How to Add Programs to Startup in Windows 10

Launch your favorite apps every time you boot up

What to Know

• Open the Run dialog box, enter shell:startup, then right-click inside the Startup folder and select New >Shortcut to add a program.
• If you can’t find the app, enter shell:appsfolder in the Run dialog box, then drag apps from that folder into the Startup folder.
• Some apps offer a ‘run at startup’ option, which is an easier way to add a program to startup in Windows 10.

This article explains how to add a program to startup in Windows 10. Applications that are designated as startup programs are launched as Windows 10 boots.

How to Add Programs to Startup in Windows 10

You can enable or disable apps from running on startup in the App Startup Control Panel and the taskbar, but the only place you can add new startup programs is through the startup folder.

Some modern apps have a ‘run at startup’ capability built into their options. If your app has that option, then turning it on is a lot easier than the following method, which is designed to work with all programs.

Press the Windows key + R to open the run dialog box.

Type shell:startup in the run dialog box and press Enter on your keyboard.

Right click in the startup folder and click New.

Click Shortcut.

Type the location of the program if you know it, or click Browse to locate the program on your computer.

If you can’t find your app, try opening the run dialog box back up and typing shell:appsfolder. You can drag any app from that folder into the startup folder to instantly create a shortcut.

Click Next.

Type a name for the shortcut, and click Finish.

Create additional links for any other programs you want to run automatically when Windows starts.

Restart your computer, and the new programs will launch automatically.

What Is the Windows Startup Folder?

The Windows startup folder is a folder that Windows looks in for programs to run every time it starts. This was the only way to manage startup programs in older versions of Windows. Adding a program shortcut causes that program to launch when Windows starts, and removing a program shortcut stops it from launching when Windows starts.

While Windows 10 has moved to the newer app startup control panel as the primary way to manage which apps, the startup folder remains the best way for users to add their own startup programs.

Drawbacks to Adding Programs to the Startup Folder in Windows 10

The benefits of adding programs you use every day to the Windows 10 startup folder are obvious. Instead of waiting for Windows to start up and then manually clicking on everything you launch every day, all you have to do is turn your computer on and wait for everything to load.

The issue is that it takes time for programs to load along with Windows, and every program you load takes up resources like memory and processor power. Load too many unnecessary programs, and you’ll find that Windows 10 starts slow and may even remain sluggish after loading everything.

If you change your mind about programs you’ve added to the startup folder, you can simply delete the shortcuts to prevent those programs from launching whenever you turn on your computer. You can also change startup programs in Windows 10 using the task manager or the startup app control panel.

What to Do If You Have Too Many Windows 10 Startup Programs

If you have some essential programs that you use for work every day, or you mainly use your computer to play a specific game, try adding the programs that are important to you and then removing programs you don’t ever use.

Your computer probably came with bloatware you never actually use, and applications are often set to run when Windows starts up even if you don’t want them to. Disable those startup programs, add the ones you want, and you’ll enjoy both convenience and faster startup times.

How to Change Startup Programs in Windows 7, 8 And 10

Dillion Megida

Startup programs are programs which run automatically when a system is booted. This is a good practice for programs which you use frequently. It saves you the stress of looking for those programs, or, in some cases, manually setting them up.

Some programs also have this feature by default when they are newly installed.

But if you have too many startup programs it can slow down the boot process. This has a negative effect especially on systems with small capabilities or less processing power.

In this article, we’ll learn how to open the startup apps control panel, how to enable and disable startup apps, and finally how to add our desired startup programs in Windows 7, 8 and 10.

In each of these Windows versions, there is a Control Panel for Startup Apps which shows a list of applications that can be run automatically on startup. These applications are either enabled for startup or disabled.

So let’s look at the process for each Windows version.

In Windows 7

Open the Startup Apps Control Panel

Open the windows startup menu, then type «MSCONFIG«. When you press enter, the system configuration console is opened. Then click the «Startup» tab which will display some programs that can be enabled or disabled for startup.

Disable/Enable Startup App

The checkboxes beside the applications indicate the status. If checked, it is enabled for startup, otherwise, it is disabled.

To disable an enabled app, simply uncheck the checkbox and click apply.

To enable a disabled app, check the checkbox and click apply.

These two processes require the system to be restarted before the changes are applied on the applications.

