Windows XP launched in 2001 as Microsoft's successor to Windows ME and Windows 2000, and its startup sound became one of the most recognizable computer noises ever made. Composed for the operating system's welcoming, optimistic design, the chime was heard daily in homes, schools and offices for over a decade. As XP aged, the sound turned into shorthand online for old technology, slow thinking and system errors, often paired with the famous error sound in memes and edits. Its simple melody remains instantly identifiable, even to people who never used XP themselves.
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The classic Windows XP startup chime from Microsoft, that bright welcoming melody people use for nostalgic tech jokes and retro computer memes online.
This is the familiar startup melody that played when a Windows XP computer finished booting, a short sequence of bright synthesized notes that rise and settle with a calm, optimistic feel. Lasting a few seconds, it sounds clean and airy, with soft chimes and a gentle electronic swell underneath. For many listeners it instantly triggers nostalgia for school computer labs, family PCs and early internet days. Creators use that recognition to signal an idea loading, a system starting, or an old-school tech moment, and the contrast with modern devices makes the joke land immediately.
