Windows 7 was released by Microsoft in 2009, and its shutdown sound became one of the operating system's most recognisable system sounds. Unlike a harsh alert, the short chime was designed to play quietly as a PC powered down, and millions of users heard it daily on home and office computers. As Windows 7 aged and later versions changed or removed system sounds, the clip took on a nostalgic second life online, where creators reuse it to joke about endings, outdated technology and moments that simply stop.