The Windows XP startup sound comes from Microsoft's Windows XP operating system, released in 2001. Over time, it became one of the most recognizable computer sounds online because so many people grew up hearing it at home, school and work. It spread widely in nostalgia edits, retro tech videos and memes that recreate the feeling of using an old PC. The sound still gets reused because it instantly communicates booting up, childhood computing and early internet culture in just a few seconds.
About this sound
The classic Windows XP startup chime from Microsoft's early 2000s operating system, often used in retro PC memes, nostalgia edits and fake boot-up intros.
This clip is the familiar Windows XP startup sound, a soft digital chime associated with turning on a classic desktop PC. It has a clean, airy tone that feels calm and instantly nostalgic, especially for anyone who used computers in the early 2000s. In videos, it quickly signals old-school tech, internet nostalgia or a fake system boot sequence. Because the sound is short and recognizable, creators often use it to mark a reveal, start a retro montage or give a joke that unmistakable old Windows feel.
