How to silence the startup sound?

You can install the freeware utility StartupSoundPrefPane which will mute or reduce the volume of the chime. I would not mute the chime as it provides specific information on whether the computer has passed the POST (Power On Self Test) tests.

I have silenced it without using any extra software.

Go into your Audio/MIDI Setup utility. Under Audio Devices, go down to the Properties For pop-up menu and go through each of the Audio Outputs that you have connected.

For Built-In Output, Source: Internal Speakers, I clicked Mute. That kills the sound from the internal speaker.

For Built-In Line Output, Source: Line Out, do not mute. This leads to my external speakers where I want control over the sound.

This works fine for me, although you may have to mute the internal speaker again if you zap your PRAM or reinstall the system.

I would not mute the chime as it provides specific information on whether the computer has passed the POST (Power On Self Test) tests. If your computer fails any of the tests you will have no way of knowing. Therefore, it's better to use the utility I referenced to reduce the volume but not mute the chime.

Well, you know that's a funny thing, because I didn't actually intend to mute the startup chime. I just wanted it routed to the external speakers where I could control the volume properly, like the first poster. But the chime doesn't sound out of my external speakers. I don't hear it at all.

And I don't care. If my Mac fails some test, it isn't going to work right, I'll find out about it anyway. I also don't care because in 20 years of owning Macs, if there was a problem with my Mac I can't remember any of them being due to a failed self test, it was usually a hard disk failure or something on the motherboard while I still got the normal startup chime. The power on self test does not, for example, tell PowerBook G4 owners about the widespread problem that their lower RAM slot has failed. I just haven't found the chime to be useful, while many users find it to be extremely annoying. Apple could just flash the front panel LED differently.

The only time I've ever heard the failed self test tones is when I've played them back from some web page or utility that tells you what they mean.

simply go into System Preferences>Sound> Select Internal Speaker and mute it

then select the output you'd normally use.
so if you use external speakers it wont have any affect on your actual audio speakers.

this one is the safest and easiest one to use without any extra software or hassle

ThirteenXIII wrote:
simply go into System Preferences>Sound> Select Internal Speaker and mute it

Cool, I didn't know about that one. That could be a simpler way if it works as well as the Audio/MIDI Setup solution.

I found that option with my MacPro by having Optical Speakers plugged into my computer and i have a tendency to mute any other outputs (habit i picked up doing audio stuff to lower frequencies and intermittent signal/noise) and everytime i booted my macpro i never heard it i realized in OSX that when I last used the interal/built in outputs i muted it and thus muting the start up chime, and you can adjust that as you wish regardless if you use the internal or other sources.


mute it before you shut down or all together if you use different speakers.

hope that helps!

🙂