How to Turn Your Windows Startup Sound On or Off in Windows 11
The Windows 11 startup sound is an audio cue that plays when your PC begins loading. While it was a common feature in older Windows versions, it’s turned off by default in Windows 10.
You can turn the Windows 11 startup sound on or off easily through Windows 11 settings. If you miss that familiar chime or want to disable the startup sound if the startup sound bothers you, changing this setting for the startup sound is simple.
To turn the Windows 11 startup sound on or off, open Settings, go to Personalization, then Themes, and click Sound settings. In the Sounds window, check or uncheck “Play Windows Startup sound” under Program Events. Click OK to save.
Why Change the Startup Sound?
You might want to turn your Windows startup sound on or off for a few reasons. Some people like the familiar chime that means their PC is ready. Others prefer to keep things quiet, especially in shared spaces, so no one knows when their computer boots up.
This article covers three methods for managing the Windows startup sound. The first method uses Windows’ own settings for easy access. The second method employs the Registry Editor, a tool that allows for more detailed changes to system settings. The third method is applicable to specific Windows versions and utilizes the Group Policy Editor for adjustments.
Method 1Using Windows Settings (The Easy Way)
This method usually works perfectly.
Open Settings
Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard. Alternatively, click the Start button and then click the small gear icon.
Go to Personalization and Themes
In the Settings window, click on Personalization in the left menu. On the right side, click on Themes.
Find Sound Settings
Under the Themes section, find the Sounds option and click it. Clicking Sounds opens the classic Sound control panel window, which lets you manage Windows startup and shutdown sounds.
Turn the Startup Sound On or Off
In the Sounds window, look for a checkbox labeled Play Windows Startup sound in the list of Program Events.
- To turn the sound ON, check the box .
- To turn the sound OFF, uncheck the box .
Click OK to save your changes.
Close Settings
Close the Settings window. The next time you restart your computer, the sound will be on or off according to your selection.
Method 2Using the Registry Editor (For More Control)
Enable the Startup Sound with Registry Editor
Open Registry Editor
You can turn the Windows startup sound back on using the Registry Editor. First, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows key + R, typing regedit, and hitting Enter. Then, navigate to the specific location within the registry where this setting is managed.
Go to the Correct Location
In the Registry Editor, go to this path:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\BootAnimation
You can copy and paste this into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor and press Enter.
Change the Setting
On the right side, look for an entry called DisableStartupSound. If DisableStartupSound isn’t visible, right-click an empty spot in the right pane, select New, and then choose DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisableStartupSound.
Double-click DisableStartupSound. To enable the startup sound, ensure the Value data is set to 0. If it currently shows as 1, change it to 0. Then, click OK to save.
Check Another Location (Important!)
You also need to check this path:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\BootAnimation
Look for an entry named UserSetting_DisableStartupSound on the right side.
If it exists, double-click it. To turn the sound ON, set its Value data to 0.
If it doesn’t exist, create it like you did before: right-click, select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it UserSetting_DisableStartupSound. Then, set its value to 0.
Click OK.
Close and Restart
Close the Registry Editor. Restart your computer to hear the startup sound.
Disable the Startup Sound with Registry Editor
Open Registry Editor
To turn off the Windows startup sound using the Registry Editor, start by opening the tool. Once open, go to the two specific registry paths mentioned previously for managing the startup sound setting. There, you’ll find or create a value to disable the sound.
Go to the Locations
Go to the two paths shown above in the previous steps to enable startup sound, one after the other:
Change the Values
In both locations, find or create the DisableStartupSound (and UserSetting_DisableStartupSound in the second location) DWORD value.
Double-click on DisableStartupSound.
To turn the sound OFF, set the Value data to 1.
Click OK.
Repeat this for UserSetting_DisableStartupSound in the second location, setting its Value data to 1.
Close and Restart
Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC to have silence.
0 (for enabled) or 1 (for disabled) as needed. You can also delete the DisableStartupSound and UserSetting_DisableStartupSound entries. When these are deleted, Windows uses the setting from Method 1.Method 3Using Group Policy Editor (For Pro, Enterprise, and Education Editions)
If you have Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor. This tool can change system settings and might override settings from the Registry Editor or the Settings app. This method doesn’t work on Windows 11 Home.
Open Local Group Policy Editor
Press the Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Click Yes if prompted.
Navigate the Policy Tree
In the left pane, follow this path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon
Find the Startup Sound Policy
You can turn the Windows Startup sound setting off by double-clicking the option named “Turn off Windows Startup sound” in the right pane of the Sounds control panel. This action prevents the startup sound from playing when you boot your Windows 11 computer.
Configure the Policy
You can configure the startup sound policy in Windows with three main choices. Selecting ‘Disabled’ will always enable the startup sound. Choosing ‘Enabled’ will always disable it and hide the option in Settings. ‘Not Configured’ returns the setting to its default behavior, allowing you to choose.
- To Always Enable Startup Sound: Select Disabled. This means the policy to turn off the sound is disabled, so the sound is allowed.
- To Always Disable Startup Sound: Select Enabled. This tells Windows to turn off the sound and will hide the option in the Settings app.
- To Let You Choose (Default): Select Not Configured. This turns off the Group Policy setting, letting you use the checkbox in the Settings app (Method 1) or the Registry Editor (Method 2).
Click OK.
Close and Restart
Close the Local Group Policy Editor. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Summary
You can easily turn your Windows 11 startup sound on or off using the Settings app. For more advanced control or if the Settings app doesn’t work, the Registry Editor can be used, but proceed with caution. Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education users also have the option to manage this setting via the Local Group Policy Editor.
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