Q: disable start up sound

Jehuda; to you and all the others that follow on this post trying to disable the start up chime, I have to tell you that that sound is also a diagnostic tool. If you DON'T hear it it indicates problems with the system. It can be related to ram memory, for example. It also suggests that the P Ram needs to be reset by holding Command, Option and letters P and R simultaneously until you hear TWO chimes.

Please keep in mind that some of the things you might find annoying are there for a reason and that to modify or disable them can bring on a host of problems down the road that you won't necessarily associate with this modification.

My two cents worth.

Hello mreed

All the best foor 2012 at first

We all know what the startup chime does but if you read the whole topic you could see that i am using muteconn for the hard sound.

This programm is decreasing the volume of this sound but you can still hear it.

The only difference is that you have to be near to your apple because if you walk out of the room you don't hear it anymore.

That was preciously what i was looking for. My girlfriend who sleeps in the room beside this room couldn't hear the chime anymore and sleeps well and i have contol over my Imac

I'm fairly certain that this has been mentioned before but I've been using MacPilot for about 6 months and it hasn't failed me yet.  If you are looking to mute the startup sound and don't feel like spending a lot of time looking for a solution then I would suggest you just pay for it and be done.  I got tired of trying this and that and having it fail.

It also has a lot of other useful features, too.  I don't work for them, I just like the fact that their software does what it says it will.

http://www.koingosw.com/products/macpilot.php

Just my opinion...if you have the money.

I don't matter to spend some money but why would i buy a programm that is able to do much more than i desire.

Mute Conn is fror free and does exactly what i need and that is decrease the start up chime to al level that not everyone in the rooms next to me could hear me start up my Mac.

It's that simple

Willemfromhuizen,

You sound angry that I suggested an alternative piece of software that can do much more than just mute the sound.  Some people might be interested some of the other options that MacPilot has.  I was just putting it out there as an option.  Relax...I was just mentioning what worked for me and I got it next to nothing with the educational discount.  It's a product that is current being developed and if an update ever breaks it, they will surely update it with a fix.  MacPilot also looks much easier to use, check box to mute the sound, for those users who might not have the ability or time to learn MuteCon.

Like I said, I don't care what people use....I'm just saying that MacPilot works and has a lot of extras.

Hey there, have you tried Psst? It's freeware and it works perfectly on my macbook air with Lion. You can find it here: http://www.satsumac.com/Psst.php

Hi there.

I am not angry but i just want to decrease the volume of the start up chime.

Maybe some people are interessted in your solution but i have found it in a simple programm that do not switch the sound off but as i sais decreases the volume.

For me this is what i was looking for and i am happy with it.

Than to Ensyell. Yes i tried Psst but it wont work with me so not my solution.

Thanks anyway

@ ensyell. Thanks buddy Psst works a treat on my macbook air 13" 2011

http://www.satsumac.com/Psst.php

Mine is iMac 27, Core i7 SSD 256 + 1 Tb, Lion 10.7.2 and PSST work fine.

I agree with everyone: the start-up sound is incredibly annoying, especially in quiet situations. I have been able to mute the internal speaker in OSX Lion and the start-up sound is no longer an issue. No software download required, just an internal setting:

Settings > Sound > Output

Select "Internal Speakers" and check the Mute box seen at the bottom. Done.

As some have pointed out, this setting then prevents you from hearing other system noises that are meant to alert you to certain warnings, errors, etc, but I'd guess that pop-up boxes accompany the most critical of these.   

Hello In Theory

Your solution looks nice buts only works when you use the internal speakers.

In my case i use the SPDIF output and in the Soundbox there are no Intenal speakers anymore so i think we need the peace of sofware anyhow

In Theory wrote:

 

Settings > Sound > Output

Select "Internal Speakers" and check the Mute box seen at the bottom. Done.

 

As some have pointed out, this setting then prevents you from hearing other system noises that are meant to alert you to certain warnings, errors, etc, but I'd guess that pop-up boxes accompany the most critical of these.   

I just set the internal speaker volume to a low undisturbing level. This works fine for a desktop computer where you normally use external speakers.

In Theory similar input has been posted before, and you are omitting some important points.

[quote]

This may help some members  having difficulty with controlling the Volume of the Power On Self Test [POST] Sound.

Please note the advisory ‘…controlling the Volume…‘ rather than disabling or switching off, because the purpose of this sound is to advise the user that all is well in the ‘engine room’...............

The control is by means of  > System Preferences > Sound > Output tab:

Selecting Internal Speakers, and in my case moving the Slider to the position shown to give the ‘Gong’ a low volume:

The statement, in the above screenshot, ‘The selected device has no output controls’ is perhaps somewhat misleading. It may be missing the Balance Controls of the Line Out facility, but it certainly has a Volume Control.

[end quote]

I goes on to explain how changes with this setting does not affect the Line Out Volume amongst other things.

On the Volume setting shown above, with less than perfect hearing, the ‘Gong’ is reduced to a very acceptable but reassuring level.

Those with good hearing may need the Slider moved further to the left, every time the Sider is adjusted you should hear a ‘squeaky click’ and this gives an idea of the sound level at that the chosen setting.

If POST fails the ‘pop up screen’ may well be the entire display in plain Gray with no indication of what is wrong or what to do, if the POST sound is NOT heard it will alert you to the fact that something is awry.

Knowing what to do before such an eventuality seems like a good idea?

The ‘reassurance’ comes from the knowledge that the POST has completed successfully and all is well with the Mac.

The choice is yours.

EDIT:

billearl sorry to repeat what you have just said, my post was in progress at the same time as yours. But I guess there is little harm pointing out these things over and over because the message might get through eventually?

Message was edited by: Froggy Grodkin

Thanks andressade. This worked fine on my MacPro.

Use this tutorial if you want to disable the startup sound with Lion, soundprefpane doesn't work with Lion.