To summarize: The recent return of the Windows Vista startup sound in Windows 11 Insider builds (specifically, Build 26200.5651) is not an intentional nostalgic feature, but rather an unintentional bug. This was officially clarified by Brandon LeBlanc, a Senior Program Manager on the Microsoft Windows Insider Team, after playful speculation online. The bug was noticed by Insiders and quickly became a topic of discussion on social media and forums, with some users joking about the retro callback. However, LeBlanc stated clearly that it’s a known issue, not a feature, and Microsoft is aware of it.
This kind of surprise is not unusual in early or preview builds, where elements from earlier versions can surface due to coding mix-ups or legacy assets being referenced unintentionally. Microsoft encourages users to report such findings via the Feedback Hub so they can be addressed before general release.
In the same period, Apple was also in the news for its new macOS 26 Tahoe, which many commented resembles the old Windows Aero (Vista) aesthetic, making for a humorous coincidence across tech communities.
Sources:
- Tom's Hardware Article
- Brandon LeBlanc’s statements (via Twitter/X as cited in the article)
Source: Tom's Hardware Windows 11 Insiders surprised by return of Vista startup sound — it’s a bug not a feature, says MS exec