Windows Millennium Edition, usually called Windows ME, was released by Microsoft in 2000 as the home successor to Windows 98. Its startup chime became part of a familiar family of system sounds alongside the Windows error sound and shutdown jingle that defined early home computing. As physical ME machines disappeared, the clip survived through emulation videos, retro tech channels and nostalgia edits on social media. It remains popular because it instantly evokes dial up era PCs, chunky monitors and the ritual of waiting for a desktop to load.
About this sound
Windows ME startup sound is the brief melodic chime heard when Windows Millennium Edition boots up in 2000. It is now used for retro PC and nostalgia memes.
The Windows ME startup sound is a cheerful five second orchestral style chime that plays as the desktop loads. It moves through a bright sequence of synthesized strings and bells, rising and resolving with the optimistic tone typical of early 2000s computer audio. Hearing it instantly signals a system waking up, an old machine coming back to life, or a throwback moment. In videos it works as a nostalgic punchline, marking a reboot, a flashback to family PC days, or an ironic celebration of outdated technology finally starting.
