Missing the Windows Startup Sound? Here’s How to Enable It in Windows 10

With the end of Windows 7 just around the corner, many of the users who upgrade to Windows 10 are looking into ways to make the experience with this new OS version as familiar as possible.

And this very often includes giving up on the modern elements that are bundled into Windows 10, such as the Microsoft Store, which more often that not is quickly forgotten by those who just seek a traditional Windows experience.

But in addition to simplifying the Windows 10 experience to make it feel more like the one in Windows 7, some are also looking for the tiniest features that make the operating system feel like home.

Including a Windows startup sound, that is.

As weird as it may sound, many actually miss the Windows startup sound. As a matter of fact, many can actually determine what Windows version in running on a device just by listening to the default startup sound playing when Windows is loaded – I do it too, so the removal of the startup sound in Windows 10 is quite a drawback considering this.

However, a startup sound can easily be enabled in Windows 10, and it doesn’t take more than just a few clicks to do it.

What you need to know, however, is that Microsoft has removed some of the sounds that you can configure in the operating system. And as part of the transition that the company now forces for the Control Panel to Settings, some settings are migrated to the modern app, while others are still there in the old version – there’s no ETA as to when the original Control Panel should be replaced by its modern sibling altogether, but the transition takes place gradually with every new feature update.

So to enable a Windows startup sound, you still need to turn to the classic Control Panel, which continues to be the home of these sound settings.

The path isn’t necessarily the most straightforward, but it’s easy to figure out once you do it for the first time:

The method described here also work in Windows 10 version 1909 (November 2019 Update) and in the upcoming Windows 10 version 2004 (currently codenamed 20H1, as it doesn’t yet have an official name).

Most likely, the option to enable a Windows startup sound will be added to the Settings app at some point in the future, especially as it comes without the need for other customization options. In other words, expect a simple checkbox to appear in the Sound section of Settings, allowing you to enable the startup sound a little bit faster.

All sound settings are projected to migrate to the Settings app anyway, but I expect this little checkbox to be the first one to make the switch.

And of course, if you want more changes related to the startup sound, such as options to customize it easier and use your very own sound or audio file in Windows 10, head over to the Feedback Hub in the operating system and let Microsoft know about it.