# Who Wrote the Windows XP Welcome Music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881 "2009-01-18T19:52:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![miked312](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@miked312](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miked312)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/1 "2009-01-18T19:52:53Z")
When you’ve just bought a new computer running Windows XP (which is becoming increasingly rare these days with the advent of (_shudder_) Windows Vista) and you’re turning it on for the first time to set it up, some nice, New-Age, relaxing, almost Brian Eno-esque music plays in the background. MIDI files can be opened in Notepad and they usually have the artist’s name written there, but “Windows XP Welcome Music” (located in under the name “title” in “WINDOWS/system32/oobe/image/” on your main drive) is a WAV file, and there is no information on who came up with that piece of music! Can anybody help me find out who wrote the “Windows XP Welcome Music”? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/2 "2009-01-18T19:56:46Z")
It’s called [The Microsoft Sound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Microsoft_Sound). It sounds Brian Eno-esque because it was written by Brian Eno. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/3 "2009-01-18T20:01:13Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > It’s called [The Microsoft Sound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Microsoft_Sound). It sounds Brian Eno-esque because it was written by Brian Eno. I don’t buy your explanation. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/4 "2009-01-18T20:49:56Z")
I don’t know where it came from, but it always greatly satisfies and assures me. I know that nobody would ever mess around with such complete foolishness unless all the bugs and errors and deficiencies in the product had long been fixed to everybody’s satisfaction. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/5 "2009-01-18T21:12:51Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > It’s called [The Microsoft Sound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Microsoft_Sound). It sounds Brian Eno-esque because it was written by Brian Eno. I don’t think that’s what the OP was referring to. He’s talking about the song (and not a “chime,” “sound,” etc) that plays only when you turn on your PC for the very first time and go through the start-up and registration screens. Beyond that point, the song never plays again unless you restore the computer or track down the file manually. Anyway, I just wanted to say that song is awesome and is currently my iPhone’s ringtone. So relaxing. Link to song: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tkhY0HbhyN8/hqdefault.jpg "Windows XP Initial Startup Music") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkhY0HbhyN8) ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/6 "2009-01-18T22:05:53Z")
I should add to my previous post that in my research since, it does seem suggested that Brian Eno was the author regardless, although I haven’t seen anything that can certify that. Source Video: [How to: Find Windows XP's Hidden Music Track - TechEBlog](http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/how-to-find-windows-xps-hidden-music-track) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/7 "2009-01-18T22:32:15Z")
Fascinating. I’ve never heard that song before. I’ve always built my own Windows XP systems and, at that point, the sound drivers haven’t been installed yet. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/8 "2009-01-19T06:20:31Z")
Eno did the sounds, but the long song is by Susan Ciani. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/9 "2009-01-19T17:36:27Z")
An even odder thought is that must be one of the most widely heard songs ever… ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/10 "2009-01-19T18:24:38Z")
It definitely feels like a warm, techy song like from a movie montage of a guy who’s coming up with the theory of cold fusion or something. ---
**Author:** ![miked312](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@miked312](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miked312)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/11 "2009-11-08T16:36:20Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Eno did the sounds, but the long song is by Susan Ciani. Thanks, my question has been answered! ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/12 "2009-11-08T17:23:42Z")
Music Thing once did a series about the makers of various well-known small tunes like the XP-tune. [The Brian Eno one is here](http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2005/05/tiny-music-makers-pt-2-microsoft-sound.html), and there are several more. I remember that I found the story behind the THX-sound sorta interesting. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/13 "2009-11-10T08:21:11Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Eno did the sounds, but the long song is by Susan Ciani. Cite? I don’t doubt you, I just wonder where you got the information. I could never find it. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/14 "2009-11-10T10:45:05Z")
When you’ve set up as many PCs as me, you grow to hate that tune. The problem is that modern PCs don’t have volume knobs, so until you get into Windows proper and the appropriate drivers for the keyboard or volume buttons have loaded, you can’t turn the sound down. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/15 "2009-11-10T12:25:12Z")
> [@miked312](#): > > Thanks, my question has been answered! It took you almost a year to respond? ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/16 "2009-11-10T14:50:01Z")
\>When you’ve set up as many PCs as me, you grow to hate that tune. The problem is that modern PCs don’t have volume knobs Haha, right. People always think the IT guy is sitting there listening to music. Is a software mute button so difficult to figure out? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/17 "2009-11-10T14:59:36Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > When you’ve set up as many PCs as me, you grow to hate that tune. The problem is that modern PCs don’t have volume knobs, so until you get into Windows proper and the appropriate drivers for the keyboard or volume buttons have loaded, you can’t turn the sound down. Most of the time we don’t even have them plugged into speakers in the shop. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/18 "2009-11-10T21:58:31Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Most of the time we don’t even have them plugged into speakers in the shop. True, and that’s why the music comes from the one speaker inside the pc itself. ---
**Author:** ![DWSIII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DWSIII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWSIII)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/19 "2009-11-12T17:48:34Z")
I think whoever wrote the XP song may have ripped off my song Blue Star Linoleum. It was recorded and released in 1990 and released in the US and Europe on 2 different record labels. It had fair distribution by Rough Trade and airplay. I was skeptical when someone told me about it, but then I checked and its even in the same key. Sure its only 4 chords, but there’s something eerily similar about the overall tone? Wishful thinking? Maybe I’m wrong - my song is posted here at [www.suzycallahan.com](http://www.suzycallahan.com) -s ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881/20 "2009-11-12T18:30:43Z")
> [@DWSIII](#): > > I think whoever wrote the XP song may have ripped off my song Blue Star Linoleum. That’s a long song. Which part are you referring to? No offense meant, but the only part of that song which (to me) sounds even remotely similar to the Microsoft music, is the screech of the microphone feedback at the very end. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-the-windows-xp-welcome-music/481881.md?page=2)