Add Startup App

To add an app, you’ll need to explore the Startup Folder. To do this, try any of the following methods;

• Open the start menu and type «Startup» (to search for it). When found, right-click and select Explore to open the folder.
• Open the start menu, select «All Programs» and scroll down the list until you find the Startup Folder. When found, Explore it.

Create a shortcut of your desired program, then copy it and paste it in this folder. After this, the program will automatically be added to the panel with a status of «enabled«.

In Windows 8

Open the Startup Apps Control Panel

To open the panel, try any of the following;

• Open «Task Manager» and select the «Startup» tab
• Open windows startup menu, and type «Startup» to search for the program. Then select any of the options provided.

Disable/Enable Startup App

To disable a startup app which is enabled, right-click on the app and select «Disable«.

To enable a startup app which is disabled, right-click on the app and select «Enable«.

Add Startup App

Press the window and letter R key to open the Run dialog. Then enter %AppData%. This will open a roaming folder.

Navigate to \Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. In this folder, paste the shortcut of your desired app. This will make it a startup application with a status of «enabled».

In Windows 10

Open the Startup Apps Control Panel

• Open the start menu, type «Startup Apps» (to search for it) and click any of the results.
• Open «Task Manager«, then select the «Startup» tab

Disable/Enable Startup Apps

To disable a startup app, right-click on any app in the list with a status of «enabled» and select «disable«.

To enable a startup app in the list which is disabled, right-click on the app and select «enable«.

Add Startup App

Hold the windows and letter R key on the keyboard. In the run dialog, enter «shell:startup«.

In the folder, you can add any application of your choice which you’d want to run at startup. They’ll be added to the list so when you access your Startup Apps, you can disable or enable them.

Wrap Up

If there’s any application which you always run when you boot up your system, it is good practice to make it a startup program.

When your system becomes slow to boot, it’s most likely because startup programs are responsible. Now you know how to disable or reduce them.

Dillion Megida

Frontend Web Engineer and Technical Writer. I love teaching what I know. Javascript / ReactJS / NodeJS

If you read this far, tweet to the author to show them you care. Tweet a thanks

Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp’s open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started

freeCodeCamp is a donor-supported tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (United States Federal Tax Identification Number: 82-0779546)

Our mission: to help people learn to code for free. We accomplish this by creating thousands of videos, articles, and interactive coding lessons — all freely available to the public. We also have thousands of freeCodeCamp study groups around the world.

Donations to freeCodeCamp go toward our education initiatives, and help pay for servers, services, and staff.

How to Add an App or Program to Startup in Windows 10: Startup Folder, Registry, Scheduler

Not all programs have such an option in their settings that lets you enable or disable its automatic start when you turn on your PC.

But you may want to add apps and programs to startup in Windows 10 and make them automatically launch when the PC boots up to a user account.

By the way, it’s not only about apps. You can do the same even with a document, URL address or folder if you need.

Here is an ultimate guide on how to find the startup folder for a particular user or for all users and make any program run at startup in Windows 10.

[Quick Navigation]:

Before we start explaining the boring process, it should be mentioned that some programs have a special option in their settings called “load when Windows starts”, “launch when system starts” or something alike.

Thus, all you need to do is go to the program’s setting, enable the auto-start option and that’s all. No shortcuts needed:

Make program run on startup in Windows 10

For programs that don’t have such parameter read the rest of the tutorial on how to find the startup folder and change startup programs in Windows 10.

Note that in the latest versions of Windows 10 all programs that were running at the moment when you shut down or rebooted your computer, automatically start the next time you log in.

This in any case doesn’t mean that those programs are added to Windows 10 startup folder, scheduler, or whatever. This is a standalone feature of Windows 10 which is enabled by default.

Windows 10 Startup Folder Location

If you want to add a program, app, URL or document to startup you should place its shortcut to user startup folder. By default it is located in:

How to Quickly Open the Startup Folder in Windows 10, 8, 7

Method 1

• Copy this address: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
• Press Win+E to open Windows 10 Explorer.
• Paste it into the address bar:
• Hit Enter :

Method 2

Another way to open Windows 10 startup folder is to use the Run dialogue:

• Press Win+R
• Type
• Click OK or press Enter :

How To Add Programs To Startup In Windows 10 For The Current User

You may put shortcuts to various items into this directory. But be cautious: adding too many programs to the startup folder can make your PC boot slowly (especially if you are still using a classic hard disk drive as your system disk).

