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Chimes at Startup -- How to Control?

G

garycurtis

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 15, 2010
331
0
Los Angeles & Northern California
The startup chime is loud enough to wake the dead. Even when headphones are plugged in the chimes disturb my wife in the next room. Why is it that all other sounds are piped through headphones, but that the Sound Control Panel in
Sys Prefs doesn't offer a selective option for startup? Not even for the volume of startup.
 
I'm sorry I don't have a real answer for your question but why are you turning it off? My current iMac I use for business has been on 24x7 for going on 3 1/2 years. I only restart it for software updates or if it gets hung up (rarely). I have 2 iMacs and two MacBooks and they all stay on 24/7.
 
Ive been testing this for a while now. Its a bit confusing for some reason. But I think its as simple as...

Open System Preferences > Sound > Click the Output tab > Unplug any external speakers or headphones. You should see Internal Speakers as an output device > Select it and slide the Output Volume all the way to the left (Mute) > Restart your system to test.

this works for me with and without headphones plugged in.
 
Like what the others have said, Sleep your iMac and you won't get the chime.

If you are going away on holiday, then yes shutdown your iMac or if you install an application or update and it prompts this.

Other than that, just occasionally shutdown your iMac, say once a month.

If you mute the volume on your iMac and then shut it down, you won't get the chime next time you start it up. But too be honest, shutting down your iMac is just stressing the components more than they need to be.
 
Thanks for all the answers. So, sleep it is. These questions come up because owners of a new machine get no instructions.

As I wrote in a thread here a week ago concerning wireless mice and keyboards — OK. I got a new iMac. No operating manual. No guides to the OS. No love. No tenderness.
 
garycurtis said:
I got a new iMac. No operating manual. No guides to the OS.
Click to expand...


Like a lot of tech now, there's no physical instruction manual included. It's assumed that the owner has access to the internet, so that they can either download a PDF guide or get help/information off of the manufacturers website, which personally I don't agree with because a totally new user to a computer will perhaps have very little knowledge.
 
i noticed that if you turn the output volume down from the toolbar the chime volume is the same, as in turn it up, the chime is deafening! turn it right down, no chime at all!

i appreciate its a bind to remember when shutting down and there should be a setting but I've got used to it now.
 
garycurtis said:
Thanks for all the answers. So, sleep it is. These questions come up because owners of a new machine get no instructions.

As I wrote in a thread here a week ago concerning wireless mice and keyboards — OK. I got a new iMac. No operating manual. No guides to the OS. No love. No tenderness.
Click to expand...

I bought my first iMac just over a year ago and didn't find it difficult to set up. I wouldn't describe myself as particularly knowledgable about computers.
An operating manuel would be huge and not read by the majority of purchases.
Use the apple website (or this one) for anything you need to know.
 
I'm sure the chimes that sound at startup indicate that the iMac has past the boot tests (for want of a better word). I'm sure I read that somewhere.
 
garycurtis said:
The startup chime is loud enough to wake the dead. Even when headphones are plugged in the chimes disturb my wife in the next room. Why is it that all other sounds are piped through headphones, but that the Sound Control Panel in
Sys Prefs doesn't offer a selective option for startup? Not even for the volume of startup.
Click to expand...

There's been lots of discussion about this and some links, but really the answer is so VERY simple.

Unplug your headphones, adjust the Mac volume and you are also adjusting the startup chime volume. So if you want it whisper quiet, turn the volume right down.

Then plug your phones back in an adjust the volume again. You are not adjusting the chime volume if your phones are plugged in.

Simple!
 
Chippy99 said:
There's been lots of discussion about this and some links, but really the answer is so VERY simple.

Unplug your headphones, adjust the Mac volume and you are also adjusting the startup chime volume. So if you want it whisper quiet, turn the volume right down.

Then plug your phones back in an adjust the volume again. You are not adjusting the chime volume if your phones are plugged in.

Simple!
Click to expand...

If by "simple" you mean "clumsy and annoying."
 
The Phazer said:
If by "simple" you mean "clumsy and annoying."
Click to expand...

What - to unplug your headphones, change the volume and plug them back in again is "clumsy and annoying"??? How often do you need to adjust your startup chime volume? Once or twice ever.

Your criticism is no better than saying it's "clumsy and annoying" to have to plug your iMac into the mains socket.
 
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