Windows XP, released by Microsoft in 2001, came with a set of short system sounds for everyday computer actions, including connecting and disconnecting USB hardware. The disconnect version became widely recognised as home computers and flash drives spread in the 2000s, and it later lived on through nostalgia videos, gaming streams and meme edits that reuse old operating system audio for comic effect. Its brevity and instantly recognisable falling tone help explain why creators still reach for it to signal something being removed or switched off.