Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Turning Off a Startup Sound.
Oliver is bothered by the sound that is played every time Word is started. He wants to turn the sound off, but is unclear on how to do this.
Believe it or not, the startup sound is not controlled from within Word, but from Windows itself. You need to start the Control Panel and then double-click the Sound applet (on some versions of Windows the applet may have a similar name, such as Sounds and Audio Devices). The control you want is on the Sounds tab of the resulting dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. The Sounds tab of the Sound applet.
Using the scrollable Program list, find the Open Program event. Click once on it, and then change the Sounds drop-down list to None. When you click on OK, your change is saved and you should not hear a sound when you next start Word—or any other Windows program, for that matter.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (440) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Turning Off a Startup Sound.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
A few tips and tricks for working around the dratted Caps Lock button.
Discover MoreHave you ever started a new document only to find that the settings in Word seem to be different than what you expected? ...
Discover MoreWhat are you to do if you know English but need to work in a version of Word that uses a language other than your own? ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: 
Comments