Windows 11 introduced this startup sound when Microsoft released the operating system in October 2021, bringing back an audible boot cue after Windows 10 largely started in silence by default. The brief chime was designed to feel lighter and more relaxed than the Windows 95, XP and Vista era starts that many users still remix online. Clips of the sound spread through tech YouTube, setup tours and meme edits where a computer wakes up, and it remains a quick shorthand for a brand new Windows machine.