Perform the following steps:
STEP 1. Open the Startup Folder using any method explained above.
STEP 2. Copy a program, app, folder, document, link or anything else:
STEP 3. Paste the shortcut to startup folder:
This is how it should look like:

The same steps in the video guide:

Add a Startup Program For All Users At Once

If you wish to set a program to run on startup for all users accounts, create its shortcut in common startup folder. In Windows 10 its default location is:

You can open it by the path: %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp or using the Run dialogue as we explain below.

1. Press Win+R .
2. Type
3. Press Enter :
4. Copy the executive file or document.
5. Use Paste or Paste shortcut to place one to Common startup folder:

Alternative Method To Create A Shortcut In Windows 10 Startup Folder

1. Right-click the empty area and select New -> Shortcut :
2. Browse the file or folder or enter URL and press Next :
3. Give a name to your new shortcut and press OK :

How to Make Modern Apps Run on Startup in Windows 10

You can also add Modern apps from Microsoft Store to startup folder. Follow the steps:

1. 1. Open the startup folder: press Win+R , type shell:startup , hit Enter .
   2. Open the Modern apps folder: press Win+R , type shell:appsfolder , press Enter .
   3. Drag the apps you need to launch on startup from the first to the second folder and select Create shortcut:

Now restart your computer and check if your program, app or another item you specified runs correctly as you log in to the user account (or as soon as your PC signs in automatically as we explained here).

How to Disable Startup Apps in Windows 10

As you might know, the more apps are added to startup, the longer you have to wait before you start using your PC.

That’s why users often apply the following steps to disable unnecessary programs from being launched at log in.

Here is how to stop programs from running at startup in Windows 10.

Method 1: Use Settings

• Press Win+I on your keyboard to launch Windows 10 Settings;
• Dive into the Apps category:
• Select Startup in the left pane;
• Disable apps you don’t want to be launched when you log in to your user account:

Method 2: Use Task Manager

• Right-click the Taskbar and click Task Manager :
• Go to the Startup tab;
• Select the app you wish to disable from auto launching;
• Click Disable :

Here is the video guide:

Add or Remove Startup Apps / Programs in the Task Scheduler

The simplest way to open the Task Scheduler in Windows 10 is to press “Win+R”, type “taskschd.msc” and hit “Enter”.

Disable startup programs in the Task Scheduler

Here you can look through the list of auto-start items, add new or remove existing. Using the Task Scheduler requires some experience. So, be careful while using it.

If you are not sure what to do with a certain startup item, first opt to “Disable” it and check the result rather than “Delete”.

Use Registry Editor to Manage Windows 10 Startup Apps & Programs

The system registry is yet another way to add or remove auto-start apps in Windows 10. Feel free to use it if this option is more preferable.

Launch the registry editor: press “Win+R”, type “regedit” and hit “Enter”.

Here you will see all programs that start when the current user logs in.

If you didn’t find the app you expected, check another registry key responsible for the common startup (for all users on the current PC):

How to Add Programs to Startup Using the Registry Editor

First, you need to decide either you want to run the program when the current user logs in, or all users on the computer at once. Depending on your decision, navigate to the one of the mentioned above registry keys.

Then, in the right part of the Registry Editor window right-click on the empty area and select New > String value

Give it a name, enter the path to the program you wish to add to Windows 10 startup and click “OK”.

Manage Startup Apps & Programs Using the Autoruns Utility

Sysinternals Autorun is a free utility that you can download from its official website https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

It doesn’t require the installation – you need just to launch the exe file.

With the help of the Autoruns utility you can:

• view the list of everything that automatically starts on your PC and remove startup items;
• use the Jump to Image option to reveal the location of the program;
• use the Jump to entry option to find out the way how the particular program added to auto-start (startup folder, registry key, scheduler, etc);
• scan startup items for viruses using VirusTotal in 1 click and see the result in the corresponding field of the program;
• and much more.

The Conclusion

If you know how to achieve the same result in easier ways, please drop a comment below. We will also be very grateful if you share this article on social networks. Thank you and good luck!