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.
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.
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...
Posted by: Vishal Gupta | Categories: Windows 8
Marc
Excellent find. I was really missing those options. :)
Andreas
Good work as usual.
hb860
Vishal, nice tutorial again ;)
VG
Thanks guys. :)
Alex
Amazing job. I am wondering why did Microsoft disable it in first place? :/
Chris
Haha thank you VG for posting! Glad to help! Took me a week to figure it out you know. :) ;)
-chris/switchblade16
Chris
Apparently, someone else discovered it over a month ago, but didn't share plus sounds aren't playing? Here take a look: social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowspro-audiodevelopment/thread/870018c5-49ee-49c1-95ee-21ddbc45166a
I have a story I'd like to share about how I was able to see this. Goes like this:
I was struggling to put back logon sounds in Windows 8, then the word registry popped in my head, but I have no clue where to start. About 2 days ago, I read an article about themes in Windows 7 and sounds then I found registry keys linking to the sound section of the cpl folder but has nothing to do with the logon.
After a googling again, I saw this article: ehow.com/how_6898992_edit-sound-scheme-registry.html. I went for another article(I forgot the URL), and re-checked the registry, then the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\EventLabels then I saw the culprit in the WindowsLogon folder which is the "ExcludeFromCPL" key. I commented on the latter article in the comments section then I figured sending the tip to VG since askvg.com is one of the best sites when it comes to Windows Tweaking.
Right now, the tip has spread, but of course, it came from me thru askvg.com so once again thanks to VG and to Windows 8 Tweakers, good luck finding other secrets that Windows placed in Windows 8 ;).
-chris/switchblade16
VG
^^ Sharing is caring. ;)
Bob
Thanks VG and Chris. I love this website. :)
Prajay Basu
Hey VG,
The awaited successor of Angry Birds Space, Bad Piggies has arrived for Android, iOS, Mac and Windows. Windows 8 support is coming soon for ARM AND PCs. It costs $4.95 and also the price of Angry Birds Space has been cut down from $5.95 to $4.95. Currently there are three episodes. It became the top app in iOS within few hours of launch.As you said sharing is caring, so I shared this.If you copy this, then please put 'Thanks to our reader 'Prajay Basu' for this update.'
VG
^^ I know. I shared it a few hours back at social network pages of AskVG. ;)
wildgoosespeeder
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.
sue
I can now see the log on, log off, system exit sounds, but even though I enabled them, they do NOT work!
I have added a coyote howling sound which does work on the test sound button, but does not work in the application of it. very frustrating!
Daniel
Nice Tutorial, but it doesn´t work on my Windows 8. I can see the Sounds again in my Sound Options but when i shutdown Windows, i doesn´t hear any Sound :(
Please can anyone help me?
Sorry for my bad English!
Striker
This is So good!
I got logon and logoff sounds with these simple steps!
Striker
This is So good!
I got logon and logoff sounds with these simple steps!
Thanks a lot!
Dan
Like the others I can't get the sounds to actually play even after following the steps. Can someone help please?
Roxie
Has anyone figured out how to get the sounds to actually play on unlock/lock/logon/logoff/etc? Because it doesn't seem to actually work, even after re-enabling the settings in regedit.
NDS
Ok,i tried it. But, as soon as I tried logging in and out, no logon, logoff sounds!!!
danwat1234
The sounds still do not play for me. I have a wav file set up for the 'exit windows' sound but nothing sounds. Volume is turned up. I also have sound effects enabled for 'log on' and 'log off' , but nothing is ever played. Running Win8 64-bit. Followed the steps on this web site..
Frank N
Did all of this and assigned sounds for logon and logoff and everything is still silent.
Italoan
As the pals have told y'all about it, seems that the logoff, logon and unlock sounds of Windows 8 doesn't plays. Can anyone tell us why? It's really annoying. Thanks in advance.
Mikeee
I have changed the registry but it does not play the sounds.
Deepak
I tried the method, but still log off sound does not work. I got the log on sound back by changing the Power Option under the control panel. Power option\ what power button do\change setting that are unavailable. Then remove the check mark from Turn on fast setting. Close and restart the computer. Windows log on sound will be back.
Vineeth
dear friends, as like most of our other friends said, I got logon nd logoff in the sound options.. but it doesn't work.. guys who got it working pls let us know how..