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General discussion

How to change start up sound in Windows 7?

by MorrisSouthHound Jan 15, 2010 11:36PM PST

I have a 64 bit OS and I recently upgraded from Vista to Windows 7. In the sound menu of Win 7 you have a choice "Play Windows Start up Sound", check box. If unchecked no Start up Sound. I would rather have my own sound and when I searched the web I found a program which opens up the "dll" file to change the sound, "ResHack". When I tested the sound I wanted to use it played but on rebooting my computer it went back to the Windows 7 default sound. Microsoft really bugs.
I have full "Administrator Rights" and my edit was saved.

Discussion is locked

9 Posts
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Add your own to the folder?
by MarkFlax Forum moderator Jan 16, 2010 5:28AM PST

I can't say I have ever tried this, but if you use Explorer to navigate to C:\Windows\Media, you will see all the Windows sounds in there.

They are all *.wav sounds and while some are quite large, 1800 KB or so, most are in the range of 20 to 200 KB.

If you have a .wav sound file you want to add, and it is not too large, what happens if you place it in that folder? Make sure you give it a unique name so you don't over-write an existing file.

Then you can use the Sound dialog in the Control Panel to select what action you want your sound for, then "Browse" to that sound. In fact it looks like that 'browse' means you don't even have to locate your sound .wav file in that folder, but store it anywhere.

Mark

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Mark, I don't think that gets what the O.P. wants.
by Ol Rod Jan 16, 2010 10:09AM PST

I have tried to do just what he wants. I think this "windows startup sound" plays right after the pixie dots, and before you select which user. Then, after you select user or Admin, it plays "Windows Logon". You can change that Logon sound from that menu, and yes, I have drag-n-dropped several of my own .wav sounds into the media folder, but the trick is to control this *one* sound "windows startup". I hope some more people post because I want the same thing that he wants.

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Ahh yes.
by MarkFlax Forum moderator Jan 16, 2010 9:33PM PST

You could be right Ol Rod. I may have misunderstood.

Mark

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Re:Add Folder
by MorrisSouthHound Jan 16, 2010 10:50PM PST

Microsoft has placed an unique item in its "Operating System", deep into the "System32" folder called "imagares.dll". This folder containes the default start up sound for Windows 7. Even though I found a way to open this with a utility called "ResHack" and change the sound and save it with my "Administrative Rights" it defaults back to original sound when rebooting.
If you have a 64 bit Windows 7 you will know that the only thing (as I know) you can do is uncheck the box "Play Windows Star Up Sound". This is not your "Fathers" OS.

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Not my Father's OS?
by MarkFlax Forum moderator Jan 17, 2010 3:37AM PST

I'm amazed you knew that.

Mark

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Add your own to the folder?
by tiritir Nov 19, 2010 11:05PM PST

Try to take own the file ^_^ hack hack needed

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Is this a question?
by MarkFlax Forum moderator Nov 19, 2010 11:08PM PST

Not sure what you are saying.

Mark

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Change Sound - I found this on Google
by Ol Rod Jan 18, 2010 9:35AM PST
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Simple solution?
by TeamAnders Oct 29, 2012 11:52PM PDT

fed up with Windows telling me what I can't do, I plonked my choice of wav into the StartUp folder and it comes on right after the Windows sound, which I have switched off.
Don't know why I didn't think of it before

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