Comments on: How-to: Make your own Windows XP startup sound

By: Robert Stalker

Robert Stalker — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:05:51 +0000

Can you please assist me!
At boot up of Windows XP Home edition the sounds generated by Windows fail to play.
Sound card plays DVDs using another software program.

Thank you.

By: Chris Duckworth

Chris Duckworth — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:53:53 +0000

Hey Bryan, I checked out which version of Audacity I was using, and it was 1.3 Beta.
To export as a wav I do the following,
Click File, and Export.
A save prompt comes up defaulting to the MP3 filetype. Switch it to wav. Give it a filename and click options. This options box has all the number changing stuff you are after, if your version of Audacity is the same.
How long is your track? I got to 90s, dropping the file to 8 bit. I don’t think it will be listenable dropping the sound quality much more.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:14:03 +0000

Tried what you said, and reduced the file size smaller and smaller until it was 800k, but the startup sound still cuts at the same place as before. Any suggestions? Still couldn’t find the ‘Specify WAV Options’ Thanks B

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:42:23 +0000

Thank you for the info. I have been having the clipping problem for some time and have not been able to find a work around other than using ’sleep’ mode, which lets the computer start up with the full sound file for some reason. I tried to go to ‘File’ then ‘Export’, as you suggested, but the copy of Audacity I just downloaded doesn’t have a simple ‘Export’ command. It has ‘Export as wave’ and ‘Export selection as wave’. Both do not allow any adjustment to the file. Tought you might like to know. I have for some time been trying to find a place in the registry that I could change the time limit Windows seems to apply. Glad you found another way. Thanks B

By: Chris Duckworth

Chris Duckworth — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:49:26 +0000

Hi Susanne, If you already have a tune, you should be able to copy it across. The only reson I recommend Audacity is because it is powerful, easy to use, and free. Many other programs can do the same job.
Changing the bit rate is something that Audacity makes easy. This is likely to be necesary if you want the tune to run longer than 20 seconds. I don’t think XP will have had any extra limitations that ME and 2000 did not already have.

By: susanne casey

susanne casey — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:25:54 +0000

Hi there I just graduated to XP but I was a big fan of changing tunes with WINME and then 2000. I like the fact you explained this so well..but do I need that utility you mentioned above or can I do like I did before and save the same way? I am not exactly a nubie but neither am I greatly skilled lol

By: nick

nick — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:57:07 +0000

hey thanks brah, this works awesome
for those who want to know Audacity is free at download.com.
thanks again dude.

By: qurux

qurux — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:46:50 +0000

thank u

By: abhishek

abhishek — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:38:38 +0000

firstly thanks to you to let me know this fantastic technique,
there is one query that,if i want to restore the original window sound,then should follow the same procedures,if not then plz solve my query

By: Lukenlogs

Lukenlogs — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:24:10 +0000

My startup sound is Jimi Hendrix walking onstage @ Woodstock. He says “I see that we meet again, hmmmmm… yeah la la la…” . I put a nice 1.5 sec’ fade on the end w/ the crowd noise

My shutdown noise is The Simpsons eating dinner:
“RAR RAR RAR SNORT SNORT”