How to Disable the Startup Sound on Windows 11

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 11 comes with the startup sound enabled by default – And it’s different than the one we’re used to. You’ll hear it as your PC boots up and the Lock screen appears allowing you to log in.

But as it turns out, not every user is a big fan of the new sound that’s tied to the startup sequence of Windows 11. Many find it ‘too delicate’ or unfit for the general esthetic of the newer operating system released by Microsoft.

If you’re one of those people or you’re just looking for a way to ensure that the booting sequence of Windows 11 doesn’t end up disturbing the conference, seminar, or meeting hall that you’re attending (or anything else), you’ll be happy to know that several different ways will allow you to turn off the startup sound on Windows 11.

How to Disable the Startup Sound on Windows 11

We’ve managed to identify several different methods of disabling (or enabling) the startup sound on the latest operating system released by Microsoft.

Feel free to follow whichever method you feel more comfortable with:

1. Disable / Enable Startup Sound on Windows 11 via the Sound Settings
2. Disable / Enable Startup Sound on Windows 11 via the Registry Editor
3. Disable / Enable Startup Sound on Windows 11 via the Local Group Policy Editor
4. Disable / Enable Startup SOund on WIndows 11 by modifying the System’s Registry keys

Disable or Enable Startup Sound on Windows 11 via the Sound Settings

1. Press Windows key + I to open up the Settings menu.
2. Once you’re inside the Settings menu, click on the action icon (top-left corner of the screen) and select Personalization from the newly appeared side menu.

   

3. Once you’re inside the Personalisation tab, scroll down and click on Themes from the list of available options.

   

4. Next, from the upper section of the screen, click on Sounds (Windows Default).

   

5. Once you’re inside the Sound window, ensure that the Sounds is selected, then go under Program Events and uncheck the box associated with Play Windows Startup Sound.
   

   

6. Click Apply to save the changes and you’re done – The next time you boot your Windows 11 computer you will no longer hear a startup sound.

Disable or Enable Startup Sound on Windows 11 via the Registry Editor

1. Open up a Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R key. Once you’re inside the Run text box, type ‘regedit’ and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up Registry Editor in admin mode. At the User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant admin access.

   

2. Once you’re inside the Registry Editor, use the left-hand side menu to navigate to the following location:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\BootAnimation

   Note: You can either get to this location by navigating manually through every key or you can directly paste the full path inside the nav bar at the top and hit Enter to get there instantly.

3. Once you’re inside the correct location, move over to the right-hand side pane and double-click on DisableStartupSound.
   
4. Next, set the Base to Hexadecimal and set the Value data to 1 if you want to disable the startup sound or set it to 0 if you want to enable it.

   

5. Close the elevated Registry Editor window and reboot your PC to enforce the changes. You’ll notice that the next startup will no longer trigger a startup sound.

Disable or Enable Startup Sound on Windows 11 via the Local Group Policy Editor

Important: Keep in mind that the LOCAL Group Policy Editor is only available with the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions on Windows 11. You won’t be able to use this method if you’re using the Home version.

1. Open up a Run dialog by hitting Windows key + R to open up a Run prompt, then type ‘gpedit.msc’ inside the text box and press Enter to open up the Local Group Policy Editor. When you’re prompted by the User Account Control, click Yes to grant admin access.

   

2. Once you’re inside the Local Group Policy Editor, use the menu on the left to navigate to the following location:

   Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon

3. After you arrive in the correct location, ensure that the Logon folder is selected from the menu on left, then move over to the right-hand side menu and double-click on Turn off Windows Startup sound.
   

   

4. Next, set the status of the Turn Off Windows Startup sound policy to Enabled and click on Apply to enforce the changes.
5. Restart your computer to see if the modifications have been effective – The next time your computer starts, you should no longer hear the startup sound.

Disable / Enable Startup SOund on WIndows 11 by modifying the System’s Registry keys

Note: This method, just as the one above, will only work as long as you are using a Windows 11 edition other than home (Pro, Enterprise, or Education).

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog prompt. Inside the text box that just appeared, type ‘regedit’ and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Registry Editor utility with Admin access.

   

   Note: If you are prompted by the User Account Control filter, click Yes to grant admin access.

2. Once you’re inside the Registry Editor, use the menu on the left to navigate to the following location:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

   Note: If you’re not a big fan of navigating manually through every key, you can simply paste the location directly into the navigation and press Enter to get there instantly.

3. Once you’re inside the correct location, ensure that the System Registry cluster is selected, then move over to the right-hand section and locate the DisableStartupSound REG-DWORD.

   

   Note: If the Registry Value is missing entirely, right-click on an empty space, choose NEW > DWORD (32-bit), and name the newly created value to DisableStartupSound.

4. Next, double-click on the DisableStartupSound key and set the Base to Hexadecimal and the Value data to the following, depending on what you wish to achieve:

   0 = Startup Sound is Enabled
   1 = Startup Sound is Disabled

5. Close the Registry Editor and reboot your computer to enforce the changes that you just did. At the next startup, you should no longer hear the startup sound.