11 Startup Sound
- Open the Windows 11 Settings app by clicking the Start Menu gear icon or pressing
Windows Key + I. - In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Personalization.
- In the main window, click on Themes.
- Near the top of the Themes menu, click on the Sounds icon (it is located next to Background and Color).
- A small legacy “Sound” window will pop up. Look closely at the very bottom of this window.
- Check the box labeled “Play Windows Startup sound”.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
The next time you reboot or cold-boot your computer, a short, ambient chime will play through your speakers the moment the lock screen appears.
A Note on Fast Startup and Hibernation
There is a specific technical caveat regarding the startup sound. The sound will only trigger during a “clean boot.”
Because modern laptops and desktop PCs frequently utilize a feature called Fast Startup (which is essentially a form of hibernation designed to make the PC turn on faster), a standard “Shut Down” command does not actually power off the computer entirely. If your PC wakes from Fast Startup or Sleep Mode, the startup sound will not play.
If you want to guarantee you hear the sound, you must perform a full Restart via the Start Menu power options, which completely flushes the system RAM and triggers a true boot sequence.