The sound comes from the startup chime associated with Microsoft Windows, the short melody played when a computer boots and the desktop loads. Online, loud and distorted versions became a staple of earrape memes, where familiar everyday sounds are boosted far beyond a comfortable level for comic effect. It is shared on soundboards as a quick reaction clip, used in gaming videos, fake error edits, and prank compilations. Its popularity rests on recognition, as almost anyone who has used a PC knows the tune before it gets loud.