Daddy Bob's Computer Q & A

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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A

Questions & Answers for the Week of

February 7, 2010

Q. In XP and Vista I can change the Windows Startup sound but cannot figure out how to do this in Windows 7. If this is possibly, how do I do it?

A. For reasons known only to them, Microsoft has made it very difficult to change the Windows Startup sound in Windows 7, but that really isn't a problem as I'll explain. I suspect that few have even noticed this sound which is nothing but a faint click that sounds at the very beginning of the Windows startup process.

The default Windows start-up wave file is called "Windows Startup.wav" and is located in the C:\Windows\Media folder. You can go there and hear what it sounds like if desired. This sound is embedded in a protected system file called "imageres.dll" where it is designated as "5080.wave".

Although the Windows startup sound can be changed by modifying the 5080.wave folder contents and the "imageres.dll" file, it is certainly not easy or recommended. Therefore since it is not easy nor actually desirable I won't go into the involved process.

In previous versions of Windows, almost all of the sounds could be changed to something other than the rather boring Windows defaults. This feature has been carried over to Windows 7 but with some modifications. About the only requirement is that they have to be .wav type files, which is the Windows default type.

Conversion from other sound file formats to .wav files is easy with free programs that can be downloaded. A couple that I have user are "Switch Audio Converter" and "Wavepad". Just search for either of these in your browser. There are also some websites that will convert just about any type file to another type of the same gender in real time for free. The one I am familiar with and use frequently is http://www.convertfiles.com.

Sounds are changed by opening the Control Panel, selecting Sounds, then the Sounds tab. From here, just about any of the Windows sounds can be changed to whatever you like. Be advised that many other programs can also change these so what you set may be changed without your knowledge or consent. Earlier versions of Windows had forms of Themes that were add-on programs, but this feature is built into Windows 7.

So, if the Windows Start-up sound is just a faint click, what it the sound that is heard where the Windows startup sound used to be heard? In Windows 7, you now have sounds called "Windows Log On" and "Windows Log off". These are actually the sounds you hear when Windows starts up and shuts down for each user. If you are the only user, then they sound when you startup and shutdown windows.

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