Windows Vista® Inside Out Deluxe Edition

Changing the Way Events Are Mapped to Sounds

Perhaps you’ve had this experience: You arrive a moment or two late for a meeting or class, discreetly turn on your computer at the end of the table or back of the room, and then cringe as your speakers trumpet your arrival. True, the Windows Startup sound is less raucous in Windows Vista than it was in Windows XP. But it’s still a recognizable item, apt to cause annoyance in libraries, classrooms, concert halls, and other hushed venues. You can’t substitute your own tune, but you can turn the startup sound off.

To turn the Windows Startup sound off, right-click the desktop, choose Personalize from the shortcut menu, and then click Sounds. In the Sound dialog box (shown in Figure 4-10), clear Play Windows ...