Early on during the covid-19 lockdown my computer fizzled and died.

I wasn't sure if it was the screen or if the whole computer had gone kaput. So I tried switching it on again to see if the startup chime played. But…no chimes.

Then I realized I hadn't heard the startup chime in forever, and got to googling (on my phone). Apple removed the chimes in 2016, but there is a way you can restore it.

Open Terminal and enter this:

sudo nvram StartupMute=%00

if you change your mind, you can mute the chime by entering

sudo nvram StartupMute=%01

Now if your screen suddenly goes black you'll be able to quickly tell if your computer is dead. Also it sounds nice.