I didn't actually find the problem until trying to do a registry search, but someone who sat there before they did (this person just moved there) set almost all of the default Windows sounds to a ...

Microsoft Accidentally Replaces Windows 11 Startup Sound With Vista Chime Time-warp back to 2007! Microsoft's accidental yet "delightful blast from the past" sparks nostalgia online.

Windows 11 no longer plays the Vista startup sound. Microsoft says it was just a bug, but the timing with Apple’s new UI says otherwise.

Iconic Windows 95 startup chime added to National Recording Registry The familiar Microsoft sound was composed by ambient music pioneer Brian Eno. Andrew Paul Published Apr 10, 2025 1:27 PM EDT ...

Fix the bug, by all means, but give us the whole gamut of start-up sounds in the Settings app. If Sony's happy to do with the PlayStation 5, you can surely do it with Windows.