How to Enable Options to Customize Windows Logon, Logoff, Exit and Unlock Sounds in Windows 8?
Table of Contents
SUMMARY:
Microsoft has removed options to change or disable Windows logon, logoff, exit and unlock event sounds from Windows 8 sound settings present in Control Panel. This tutorial will help you in bringing those sound options back in Windows 8. It’ll also allow you to enable some hidden secret sound options to customize alarms and call notifications in Windows 8.
DESCRIPTION:
Almost all previous Windows versions allow users to change or remove sounds for various system events such as Windows startup, shutdown, logon and logoff. We can change these sounds using Sound applet present in Control Panel. Unfortunately Microsoft has removed options to customize Windows logon, logoff, exit and unlock sounds from Windows 8.
Microsoft has introduced a new DWORD called ExcludeFromCPL in Windows 8 Registry which allows users to exclude desired sound option from Windows 8 sound settings window. Microsoft has used the same DWORD for all above mentioned event sounds, that’s why you don’t get options to customize those event sounds.
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Today in this tutorial, we’ll tell you how to bring back those restricted sound options in Windows 8. The same Registry tweak will also allow you to enjoy some new secret sound options to customize alarms and call notifications.
So without wasting time lets start the tutorial:
HOW-TO INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Press “WIN+R” key combination to launch RUN dialog box then type regedit and press Enter. It’ll open Registry Editor.
2. Now go to following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\EventLabels
3. Under this key, you’ll find several sub-keys which are actually associated with all the sound options which are shown in Sound applet present in Control Panel.
Now scroll down a little and you’ll find “WindowsLogon” key. Click on the key and in right-side pane, you’ll notice the DWORD ExcludeFromCPL which would be set to 1.
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4. Double-click on the DWORD and change its value to 0 or simply delete the DWORD.
5. Do the same for other keys as well such as WindowsLogoff, WindowsUnlock and SystemExit.
6. Close Registry Editor and open Sound applet from Control Panel and you’ll get the options to customize Windows logon, logoff, exit and unlock sounds back.
BONUS TIP:
Microsoft has used the same DWORD to hide alarms and call notifications sound options from Sound settings window. You can enable them using following steps:
1. Change value of ExcludeFromCPL DWORD to 0 or delete the DWORD from right-side pane for following keys as well:
Notification.Looping.Alarm
Notification.Looping.Alarm2
Notification.Looping.Alarm3
Notification.Looping.Alarm4
Notification.Looping.Alarm5
Notification.Looping.Alarm6
Notification.Looping.Alarm7
Notification.Looping.Alarm8
Notification.Looping.Alarm9
Notification.Looping.Alarm10
Notification.Looping.Call
Notification.Looping.Call2
Notification.Looping.Call3
Notification.Looping.Call4
Notification.Looping.Call5
Notification.Looping.Call6
Notification.Looping.Call7
Notification.Looping.Call8
Notification.Looping.Call9
Notification.Looping.Call10
2. That’s it. It’ll enable new sound options to customize alarms and call notifications sounds in Windows 8 sound settings window as shown in following screenshots:
New Options Added to Customize Alarm Sound:
New Options Added to Customize Call Notification Sound:
That’s all for now guys. Enjoy the good old options in Windows 8. Thanks to our reader “Chris” for the tip…
Excellent find. I was really missing those options. 🙂
Amazing job. I am wondering why did Microsoft disable it in first place? :/
Haha thank you VG for posting! Glad to help! Took me a week to figure it out you know. 🙂 😉
-chris/switchblade16
This just begs the question why Microsoft is fixing things that are not broken. I started noting this as early as Windows Vista and it keeps getting worse with each new major Windows release. To make a long story short, they have really dumbed-down my whole experience with Windows, which is why I am still sticking with Windows XP. Yeah, hate me for staying with “outdated crap” but I have my reasons.
This is So good!
I got logon and logoff sounds with these simple steps!
Thanks a lot!
It worked perfectly, I now hear my changed windows logon, logoff, startup, AND shutdown sounds on windows 8! 🙂
thanks for he given information above its rally working.
I WAS SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED TO RETURN “SHUTDOWN” SOUND AND CUSTOMIZE STARTUP IN WINDOWS 10. AND DID THOSE REGISTRY TWEAK FROM ANOTETHER SITE.
BUT,NIETHER “SHUTDOWN” (EXIT) SOUND APPEARED,NOR CHANGED STARTUP SOUND,
AND NO LOGON/LOGOFF.
SO,THIS REGISTRY CHANGES ONLY EFFECT ON APPEARING SOME SOUNDS IN CONTROL PANEL. AND MAY BE THE PROBLEM IN ANOTHER PLACE ????
I did everything and the sounds appeared in the sound window yet my computer still doesn’t play the sounds when it should! Please help!
Returning logon/logoff sound options worked, thanks!
Is this method also work in Windows 10?
I asked this because I followed your instructions, also modified some sound effects but still not working in Windows 10(except default system sound), I think there is a known bug.
^^ May be. I never checked it in Windows 10.