How do I change the startup sound?

As was mentioned... the startup sound is built into the hardware... it is not part of OS X and cannot be changed via software. This is why you hear the sound before OS X starts up. If you want to control the volume of the start up sound without any additional software... it will start at whatever volume it is at when you shut down. If you mute it before you shut down... it will be muted when you start it up.

Think of it more as the "beep" sound PC computers make when they start up. It's just a nicer version of that. The regular Windows sound you may be used to happens after Windows starts up. I would imagine there is a way to play a sound after OS X launches... but there is no way to change the boot sound.

SilverBlue,

None of this is true. It causes no harm, and actually much good, to leave your computer plugged in almost all the time. The reason I say "almost," is that you should regularly run on just the battery for at least a little while (each day, every other day, whatever you decide). The point is to keep the electrons moving in the battery; discharging it some, then re-charging it. This will keep your battery in the best health possible, without over-using it.

Once every month or so, re-calibrate it, following the instructions that came with your Macbook. This is not terribly critical, but it will insure that your battery's current charge is correctly calculated and reported.

The battery and charging circuitry will only charge the battery when it needs charging, and it will not over-charge the battery at any time. In other words, you cannot damage the battery by leaving the adapter connected and plugged in. The only result from leaving it plugged in continuously, even if it were literally for years at a time, is that your battery would never get used.

Yes, you can leave it on for a month before shutting down. You can leave it on for a decade, before shutting down. Or, like me, you could never shut it down. There's really no reason to do so, unless you will be adding memory, taking it apart, or leaving it unused for extended periods of time (on the order of weeks or months). When it is sleeping, it uses no more power than an electronic clock (well, maybe a little more, but not much 😉 ).

Scott

EDIT: Also, think about the fact that we're talking about a battery, here. Batteries are not designed, nor have they ever been expected, to last forever. We are all very much used to replacing the batteries in our flashlights, cameras, remote controls, etc. Our portable computers are no different. In the end, the battery is a replaceable commodity, even if a rather expensive one. On the scale of things, however, and considering the amount of usage we can get out of them, the cost of new (or extra) batteries is not too much.

The main reason to shut down at least once a month is battery care. I shut mine down once a month when I calibrate the battery. If you don't do this on the MacBook or MacBook Pro the readings will not be correct for the time left on battery. Calibrating a MacBook or MacBook Pro battery is recommended by Apple to help with battery upkeep. Without proper battery care the battery may not last as long as it should and die prematurely.

Stuart Vandeventer wrote:
The mac startup sound causes such a feeling of karmic bliss there is no reason to change it, unlike a windows startup sound that must be changed because it drives daggers into your heart

I agree 100%, I turned the volume down on mine because at 2:00 in the morning my wife can't stand too much karmic bliss:->

SilverBlue,

Why bother shutting it down at all? I have had my Macbook Pro for well over a year, and it has never been shut down (and rarely restarted). OS X, and Mac portables, are designed for this kind of use. In fact, I have seen my wife's iBook reach more than 160 days of "uptime" (that's almost 6 months with no restart or shutdown!!!).

If you are merely opening the display and waking the computer, you won't disturb anyone.

Scott

It really doesn't matter which you do. When the MacBook is sleeping, the drive head is parked... so moving it while it's in sleep is basically the same as moving it while it is shut down. The only time I tend to shut my MacBook down is if I'm going to be away from a power source for an extended period. While sleep uses only a small amount of power, if you're going to be in a position where you know you might not have access to power for a few days... saving every little bit helps.

There is no way to do this, as said before it is imbeded.

Unless you cant to steal the source code from apple and recompile it.

There is no way.

SilverBlue,

In essence, the startup chime is "hard-wired" into the computer, and it has been forever. It cannot be changed.

Scott

The mac startup sound causes such a feeling of karmic bliss there is no reason to change it, unlike a windows startup sound that must be changed because it drives daggers into your heart

😀

If you're afraid of disturbing people, you should try one of the solution proposed by First Magus.

Hi Scott. Thx for your statement. Do you recommend just closing the lid for taking the MacBook away, or shut it down for transportation?

jx