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Windows 11 Insiders surprised by return of Vista startup sound — it’s a bug not a feature, says MS exec

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Accidental nostalgia hit from the Windows camp coincides with the unveiling of Apple's Vista-like UI for macOS 26 Tahoe.

Windows Vista retail packaging
(Image credit: Microsoft)

A Windows bug-finding enthusiast has highlighted that the latest Insider Build in the Windows 11 Beta and Dev channels plays the Windows Vista startup sound as it boots to the desktop. However, Xeno's observation wasn’t of an intentional slice of nostalgia aimed at the long-suffering Insiders. Microsoft Senior Program Manager on the Windows Insider Program Team, Brandon LeBlanc, admitted it was “an actual bug” after a bit of joking around.

The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build is 26200.5651 (Dev Channel) and the timing of its release coincides with Xeno’s initial Tweet. This OS preview was heralded as bringing features such as new Copilot+ PC experiences, a new Recall export function, a bigger clock/calendar in the notification center, and more.

If the Microsoft exec’s statement is correct, no one intended to change the default startup chime to the one used across the Windows Vista and Windows 7 eras. So the surprising retro refrain is an actual ‘known issue’ in the latest flight.

Joking aside

Other Twitter/X users jumped in on the initial post by Xeno that highlighted the incongruous startup sound. At one point LeBlanc joked that the ‘issue’ was precipitated after he “went in and had some fun with the sound files in Windows and thought folks needed a blast from the past.”

It was then suggested the Windows 95 startup sound would be a good choice for the impending 30th anniversary of its launch (August 24). But LeBlanc continued to make mirth, stating he couldn’t find that correct .WAV file for that OS release. With his official responsibility as a Microsoft exec in mind, LeBlanc must have felt it necessary to then make clear he was joking, and the startup sound mix-up was “an actual bug.”

Apple’s Vista?

The timing of the above Windows snafu is almost comical, with Apple under criticism for unintentionally (?) reviving the glassy Windows Aero aesthetic with its latest macOS 26 Tahoe release. This OS will be the final one to support the aging fleet of Intel Macs that are still in use.

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Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

13 Comments Comment from the forums
  • SyCoREAPER
    I read up until Vista sound and was going to say MS has certifiably lost it.
    The last part has confirmed however that MS officially has no idea what they are doing and just butchering Windows.

    Not just that but why is any Vista code, files or otherwise anywhere near or even open while updating Win11?

    They need to stop getting 24H2 to work. Start over from scratch. Push a big update that scrubs** 24H2 away and replaces it.

    "*Way things have been going MS will wipe people's entire drive "by accident".
    Reply
  • SonoraTechnical
    honestly... you would think they would have done a solid refactoring of the code by now and caught details like this. I mean, the startup sound?
    Reply
  • ezst036
    Office team never seems to have issues that cause aggravation the way Windows team does. It is very odd that this is the only product Microsoft seems to have that is always mired in new controversies caused by corporate. Visual Studio team? What other major products?

    Perhaps it just isn't reported. Could be that.
    Reply
  • SonoraTechnical
    Not sure about that... I have customers on Microsoft 365 on very fast netowrks and it is a dog... My relationship with some of my clients is such that I actually have a login/email on their company domains and have assigned computers that I connect to via VPN/RDP.. so I use their instances of Microsoft 365... Oh my word... what a dog. So much worse that than the previous release of Office 365.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    It didn't change itself.
    Why would anyone be mucking around in the sound config space? Either the actual file, or file rename, or pointer to the file in question.....
    Reply
  • acadia11
    Windows 7 is the best windows version Microsoft ever created, leave it. This might be a good thing.
    Reply
  • 3ogdy
    Because maybe 11 is the new Vista. LMFAO.
    Reply
  • computerdave911
    Admin said:
    The latest Insider Build in the Windows 11 Beta and Dev channels plays the Windows Vista startup sound as it boots to the desktop.

    Windows 11 Insiders surprised by return of Vista startup sound — it’s a bug not a feature, says MS exec : Read more
    dam i even crave the xp sounds from time to time, lol, i gonna reinstall vista on my old 3rd gen i7 dell just to hear it again, lol
    Reply
  • ItchyFlea
    SyCoREAPER said:
    "*Way things have been going MS will wipe people's entire drive "by accident".
    They did. A few people lost all their data with the first release of 1809 for Windows 10.
    That issue had even been reported to Microsoft by insiders before the official release, but they released it anyway.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    ItchyFlea said:
    They did. A few people lost all their data with the first release of 1809 for Windows 10.
    That issue had even been reported to Microsoft by insiders before the official release, but they released it anyway.
    And those people didn't have proactive backups because...why?

    Failed update, dead drive, ransomware....all easily recoverable.

    Yes, absolute fail by MS.
    But lost data? Thats all on you....
    Reply