Make Your Windows Computer Come to Life with Sounds

Windows ships with a handful of basic sounds, but you can swap them out and build your own sound scheme. In this guide you’ll open the classic Sounds dialog, pick a scheme, attach your own wave files to events, and save the whole thing so you can switch themes whenever the mood strikes. Clickers, you already know what to do.

What you need first

For Windows system sounds, you’ll want wave files. Plan on collecting around twenty .wav files if you want to go all in and theme a bunch of events.

If you only want a couple of custom sounds, you can start with just a few and build from there. This is how the rabbit hole starts.

Getting to Sounds

The quickest way to open the Sounds dialog is the Run box. Press Windows R.

Type mmsys.cpl, then press Enter.

When the dialog opens, you usually land on the Playback tab. To reach the Sounds tab, press Control Tab until you hear Sounds.

Once you’re on the Sounds tab, you’ll find the Sound Scheme list, the Program Events tree view, and buttons for saving and testing.

If you want Microsoft’s official walkthrough of this same dialog, see Change sounds and audio devices in Windows.

Sound schemes

A sound scheme is a preset list of sounds tied to different events. You can have several schemes and switch between them as the mood strikes.

If you want a Star Trek scheme, a Star Wars scheme, nature sounds, or a collection of door slams and dog barks, you can do that. I’m not here to judge your artistic choices.

The Sound Scheme list is the first control on the Sounds tab. Use Up Arrow and Down Arrow to review what’s already there.

To save what you’re building, Tab to Save As. To remove a scheme you don’t want anymore, Tab to Delete.

Assigning sounds to program events

This is the fun part. Tab to the Program Events tree view, then use Up Arrow and Down Arrow to pick an event.

If you want to try the classic example, choose Close Program so your computer can play a closing door sound whenever something exits.

To hear what’s already assigned, press Alt T for Test.

To assign a new sound, press Alt B for Browse. This opens a standard Open dialog.

In the Open dialog, use Up Arrow and Down Arrow to pick a file. Press Backspace to go up a folder. When you find the sound you want, press Enter on the file, then press Enter on Open.

Back in the Sounds dialog, test again to make sure it’s the one you actually meant to pick, not the one you grabbed because you were half asleep.

Repeat for any events you want to customize.

Save your scheme

Don’t forget this part, or you’ll do all this work and then Windows will act like it never met you.

Tab to Save As, type a name for your scheme, then press Enter. When you’re done customizing, choose Apply, then Ok.

About startup sound

Windows includes a Play Windows Startup sound checkbox on the Sounds tab. If you want the startup sound, make sure it’s checked.

Accessibility notes

This whole workflow lives in a classic Windows dialog, which is usually good news for screen readers. Most controls are standard combo boxes, a tree view, and buttons.

If focus seems to wander, Shift Tab takes you back through controls. If you lose the Program Events tree, Tab until you land on it again and use Arrow keys.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my sounds not play after I assigned them?

Make sure the sound scheme isn’t set to No Sounds, and confirm the sound file is a .wav file. Then choose Apply before you close the dialog.

Can I use mp3 files?

Not directly for system events. Convert them to .wav first, then assign the .wav file.

Can I make a scheme for different moods?

Absolutely. Save multiple schemes and switch between them whenever you feel like it. This is Windows. You’re allowed to be dramatic.

Conclusion

I’ve spent way too much time playing with sounds on my computers. Now you can hopefully have just as much fun as I have.

Make your computer bark when you open a program. Make it slam a door when something closes. Make it sound like a starship bridge if that’s your thing.

Now, how about you find a sound called Qapla?

Qapla!