Windows XP was released in 2001, and its startup chime became closely associated with turning on a home or office computer during the operating system’s long period of widespread use. As older computers disappeared, recordings of the sound circulated through technology retrospectives, nostalgia compilations, remixes, and comedy videos. It remains recognizable because it compresses an entire startup ritual into a few melodic seconds. Creators still use it to represent rebooting, successful recovery, dated technology, or fond memories of early personal computing.
About this sound
The Windows XP startup sound is the soft, uplifting chime heard when the 2001 operating system loaded, often used for nostalgic computer edits.
This familiar four-second audio logo opens with a gentle, airy swell and resolves into a bright sequence of synthesized notes. It accompanied the Windows XP welcome screen, giving the operating system login a calm, polished sense of arrival. Today, the chime instantly evokes early-2000s home computers for many listeners. In videos, its clean rise can signal a successful boot, a reset, or a sudden return to simpler technology, while its warm tone makes the joke feel affectionate rather than harsh or chaotic.
