Add a custom sound or music during shutdown of Windows 7

We know many regular visitors are waiting to see a tutorial on how to add a custom sound during the shutdown of Windows 7 PC !

The expectation grown from the tutorial Let your Computer say Welcome on startup and we got several requests to write a tutorial to use similar script for the shutdown too.

Theoretically and  practically under ideal condition it is possible to run a vbs script to emulate the shut down speech too.

But the problems are too big:

1. Shut down is somewhat a reverse process when compared to startup: all process, services begin to close one by one. Recall that, the startup script runs after all needed services are ready; so, for shutdown the script is needed to be run as first process: it will run and close, then other processes and services will start to close. So, there is atleast a solid 5 sec delay than the normal process.
2. The easiest procedure to use the vbs script in the above mentioned way we need is to enable it is to run from gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editor) in Windows 7. Unfortunately, Group Policy Editor is available only in Ultimate version of Windows 7 (or equivalent Enterprise edition). As majority of the user uses Windows 7 Home Premium ; they will get frustrated.
3. Second method is to create a shortcut to shutdown; the shortcut will run the vbs script then will shut down any version of Windows 7 after a predetermined time. we tried this way to create a tutorial, but the problem gets more intense when we tested it. Frankly, the laptop hanged in the shutdown screen 3 times out of 14 times we tested it; we had to force it to shut down.
4. Anna said Goodbye, but there was no emotion. If you slow the speech, the shutdown time increases.

So, we had to think differently.  We noticed that, the default shutdown sound is among the last ones to close among the services and process. What happens, the sound continues to play and process and services closes one by one in the background. So, we thought to use a machine generated wav sound or a custom music in wav format to replace the default shutdown sound.

Those who wants to use a bit geeky scripting, can definitely try the second or third method we said above.

For geeks I am mentioning the method: Click start, type “gpedit.msc” in the search field, right click and run as Administrator (not as Author); accept the security prompt to open group policy editor. Here is the screen shot, click it to enlarge for better understanding:

Under Computer configuration and User (both) you will find “Scripts” ; select it and double click the “shutdown” in right sided pane. As shown above a window will appear and click the powershell script tab. You have to copy paste the vbs script in C: > Windows > System32> GroupPolicy > Machine > Scripts > Shutdown and C: > Windows > System32> GroupPolicy > Users > Scripts > Shutdown (both). Add it, set parameter, select “run the script first” from drop down menu and click OK.

It is better to debug the script that we used in our previous tutorial AFTER you changed or customized it.

Not very easy way to go. This is why this old good method for all level of users, this will only replace the default Windows shutdown sound, it has nothing to do with scripting:

1. Right click on any empty place of desktop and Select Personalize:

2. In the personalize Windows click “sounds” :

3. This Window will open. Select “Exit Windows” and click browse to replace the startup sound:

4. As we have disheartened you a bit, we are trying to make you a bit happy by supplying this commercial music for AiTtel Cellular service in India, which is chopped to fit the length. Download it, you will not be unsatisfied by listening to a song of unknown language sung in very sweet female vocal.

Airtel Music : Click here

5. Now, how can you use a computer voice to generate a greetings if you like to use instead of music? You can use any text to speech engine (like free Talk it!) to convert the text to speech. Microsoft Anna can be used to read aloud the texts you want…just your imagination.

Personally, we noticed a piece of music with vocal hears nice than bland computer generated “Thank you, Good bye!” during shutdown. The most interesting thing is that, the music will be played while the services and process getting closed…so, the waiting feels good! We have chopped the sound a bit lengthy than average shut down time, to show you the Windows Shut down sound is the last to close: If you download and apply the music, you will see, only the sound is waiting to be closed.

Other than these, you can use any free Sound editor to trim and convert to WAV and save it from any Music of your choice or your baby’s sound of laughter or your darling’s usual sayings…