4 ways to enable an app to run at the Windows 10 startup

In Windows 10, there are certain apps and programs that are launched automatically when the operating system starts. These are called startup apps. Although some apps configure themselves to load at the Windows 10 startup, not all your apps do that, and there are situations when you might want to enable a specific app to run as soon as Windows 10 boots. Here are four ways to make any Windows 10 app launch at startup:

1. Check the settings of the app that you want to run at Windows 10 startup

One way to make an app launch automatically when Windows 10 starts is by configuring that app’s settings. Not all apps allow you to do that, but some of them do. Such examples include Skype, Spotify, or Slack, but the list goes on. Depending on the app, the setting that allows it to run at Windows 10 startup might be called something like “start [app] when I start Windows,” “open [app] automatically after you log into the computer,” “launch [app] on login” and so on.

For example, in Spotify, you have to open the app, access its Settings, go to the Advanced settings, and select “Open Spotify automatically after you log into the computer.”

Here’s another example: in Skype, you need to open the Settings, go to General, and enable the switch for “Automatically start Skype.”

Every app is different, so browse through the settings available in yours to find out if it has an option to launch at Windows 10 startup automatically.

2. Use the Windows 10 Settings to enable an app to run at startup

For the apps that natively support the option to launch at startup, you can also use the Windows 10 Settings to enable this behavior. First, open the Settings app – a quick way to do it is by clicking or tapping on its button from the Start Menu.

In the Settings app, open the Apps category.

Select Startup on the left side of the window and Settings should show you a list of apps that you can configure to start when you log in. Find the apps that you want to run at the Windows 10 startup and turn their switches on.

If you see an app that’s already set to launch at startup and you don’t want that, you can turn off its switch.

3. Make an app load at Windows 10 startup, using the Task Manager

Windows 10 provides us with yet another tool that we can use to enable or disable apps from running at startup: the Task Manager. Open it and switch to its detailed view by clicking or tapping on the More details button. Then, select the Startup tab from the top side of the window.

If the app that you want to enable to run at the Windows 10 startup is shown in the list, select it (click/tap on it), and then press the Enable button from the bottom-right corner of the window.

If you want to know more about the startup apps, not just how to enable or disable them, we’ve covered the subject in more detail here: How to view and disable startup programs from Windows 10’s Task Manager.

4. Open any app automatically at startup by adding it to the Windows 10 Startup folder

This last method works for any app (from the Microsoft Store, or desktop app) you might want to run at the Windows 10 startup, regardless of whether it has that option in its settings, and even if you can’t find it in the Startup apps list from Settings or Task Manager. Furthermore, this method also works for files, folders, or even websites that you might want to automatically open when Windows 10 boots. Here’s how it works:

Open File Explorer and type shell:startup in its address bar. Then, press Enter on your keyboard or click/tap on the Go to button from the right end of the address bar.

Shell:startup takes you to your Startup folder. Its full address looks like this: “C:UsersYour User nameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup”. If you prefer, you can type this entire address, but we feel it is much faster to type in just shell:startup, isn’t it? 🙂

To enable an app to run at Windows 10 startup, all you have to do is create a shortcut to it in your Startup. If you don’t know how to create shortcuts, you can learn here: Create shortcuts for apps, files, folders, and web pages in Windows 10.

Note that the shell:startup folder lets you enable apps to run at the Windows 10 startup only when you sign in to your (current) user account. The apps you add to it are not going to automatically open when other users log into Windows 10. If you want to enable an app to run at the Windows 10 startup for all the user accounts, you need to make a shortcut to it in the shell:common startup folder (“C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartUp”).

Do you know other methods to make an app run at startup in Windows 10?

These are the ways we know for enabling apps to run at Windows 10 boot. All of them are easy to follow, as the steps involved are relatively simple. If you need our help or if you know other methods, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

How do I set a program to launch at startup

I have a small application with a CheckBox option that the user can set if they want the app to start with Windows.

My question is how do I actually set the app to run at startup.

ps: I’m using C# with .NET 2.0.

11 Answers 11

Several options, in order of preference:

1. Add it to the current user’s Startup folder. This requires the least permissions for your app to run, and gives the user the most control and feedback of what’s going on. The down-side is it’s a little more difficult determining whether to show the checkbox already checked next time they view that screen in your program.
2. Add it to the HKey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key. The only problem here is it requires write access to the registry, which isn’t always available.
3. Create a Scheduled Task that triggers on User Login
4. Add it to the HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key. The only problem here is it requires write access to the registry, which isn’t always available.
5. Set it up as a windows service. Only do this if you really mean it, and you know for sure you want to run this program for all users on the computer.

This answer is older now. Since I wrote this, Windows 10 was released, which changes how the Start Menu folders work. including the Startup folder. It’s not yet clear to me how easy it is to just add or remove a file in that folder without also referencing the internal database Windows uses for these locations.

How to Stop Windows 10 Apps From Launching at Startup

Too many startup apps can be a drag on your PC’s performance. Here’s how to prevent apps from automatically starting when you sign into Windows.

One of the most frustrating aspects of Windows is the ease with which many applications like Adobe Acrobat, iTunes, and Spotify start up automatically as soon as you log into Windows, whether you need them to or not.

There are certain types of programs you want to start automatically, such as antivirus and webcam software. However, many apps unnecessarily muscle their way into your startup routine, chewing up memory and resources and potentially hampering your PC’s performance.

Don’t worry, though, because you can fight back. Windows has long offered a way for you to view and disable your startup programs. In older versions of Windows, you would open the System Configuration tool (msconfig) to view and deselect any programs you wanted to stop loading automatically. In Windows 10, you go through the Settings screen or Task Manager. Here’s how to deal with unwanted startup apps.

