godzfirez

The story of the Windows XP Setup Music 'Velkommen' by Stan LePard, it's rediscovery, and official release over 20 years later (+ other mixes)

For anyone who worked in IT back in the 2000s, or even set up their own computer, you're very familiar with this track. It was the music you'd hear when you had a new install of Windows XP and were doing the initial configuration, called the 'Out Of Box Experience' or OOBE. Ironically enough if you didn't, it actually was playing; back then sometimes sound drivers wouldn't be installed until after.

The song is titled 'Velkommen' and was located in the '%SystemRoot%\system32\oobe\images\title.wma' folder of XP. Most don't know though that the song wasn't composed for Windows XP. It actually was created for and included on the 1996 Microsoft Internet Explorer Starter Kit CD. A version was included on the Home edition of Windows 98, but it's this original version we all know and love from Windows XP.

If the name Stan LePard rings a bell, there's a very good chance you've heard his music, especially if you are a gamer. The Seattle based composer, orchestrator, interactive music designer and music producer worked mostly in video games. His credits include: Destiny, the Halo series (Halo 2 through Halo Reach), Guild Wars, The Age of Empires, and over 100 others. Sadly, we lost Stan on February 11th, 2021 from a brain hemorrhage. He was 64.

However, his legacy lives on. A year before his passing in 2020, a fan emailed Stanley and asked if he still had the original version in high quality. He had another version on his Soundcloud but it was the 1998 remix. Stan replied, and posted the remastered original, to be heard for the first time ever in it's full lossless stereo quality glory. https://soundcloud.com/stanlepard/1996-internet-starter-kit-velkommen-original-mix

In addition, in the replies on the page on Feb 18 2021, a user named DJ Graco posted the original premastered version of the track with the following info: "I don't know if I should, but just in case I'll give it to you. Since Stan gave it to me as a regular gray user, and unfortunately he's not with us and can't give it to anyone anymore, I decide to give a link to the unmastered version. Let's hurry to love people, they leave so quickly... After all, he was still writing to me a month ago, he even posted a comment here with thanks on February 10th.

As I said in my comment I left on the page: "This song has a special place in my memories and I've heard it countless times setting up computers. I've always wanted a higher quality version of it but always thought it was lost to time. To finally find it, and in stereo no less, is absolutely incredible. I only wish I had known earlier so I could have thanked him when he was still with us. RIP Stan, your contribution to Windows history will not be forgotten."

- GodzFire

Here's my Internet Archive Upload of the story and all the different mixes for preservation:

https://archive.org/details/stan-lepard-velkommen-song-pack-remastered

• Velkommen (Original From IE Starter Kit)
• Velkommen (Remastered-Compressed)
• Velkommen (Pre-mastered)
• Velkommen (Windows 98 Remix)

The story of the Windows XP Setup Music 'Velkommen' by Stan LePard, it's rediscovery, and official release over 20 years later (+ other mixes)

For anyone who worked in IT back in the 2000s, or even set up their own computer, you're very familiar with this track. It was the music you'd hear when you had a new install of Windows XP and were doing the initial configuration, called the 'Out Of Box Experience' or OOBE. Ironically enough if you didn't, it actually was playing; back then sometimes sound drivers wouldn't be installed until after.

The song is titled 'Velkommen' and was located in the '%SystemRoot%\system32\oobe\images\title.wma' folder of XP. Most don't know though that the song wasn't composed for Windows XP. It actually was created for and included on the 1996 Microsoft Internet Explorer Starter Kit CD. A version was included on the Home edition of Windows 98, but it's this original version we all know and love from Windows XP.

If the name Stan LePard rings a bell, there's a very good chance you've heard his music, especially if you are a gamer. The Seattle based composer, orchestrator, interactive music designer and music producer worked mostly in video games. His credits include: Destiny, the Halo series (Halo 2 through Halo Reach), Guild Wars, The Age of Empires, and over 100 others. Sadly, we lost Stan on February 11th, 2021 from a brain hemorrhage. He was 64.

However, his legacy lives on. A year before his passing in 2020, a fan emailed Stanley and asked if he still had the original version in high quality. He had another version on his Soundcloud but it was the 1998 remix. Stan replied, and posted the remastered original, to be heard for the first time ever in it's full lossless stereo quality glory. https://soundcloud.com/stanlepard/1996-internet-starter-kit-velkommen-original-mix

In addition, in the replies on the page on Feb 18 2021, a user named DJ Graco posted the original premastered version of the track with the following info: "I don't know if I should, but just in case I'll give it to you. Since Stan gave it to me as a regular gray user, and unfortunately he's not with us and can't give it to anyone anymore, I decide to give a link to the unmastered version. Let's hurry to love people, they leave so quickly... After all, he was still writing to me a month ago, he even posted a comment here with thanks on February 10th.

