Windows XP, released by Microsoft in 2001, included a set of gentle system sounds for starting up, logging off and shutting down, and this shutdown chime became one of its most familiar audio signatures. As the operating system was replaced, the sound lived on in nostalgia videos, retro computing content and memes that used it to signal an ending. It remains popular because it is instantly recognisable to a generation that grew up with XP, and its calm tone makes it a perfect shorthand for closing a scene.