Windows XP launched in 2001 and its short orchestral startup chime became one of the most recognizable sounds in computing. As XP machines aged into nostalgia, the clip spread across YouTube and TikTok as shorthand for the early-2000s internet era, popping up in throwback compilations, fake error-screen memes and retro tech jokes. Today it remains a beloved go-to cue for creators signalling nostalgia or a fresh boot into something old-school.
關於此聲音
The Windows XP startup sound, the short orchestral chime that played when the PC finished booting. Creators use it in nostalgia edits and retro tech memes.
This is the Windows XP startup sound, the short chime that played every time a computer finished booting into the operating system. Composed of soft orchestral swells and gentle digital tones, it builds for a few seconds and then resolves into a warm, reassuring flourish. For anyone who grew up with XP, hearing it again triggers an instant wave of nostalgia, like stepping back into a childhood bedroom with a bulky monitor and dial-up humming in the background. That is exactly why meme creators love it: dropped over a video, it frames whatever follows as a throwback, a fresh start, or a joke about ancient technology.
