The Windows XP startup sound comes from Microsoft's Windows XP operating system, released in 2001. It was composed by musician Bill Brown as part of the system's built-in audio identity. Over time, the chime became one of the most recognizable computer sounds online, especially in nostalgia compilations, retro tech videos, and memes about school computers and family desktops. It still gets reused because a few notes instantly place viewers in the early 2000s and communicate old-PC energy without any extra setup.
About this sound
The classic Windows XP startup chime from Microsoft's 2001 operating system, often used in nostalgic memes, retro edits and old PC jokes.
This sound is the familiar startup chime that plays when Windows XP boots up: a soft, airy synth swell with a clean, uplifting finish. Even though it lasts only a few seconds, it instantly signals early 2000s computing and the feeling of turning on an old family PC. In videos, it works as a quick nostalgia trigger and can make a simple reveal, tech joke or throwback clip feel warm, dated in a good way, and immediately recognizable to anyone who used older Windows computers.