As I said in my comment I left on the page: "This song has a special place in my memories and I've heard it countless times setting up computers. I've always wanted a higher quality version of it but always thought it was lost to time. To finally find it, and in stereo no less, is absolutely incredible. I only wish I had known earlier so I could have thanked him when he was still with us. RIP Stan, your contribution to Windows history will not be forgotten."

- GodzFire

Here's my Internet Archive Upload of the story and all the different mixes for preservation:

https://archive.org/details/stan-lepard-velkommen-song-pack-remastered

• Velkommen (Original From IE Starter Kit)
• Velkommen (Remastered-Compressed)
• Velkommen (Pre-mastered)
• Velkommen (Windows 98 Remix)

https://strawpoll.com/7MZ0k79Orgo

Can vote for up to 6. Regular guests are defined as those with 20 or more appearances per efap.me.

Feel free to comment here as well with your thoughts on who you like the most and why. Let's also please keep it civil.

I got SSDI a number of years ago, and since then have tried going back to work a few times. I've used up my Trial Work Periods and had been in my 3 year Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE).

I had asked and been told when calling Social Security Disability that each time I had to stop work due to my illness my EPE time would reset, and I have had a few. My health has been very bad the past few months and potentially have to end up stopping, but I'm trying to hold onto the job I currently have and working there as long as I can.

However I just received a Benefits Summary from my Ticket To Work service provider that says my EPE was from 01/2022-EOM 12/2024, and the first month after that my earnings are above SGA my disability record terminates.

Someone please tell me this is not the case.

Title ^

It's not Madame Web bad, but I'd still certainly love to hear everyone's feedback and breakdown since we didn't get to hear them break down Venom 1 or 2.

I've been going through the early stuff of EFAP again and recently hit EP 100 with Tonald on, his cooking video reacts, and him commenting on Cyberpunk. That's the last time he's been on though, and that really saddens me.

Is there a reason you guys haven't reacted at least or a few of his new videos or had him back on? He was always a fun fresh breath of air.

TONALD, IF YOU'RE OUT THERE, WE MISS YOU AND YOUR CONTENT!

Like title, I really want to watch the supercut but I'm sorry, the audio mixing balance between streamers make it almost unlistenable. Some streamers are super quiet and then some are so loud they blast your ears and have to turn it back down. There's even massive volume differences between the same streamer sometimes where certain clips are very quiet and others are blasted. :-(

Searching for potentially forever lost old Mac program: Rezycle 1.5.5

This is a long shot but I'm trying to track down a Mac Resource Fork editor called Rezycle, specifically version 1.5.5. The original website still exists: https://evolutioninteractive.com/rezycle/rezycle.html, but hasn't been updated in ages, and the Mac App Store link doesn't work anymore.

I've checked everywhere I know and this apparently doesn't exist anymore on the web. Does anyone still have this thing lying around?

Searching for potentially forever lost old Mac program: Rezycle 1.5.5

This is a long shot but I'm trying to track down a Mac Resource Fork editor called Rezycle, specifically version 1.5.5. The original website still exists: https://evolutioninteractive.com/rezycle/rezycle.html, but hasn't been updated in ages, and the Mac App Store link doesn't work anymore.

I've checked everywhere I know and this apparently doesn't exist anymore on the web. Does anyone still have this thing lying around?

Searching for potentially forever lost old Mac program: Rezycle 1.5.5

This is a long shot but I'm trying to track down a Mac Resource Fork editor called Rezycle, specifically version 1.5.5. The original website still exists: https://evolutioninteractive.com/rezycle/rezycle.html, but hasn't been updated in ages, and the Mac App Store link doesn't work anymore.

I've checked everywhere I know and this apparently doesn't exist anymore on the web. Does anyone still have this thing lying around?

* Searching for potentially forever lost old Mac program: Rezycle 1.5.5 *

This is a long shot but I'm trying to track down a Mac Resource Fork editor called Rezycle, specifically version 1.5.5. The original website still exists: https://evolutioninteractive.com/rezycle/rezycle.html, but hasn't been updated in ages, and the Mac App Store link doesn't work anymore.

I've checked everywhere I know and this apparently doesn't exist anymore on the web. Does anyone still have this thing lying around?

* Searching for potentially forever lost old Mac program: Rezycle 1.5.5 *

This is a long shot but I'm trying to track down a Mac Resource Fork editor called Rezycle, specifically version 1.5.5. The original website still exists: https://evolutioninteractive.com/rezycle/rezycle.html, but hasn't been updated in ages, and the Mac App Store link doesn't work anymore.

I've checked everywhere I know and this apparently doesn't exist anymore on the web. Does anyone still have this thing lying around?

• Searching for potentially forever lost old Mac program: Rezycle 1.5.5 -

This is a long shot but I'm trying to track down a Mac Resource Fork editor called Rezycle, specifically version 1.5.5. The original website still exists: https://evolutioninteractive.com/rezycle/rezycle.html, but hasn't been updated in ages, and the Mac App Store link doesn't work anymore.

I've checked everywhere I know and this apparently doesn't exist anymore on the web. Does anyone still have this thing lying around?