With Microsoft Windows 10 sunsetting later this year (October), we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and revisit an the older version of Windows, which has long since been sunset. We’re talking about Windows XP, and! in particular the Windows XP start-up jingle.
The six-second Windows XP start-up jingle – composed by Bill Brown – has become an audio icon of the early-2000s PC era. Its bright, tinkling chime still triggers memories of MSN Messenger pings, LimeWire downloads, first college laptops and family-room CRT monitors. Across forums, social media and podcasts, users describe it as “cathartic,” “the official sound of the 2000s” and even “therapy” after a long day. Below, we explore its composition, cultural impact, and a collection of first-hand nostalgia from Reddit, Hacker News, TikTok and The Verge.
Windows XP’s start-up sound was part of a lineage of Microsoft jingles, but its combination of warmth and optimism captured a moment when computers truly felt magical. The Verge’s David Pierce recalls, “The Windows XP start-up sound is forever engrained in my mind, those tinkling chimes bringing back memories of AIM, Civilization III, and endless hours spent trying to download music through Napster and Kazaa followed by endless hours spent trying to remove the viruses I accidentally downloaded…” – theverge.com
On Hacker News, one commenter sums up the emotional impact perfectly: “I personally feel that the word that most accurately describe the Windows 95, 98 and XP start-up sounds is ‘cathartic’—especially the slowed down versions” – news.ycombinator.com
Voices from the Community
Across Reddit’s nostalgia hubs, users share vivid snapshots of their youth:
“You’d throw your backpack down, boot up the family PC, and that ba-dum sound would hit like the gates to the digital world just opened. MSN Messenger, Neopets, LimeWire chaos—all just a click away. The glow of the CRT monitor was basically therapy” – reddit.com
“That is the official sound of the 2000’s” in a locked r/windows thread on the most nostalgic start-up sound – reddit.com
“I miss that decade so f***ing much” from the same r/windows discussion- reddit.com
“This screen reminds me of when I got my first computer. The nostalgia cuts deep” – reddit.com
“I got the first boot login song stuck in my head earlier today. Is it bad that I still have my CD key memorized 20 years later?” – reddit.com
On TikTok, the Past Archives channel captioned its XP compilation “Reconnect with childhood memories through the iconic Windows XP start-up sound” and garnered over 33 K likes – tiktok.com
Why We Remember
Startup sounds mark a transition: from waiting to working, from offline to online. XP’s chime coincided with mass-market broadband, file-sharing services and the dawn of social chat. For many, it signifies the first time a click could connect you to distant friends or new worlds in games like Civilization III.
Psychologists note that auditory cues- especially brief, distinctive ones—are powerful memory triggers. The XP start-up’s brevity (3.25 seconds by design) and clear tonal qualities make it instantly recognisable, even decades later.
