Microsoft introduced Windows 7 in 2009, and its built-in system sounds included a distinct alert for a critically low laptop battery. The chime was designed to be noticeable without interrupting work, playing automatically when power fell to a level that needed attention. As Windows 7 became one of the most widely used versions of the operating system, the sound became familiar to millions of laptop users. Later, creators lifted it onto soundboards and into short videos, where its instant association with running out of power made it a useful shorthand for exhaustion, endings and devices giving up.