Vista beta testers mad about forced startup sound

The Windows startup sound has changed with virtually every release of Windows – this hardly makes it a trademark of Windows, unlike the Windows Flag (which, I notice, glows in the centre of the screen *every* time I start Windows).
The sound most people associate with Windows is probably the ’95 startup sound

Therefore I can’t see any benefit of forcing the sound to play. I will be very annoyed if it plays when the computer is muted though.

For those who want to turn it off, though – can we not just delete /rename/replace the appropriate WAV file??

It’s not possible to turn off this sound by deleting a wav file. In fact, you can delete every last wav file on your hard drive and this sound will still play.

In order to turn off the sound it’s necessary to hack (modify) a system file (authui.dll) by removing an audio resource using a special tool. Security permissions must also be changed to allow this modification.

This information is only valid for the currently released beta build (5472).

Please don’t try modifying this, or any system file, on any computer that contains valuable data. This information is supplied without warranty of any kind.

I think of Windows Vista, like WindowsME a crummy OS flanked by two better ones. I think I will wait for a few more years.

I really hope this isn’t true. If it is, we’ll never deploy Windows Vista in a clinical environment or care setting. We currently have Windows 2000 PCs running in very sensitive care environments that need constant reboots — if the system is forcing the startup sound to play, regardless of other settings, that could be very disruptive to a care environment without us have to take unnecessary steps to mitigate the noise. Microsoft, _think_ about your users not yourselves!

Re: quibble as to whether the start up sound is worthy of mention. It is, IMHO, because it is emblematic of Microsoft’s glaring disregard of the _simplest_ user interface rules. It’s important because if they cannot possibly get _this_ right, how can I possibly believe they’ve learned _any_ lessons?

Also, keep in mind they’ve had to exert effort to change the functionality, if only in the functional design.

There exists a way to prevent the OS to play the startup or logoff sound: switch off your speakers…
But honestly, event if MS suppresses this option, I guess somebody will quickly find the registry key allowing to tweak it.

We currently have Windows 2000 PCs running in very sensitive care environments that need constant reboots

Hope those machines aren’t providing any life sustaining services.

Scoble, the first startup sound played on after the boot-splash will be a different sound then what is played when you finally login to Windows once we get the full Vista audio integrated into the betas.

First people bitch if the audio doesn’t work, then they bitch if you can’t turn it off. You people, honestly. [author stands arms akimbo]

If it turns out you can’t turn off the boot splash sound, I’m guessing it’s because they plan to also plan to sell “Micro-Soft Earplugs.”

Has all sense of common-sense vanished? Or were people’s speakers manufactured without a power button?

Seriously though, we shouldn’t expect perfect quality in a beta product. Besides, anyone remember this?

Actually, such annoyances like this ARE a reason not to run the system and or annoy you each time you start the system.

And I bet the market for replacement UIs will come very very soon.

Hell, we even got somebody to do a way for the tablet enhancements of MS to work on non US versions via patching executables.

Whats the update?

My sound doesn’t even work in Vista (creative live! 5.1) so i don’t get to hear any sounds! seems like a good thing from the articles description..

What’s the big deal? It’s not like Vista will ever crash or anything and force you to reboot. You’ll only hear the sound once in your lifetime.

It’s amazing how many of these testers haven’t read the previous post on this blog about the “spiritual marketing” start up sound. Yeah, it’s for real and they want to make it permanent. And for some of us, it may just be the last straw.

I have a laptop. Sometimes I don’t want it to make a lot of noise.

Open registry editor and go to
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ServiceGroupOrder]
Look for “AudioGroup”, move it to the bottom of the list, now the startup sound can’t play because the “Windows Audio Service” doesn’t start until all the other services have started!
This works great for me so far.
Don’t forget to export and save this key before changing it!!!!

Think yourselves lucky My motherboard sound card will not work so I have no sound! got bits to work by changing the compatibility of setup.exe to XP SP2 and then the same for the EXE once installed but the ADI codec did not install. ASUS has no Vista drivers not even beta’s. The whole exersize was to check out an application I have written that uses speech output for the visually impaired. Same with my TV card no drivers although Microsoft did detect and update the Video & sound capture drivers.

Hmm, that’s funny. I don’t have an AudioGroup in there.

And stop saying to turn off speakers. Duh, we have them on to play other sounds, that’s why we turn them on. Some people use computers to play media files, and games. You think?

It’s the annoying, LOUD, same sound every time you just boot the thing, and it’s getting on our nerves. Yea, wait till it’s booted to turn them on, DUH. But it is a bug that we can’t turn it off and needs to be fixed. PERIOD.

If only I was so lucky to be one to post a complaint ’bout this – oh yeah I am…. Windows Vista doesn’t even recognize my on-bored (Pun intented) audio device . On sug’s on driver sites?

windows is rubbish anyway

That’s just the Beta version

I have the home premium and it can be turned off & changed