Startup System Sound Stopped Playing...

Ratsneve said:

Slartybart said:

if sound plays for system sounds and other apps (WMP -> mp3) then it's specific to windows startup sound. software or drivers won't fix what isn't broken.

sometimes just toggling a setting resolves an issue, but this might be Areo related.

Try changin your theme to Windows classic (a non Areo them)
then change sound scheme to 'no sounds' - make sure that windows startup sound is also unticked
save
reboot

start from the ground up - tick startup sound on the sound tab
save and reboot

at this point either the startup sound is working or it isn't
reset the windoes theme to what your prefer and reboot

I'm going to work through the above again. Although I did it all once it did not include using a non-Aero theme and I meant to include it but didn't. Later on the results of this.

Drat...this had no affect on bringing the Startup sound back. Sure makes the desktop look like puke too.

Slartybart said:

Sounds (pardon the pun) as though you didn't complete the test.
Drat...this had no affect on bringing the Startup sound back. Sure makes the desktop look like puke too.

1) turn off areo theme and untick startup sound - presume this is done bc your desktop is not pretty
2) turn on (tick checkbox) startup sound - not sure if you did this
3) reset desktop theme to your preference - I don't think you did this

anyway, I couldn't find what I thought was out there.

if imageres.dll isn't there you'd know it - it contains all the system icons.

Sorry changing the theme didn't resolve the issue.

good luck

Bill

Sorry, I got sidetracked. I did complete the whole test and none of it including returning to an Aero Theme after finishing resulted in the Startup sound playing once. One through three all done. Found four 'imageres.dll' files.

Britton30 said:

OP was informed of sounds location in post #2.

I saw that - but I had a question about the existence of the file that Process Monitor pointed to. I should have quoted your post and added to the discussion from there.

Ratsneve said:

~~~
You are pointing to the wrong file. We are concerned with Windows Startup.wav down at the bottom of this folder. Try playing it and you get a sound very similar to Windows Navigation Start.wav.
~~~

Process Monitor shows that RunDLL32 checked (opened - got info - closed) that file when I toggled the setting named "Play Windows Startup Sound" in the Sound Control Panel applet.

I had the Sound Scheme set to "No Sounds" so that Sound Control Panel applet would not set the WAV file info for each event in a scheme. This meant the Process Monitor was only recording what happens behind the scenes when the user changes that setting named "Play Windows Startup Sound". I have no idea why W7 checks that file... I just thought that I would ask if you had it.

Also - the Sound Control Panel applet does not always check that file when the setting named "Play Windows Startup Sound" is changed. Sometimes there are no WAV files checked. I don't like things that don't repeat. It makes it that much harder to document and understand.

I read the link about the DLL - I don't understand it, but I read it

Slartybart said:

Thanks

Ok, I figured you would complete the list... bc your desktop wasn't pretty.

4 imageres.dll is fine (x86 & x64 = 2 + Winsxs versions of same = 4).

To see if it's just a timing issue, try a clean boot: Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup

Ratsneve said:

Sorry, I got sidetracked. I did complete the whole test and none of it including returning to an Aero Theme after finishing resulted in the Startup sound playing once. One through three all done. Found four 'imageres.dll' files.

I'm going to perform this clean boot when I get back from the store but I wanted to get out this other/related question first... Does this windows startup sound involve any Services? This is because I sometimes (but don't recall the last time) meddle with a Service I don't think I need. If there is a Service related/needed for this startup sound I might have deactivated it thinking it was stopping something unrelated that I knew I didn't need? :) Thank you for continuing your interest.

Britton30 said:

That would be Windows Audio and should be on auto start. Check in msconfig to see if you unchecked it.

Very close but no cigar. Sorry. 'Windows Audio' was checked and 'running'. Please do read the next post!

Slartybart said:

Thanks

Ok, I figured you would complete the list... bc your desktop wasn't pretty.

4 imageres.dll is fine (x86 & x64 = 2 + Winsxs versions of same = 4).

To see if it's just a timing issue, try a clean boot: Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup

Ratsneve said:

Sorry, I got sidetracked. I did complete the whole test and none of it including returning to an Aero Theme after finishing resulted in the Startup sound playing once. One through three all done. Found four 'imageres.dll' files.

Yippy! YIPPY! Cool! Thank you for pointing me via the tutorial process right to the problem. Following the instructions. I ended up running all my Startup items and all the MS Services but with all the non-MS Services remaining unchecked discovered the stupid Startup sound playing away consistently each time I restarted the machine. It was then a simple matter of checking these non-MS Services one at a time. In the order I took I actually guessed to within the last two remaining Services too! My Windows Startup problem boils down to...tada...

'NVIDIA Streamer Service -- Running'
Checked -- no startup sound
Unchecked -- startup sound plays like it should.

Will call NVIDIA back up who will be very interested in this and likely very helpful on what to do next--like resolving/solving the conflict, why it happens, and how to prevent it from happening again.

I'll post at least one more time to wrap up this thread.