Windows 8 startup sound you never had is hidden in Windows 10 and 11

If you remember Windows 8, when you booted up the computer and it loaded the operating system, the only thing we got on the other side of the screen was… silence. Yes, there was no startup melody in Windows 8, something very strange, as we will see.

Microsoft has used unique startup sounds in versions of Windows for decades, but Windows 8 ended that tradition. with silent boot process. And while the startup melody is back in Windows 11, the reality is that Microsoft has made a musical entry into W8.

And best of all, this ringtone is hidden in both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Thanks to this former Microsoft employee who discovered the secret on his YouTube channel.

Jensen Harris, former director of program management for the Windows User Experience group at Microsoft, was behind the initial removal of the startup sound in Windows 8. And here is the kicker: the melody has been created, but is disabled by default.

So if they bothered to compose it why did Microsoft choose not to introduce it at launch? Harris explains that the growing use of laptops prompted Microsoft to turn off the startup sound in Windows 8, just as the company was trying to jump-start the business.

It was a way to reduce the amount of sounds that could distract users and customers. especially when you’re in a coffee shop or library and everyone has their laptops on.

However, Harris regretted removing it. “I eventually regretted the decision to turn off the sound a bit, but by then it was too late to turn it on by default.“explains a former Microsoft employee.

Microsoft has optimized Windows 8 a lot, especially for ARM chips, and engineering teams had to remove all the code that loaded the sound into memory and even the code that maintained the audio stack at the beginning of the loading process.

Adding sound back would have cost a second of the loading process and more memory usage. Hidden audio is available in Windows 10 and 11 by opening the Windows Logon.wav file located in the C:\windows\media folder.

Microsoft also planned a special launch sound for the original Surface RT tablet. “This is the Windows 8 startup sound, but with a low note at the beginning.explains Harris.Reflects the four-note sequence of the Windows 7 startup sound, but gets fuller and fuller.“.