Mac OS X start up sound volume control
Fri, 29 December 2006
StartupSound.prefPane is the software which controls the volume of the startup sound of your Macintosh computer. StartupSound.prefPane mutes the startup sound without changing the output volume setting. And StartupSound.prefPane limits the startup volume so that it may not become loud even if you make the output volume louder.

To set up the startup volume, you select the “Startup Sound” pane added to the “System Preferences.”
Download StartupSound.prefPane 1.0 (PPC) or StartupSound.prefPane 1.1 beta (Intel) from Arcana Research website
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Posted in 
root said: Sat, 30 December 2006 at 11:55
You must have an INTEL mac, because I’ve never seen this prefpane under Panther or Tiger - on either of a G4 AGP or a G5 PCI-E.
BTW, on older G4’s the bootup noise comes through the audio lineout if it is hooked up (which is why you will read some people proclaiming “bootup gong in 5.1/7.1!!!”) otherwise it goes through the built-in speaker (inside the case) ; whereas on the last G5’s I only ever hear the boot gong through the built-in speaker regardless whether or not lineout is hooked up or not.
root said: Sat, 30 December 2006 at 11:59
LOL proves to myself to read entirely first I suppose, but the download proclamation blends in w/ the links smushed into the bottom - which is why I didn’t even it.
ANYHOW the latter part of what I said is valid, honest lol ;)
bparker said: Sat, 30 December 2006 at 12:01
how would I mute the startup sound if my only installed OS is windows?
Dan said: Sat, 30 December 2006 at 12:09
Hold down the mute key (F3 here on my macbook pro) when you power it on.
non_zero said: Sat, 30 December 2006 at 12:10
The startup sound is the best part! It makes me want to turn my computer on.
*turns volume up*
Shau said: Sat, 30 December 2006 at 21:38
What I need is a way to make the speaker, when in normal use, as loud as the startup bong is.
Ideas anyone?
bugger said: Sun, 31 December 2006 at 00:23
This prefpane is GREAT! After 15 years of listening to Mac startup sound (or keeping a plug in the jack and not hearing any sounds), it’s one the biggest reliefs in OS.X.
caleb said: Sun, 31 December 2006 at 03:10
My old G4 iMac also used to run the start up sound through my surround sound, but my new Intel iMac only runs it through the internal speakers even though it is still always connected to the surround sound system.
The startup sound has hardly ever been a problem for me though, since I rarely have to restart my Mac :)
I wonder if there’s a way to make it play a song instead of the gong? Then maybe I’d restart it just to show off to all the Win-dozers at college!
John Lester said: Wed, 24 January 2007 at 07:30
how to download my own startup and shut down sounds…
G said: Fri, 6 July 2007 at 23:58
ok
Dan said: Mon, 23 July 2007 at 01:57
Is there any way to change the sound of the startup in stead of that lame tone? Any help would be awesome.
Brendon said: Wed, 15 August 2007 at 19:28
This piece of software seems to have done the trick for reducing the deafening start-up dong. Do you have something similar for the shut-down noise?
bane said: Sun, 26 August 2007 at 01:52
if anyone knows how to change the startup gong to a different sound would you please send me an e-mail with some instructions or a suggestion please?!?!?!
fishamafoo@gmail.com
thank you
Mattie said: Tue, 30 October 2007 at 20:32
Help..Im running Leopard and there is no start up sound! I would like to know if anyone else is having this problem? and is there a fix?
Eidan said: Sun, 4 November 2007 at 20:33
Mattie, uninstall startup sound, and do a PRAM RESET (hold down at boot ALT+CMD+P+R),
hold hem all unitl your mac reboots 4 times. This restore the boot volume…unfortunely i’ve restored it at the maximumn, and now i can’t controll it anymore…let me know.
Nels said: Sat, 12 January 2008 at 07:19
This StartupSound preferences panel only works on a successful shutdown. When the system crashes for any reason, or when you press and hold the computer’s off button to turn the computer off, the panel fails to turn the volume down.
A more sound (no pun intended) solution would involve either actually removing the sound resource itself, or removing some setting that links the startup sound with that resource.
ice_cold_irony said: Wed, 30 January 2008 at 16:03
Hey
The start up sound is actually a weird little diagnostic tool as well, if you hardware EFI doesn’t load properly the there will be no Dong, at least on older systems. If it does dong, you ahve a start up problem further down the line. Weird little tidbit I ran across last year trying to change the start up sound.(I wanted the super old school Mac Classic Bong rather than the new Intel) Turns out you’d have to mess with firmware to do it, and no one has deemed it worth the risk.
later.
Mr McDaddymac said: Sat, 10 January 2009 at 14:51
@ ice_cold_irony - agree totally - thats why I dont want it removed or muted. rather turned down. so I can hear the checks are done.(like the windows beep when you turn on a pc)
because I listen to alot of music or watch movies - my volume is usually up loud - and well like a lot of peeps here - having the BONGGGGG blearing isnt nessasary