Disable Startup Apps in Windows Settings

Open Settings > Apps > Startup to view a list of all apps that can start up automatically and determine which should be disabled. The switch indicates a status of On or Off to tell you whether or not that app is currently in your startup routine. To disable an app, turn off its switch.

Below the switch is an indicator for impact. An app can be tagged with one of four different impact indicators: No impact, Low impact, Medium impact, or High impact. These indicators measure the impact a startup program has on your PC’s CPU and disk drive at startup. The higher the impact indicator, the longer a program takes to load, thereby increasing the time it takes for Windows to completely start.

In reviewing which apps to kick out of your startup routine, look at the ones that are rated as High and Medium, since disabling those will have the greatest effect on speeding up your system at startup. Disabling those rated as Low impact or No impact will have little or no effect on your startup time, but this might still be worth doing since disabling them can free up precious RAM.

Disable Startup Apps in Task Manager

Reviewing your startup apps through Task Manager allows you to more easily research each one to better gauge whether or not to disable it. Right-click on any empty area of the Taskbar in Windows 10. From the pop-up menu, click the command for Task Manager.

In the Task Manager window, click the tab for Startup (you may need to click More details first). You will see a list of all the apps that start up automatically each time Windows loads. Some of the programs you’ll likely recognize; others may be unfamiliar. The challenge here is to hunt down the ones that don’t need to launch at startup while not disturbing the ones that do.

By default, the list should be sorted by name, but you can also tap the headings to sort the list by software publisher, startup status, and startup impact.

Scroll down the list to see which apps are enabled or disabled and to check the impact of disabling an app that’s starting up automatically. In addition to the indicators of None, Low, Medium, and High, an app could be tagged as Not measured, which means the startup impact has not yet been analyzed or recorded.

To kick an app out of the startup sequence using Task Manager, right-click on it and select the entry for Disable. Your safest bet is to disable one app at a time, restart your PC, and then make sure you and Windows can live without the program running at startup.

If you bump into any problems with a program you have disabled, return to the Settings screen or to Task Manager and welcome it back into your startup routine.

Research an App

If you can’t identify a specific app by its name or publisher, right-click on it and select the entry for Properties. This opens the File Properties window that might reveal more details about it.

Start application at when windows Starts

I have checked some other examples.

I am working on a winfrom. & now i am going to create its installer.

i want to start the software when windows starts & trying to use the following code.

But i am confused that where to put this code. i don’t want this code executed every time when my application starts as it will executed once when the software is installed.

shall i put check on form_Load() if the regkey is absent, & if yes then add this value to the Run.

is it correct ? i don’t want to give an option to the user & i want to start this application at the startup compulsorily.

5 Answers 5

You can create your customAction class for your installer like this: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d9k65z2d.aspx#Y0

Once you have this class, put your registry code in the commit section. Now, whenever your application will be installed, your application will be added to registry to run at startup.

As the others users have commented, this kind of thing should go on the installer. On the setup project you can create with Visual Studio, you can add a link to the user’s startup folder that should do the trick.

BUT

If you don’t want the user tampering with the startup folder and you absolutely want the program to start automagically with Windows, you could do as you’ve said: check for the adequate registry key everytime the program starts, and if it’s not there write it. Take into account your program will need elevated account rights for this.

BUT

Do you ABSOLUTELY need this? Are you absolutely sure you can’t offer it as an option to the final user? If I was a user to your program, didn’t want it on startup, take the effort to remove a registry key to get it out of there and then find out it’s again in the registry without my consent, I’d be pretty pissed.

How to run a C# application at Windows startup?

I made an application that launches during startup, with the next code below.
The process runs on the process manager tool after the restart, but I can’t see the application on the screen. When I open the same .exe file from the startup registry value the program runs perfect.

What can I do to fix it up?

12 Answers 12

Code is here (Win form app):

You could try copying a shortcut to your application into the startup folder instead of adding things to the registry. You can get the path with Environment.SpecialFolder.Startup . This is available in all .net frameworks since 1.1.

Alternatively, maybe this site will be helpful to you, it lists a lot of the different ways you can get an application to auto-start.

you can check whole article here

its very simple

add two part in code :

1- add namespace:

2-add application to registery :

if you want delete app from registery:

first I tried the code below and it was not working

Then, I changed CurrentUser with LocalMachine and it works

I did not find any of the above code worked. Maybe that’s because my app is running .NET 3.5. I don’t know. The following code worked perfectly for me. I got this from a senior level .NET app developer on my team.

An open source application called «Startup Creator» configures Windows Startup by creating a script while giving an easy to use interface. Utilizing powerful VBScript, it allows applications or services to start up at timed delay intervals, always in the same order. These scripts are automatically placed in your startup folder, and can be opened back up to allow modifications in the future.

for WPF: (where lblInfo is a label, chkRun is a checkBox)

this.Topmost is just to keep my app on the top of other windows, you will also need to add a using statement » using Microsoft.Win32; «, StartupWithWindows is my application’s name

If you could not set your application autostart you can try to paste this code to manifest

or delete manifest I had found it in my application

OK here are my 2 cents: try passing path with each backslash as double backslash. I have found sometimes calling WIN API requires that.

I think there is a specific Win32 API call which takes the application path and puts it in the registry automatically for you in the proper location, I’ve used it in the past but I don’t remember the function name anymore.

Not the answer you’re looking for? Browse other questions tagged c# registry startup or ask your own question.

Linked

Related

Hot Network Questions

Subscribe to RSS

To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader.

site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. rev 2021.4.16.39093

By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy.