How to Turn Your Windows Startup Sound On or Off in Windows 11

Why Change the Startup Sound?

Managing your Windows 11 startup sound lets you customize your computer experience to match your environment. You might want to turn the audio chime on to know when your PC finishes booting, or disable it to keep things quiet in shared spaces like offices or classrooms. This guide shows you how to adjust the audio setting quickly using built-in Windows tools.

This article covers three methods for managing the Windows startup sound. The first method uses Windows’ own settings for quick access. The second method uses the Registry Editor (a database for low-level Windows settings ⚙️). The third method applies to specific Windows versions and utilizes the Local Group Policy Editor (a tool for managing system configurations) for adjustments.

Method 1Using Windows Settings (The Easy Way)

This method usually works for most systems.

Open Settings

Press the Win+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 control panel (an older interface for managing system hardware and sound). From here, you can manage both startup and shutdown audio.

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)

The Registry Editor tool allows you to change many settings in Windows 11. Proceed with caution here, as accidental registry mistakes can cause system instability. Back up your registry before making changes; backing up the registry is a good idea. Administrator permission (rights that let you make system-wide changes) is required to use the Registry Editor tool.

Enable the Startup Sound with Registry Editor

Open Registry Editor

Modify a system key in Registry Editor if the standard Settings app does not work. Always back up your registry before making changes to prevent accidental system errors.

Go to the Correct Location

In the Registry Editor, go to this path:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\BootAnimation

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 choose DWORD (32-bit) Value (a specific type of data entry Windows uses for settings). Name it DisableStartupSound. Double-click the new value.

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!)

Check this path next: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

Disabling your Windows 11 startup sound using Registry Editor forces the audio chime to stay off at boot. Turn off the startup noise by navigating to the correct system paths and adjusting the key values. This method works well if the standard settings menu does not give you the control you need over your PC audio.

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.

If you want to go back to the default settings, you can set the Value data back to 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

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

Configuring the Windows 11 startup sound policy lets network administrators or advanced users control audio behavior across the operating system. Choose between enabled, disabled, and not configured states to dictate how the startup chime behaves. This administrative method overrides standard user settings to enforce specific audio rules on your computer.

• 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

Your computer will now play or mute the startup audio according to the method you selected.